Epiplatys ansorgii (Boulenger 1911)

E.ansorgii Gamba, Gabon. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Meaning of Name

After Dr. W.J.Ansorge who originally collected the species.
First Description

Boulenger G.A. 1911.

Descriptions of new African Cyprinodont fishes.

Annals & Magazine of Natural History (8) 8 (44): p 262-263.
Size

8 cm.
Meristics
  • D = 11, A = 16, ll = 30-31 (Boulenger 1911)
  • D = 9-12, A = 13-16, ll = 30 (Neumann 1978)
  • D = 9-10, A = 14-16, ll = 29-30 (Radda & Pürzl 1987)
  • D = 10-11, A = 15-16, ll = 30-31 (Wildekamp & Zee 1995)
Karyotype

n = 24, A = 25 (Radda & Pürzl 1981)
Sub-Genus

Epiplatys
Group

multifasciatus
Synonyms
  • Haplochilus ansorgii Boulenger 1911
  • Haplochilus ansorgei Pellegrin 1915
  • Aplocheilus sexfasciatus (non Gill 1862) Fowler 1916 (in part)
  • Panchax ansorgii Ahl 1924
  • Haplochilus sexfasciatus (non Gill 1862) Pellegrin 1924
  • Epiplatys ansorgii Myers 1933
  • Epiplatys multifasciatus (non Boulenger 1913) Lambert & Géry 1969
  • Aplocheilus (Epiplatys) multifasciatus (non Boulenger 1913) Radda & Huber 1977
  • Epiplatys berkenkampi Neumann 1978
  • Epiplatys aff. multifasciatus Huber 1980
  • Aplocheilus (Epiplatys) berkenkampi Radda & Pürzl 1981
  • Aplocheilus berkenkampi Scheel 1990
Populations
  • Gamba (southwestern Gabon)
  • Lambaréné
  • Mbosso River (southwestern Congo)
  • Sindara
  • GJS 00 / 2 - Massana, West Fougamou

E.ansorgii collected 30 km south of Lambarené. This location was the type locality of E.berkenkampi).

E.ansorgii female as distributed in the BKA around 1986

Masana - GJS 00 / 2 - Collected in 2000. Masana was small river 5-6 metres wide & 0·5 metres deep. Lots of fallen leaves around edges. Very red fins & a blue body covered with red dots. 1 female & 3 males survived the trip back to Denmark. Breeding was easy & the fish was distributed.

E.ansorgii Massana GJS 00 / 2 as circulated in the USA.
Photo courtesy of Bill Shenefelt

E. ansorgii Massana GJS 00 / 2
Photo courtesy of Adrian Burge.

  
Type Locality

Ogowe, in the Masoma River which flows into Lake Agemwe at Umpokoya. Collected by Dr.W.J.Ansorge.
Distribution

From the lower Ogowe River system of western Gabon in small tributaries to the lower Zaire River drainage system in western Zaire.

http://homepage.uibk.ac.at/homepage/c102/c102mr/epiplaty/ansorg.htm
Habitat

Coastal lowland rainforest in small rivers & brooks.

Biotope of E.ansorgii south of Lambarené, Gabon.
Photo: Courtesy of Ed Pürzl.
Distinguishing Characteristics Dark stripe on the outer margins of unpaired fins.
Colour/Pattern Variability  
History

In 1911 Boulenger described this species from 2 large individuals from the Masoma River which flowed into Lake Agemwe at Umpokoya, Gabon.

Boulenger gives the following collector / location in his 1915 Catalogue.

  • 1-2 (Types). Collected by Dr.W.J.Ansorge. The location is given as 'Masoma River., flowing into L.Agemwe at Umpokoya.

In 1929 Holly reported them in southwest Cameroon from mountain brooks in the Bakoko district. These may have been E.sexfasciatus which are endemic to this area.

Pellegrin, in 1930 reported E.ansorgii from the Sangha - Congo drainage. Lambert in 1961 saw this material. Scheel considered that these may have represented E.multifasciatus.

Pellegrin ( 1930 ) also reported them from Man, Ivory Coast. This was dismissed due to being well outside the geographical distribution for the species.

A import by BKA Species Import in August/September 1974 was identified & distributed as ansorgii. This identification was made in error & this sp. was most likely macrostigma, now regarded as a synonym of singa. This was probably the first import of this sp. into the UK.

History of the synonym E.berkenkampi Neumann 1978.

First description: Neumann W. Aquarien Terrarien (DDR). 25 (4): 125-127, 1978.
Originally distributed as E.multifasciatus after its collection by Bochtler south of Lambaréné in 1976.
Breeding Notes

Regarded as a prolific species. Water incubation takes 12-16 days. Sexual maturity takes about 7-8 months.

Adrian Burge sent me details of how he spawns the population from Massana GJS 00/2.

"The species are kept and spawned in rainwater collected from the house roof. The pH is around 7.2, the hardness has never been checked but it must be fairly low.
The spawning medium is a green nylon wool mop reaching from the water surface to the aquarium floor. Most of the eggs are found in the top half but occasionally one or two are found at the very bottom. The fish are quite prolific and produce 4-5 (up to 12) eggs per day. The male is not aggressive and even when the female is depleted of eggs he does not damage her. The sexes are separated occasionally to give the female a rest and to replenish her eggs.
The fry hatch in about 10-14 days at 75°F and are fed infusoria for the first couple of days when they will then take newly hatched brine shrimp and micro worm. They grow fairly quickly, but the young fish look nothing like the adults. They have several vertical bands which the parents do not, and looklike a totaly different species. They go through different markings as they grow until they eventually resemble the parents.
These fish will accept all types of food although they seem particularly fond of fruit flies."

Diameter of Egg 1·7 mm.
Remarks