Foershichthys flavipinnis (Meinken 1932)

Meaning of Name

After flavipinnis meaning yellow fins.

First Description

Meinken H. 1932. (Aplocheilichthys flavipinnis).

Über zwei neue Zahnkarpfen aus dem tropischen Westafrika.

Blätter fur Aquarien und Terrarienkunde 43 (4): p 54-56, figure 2.

Size

3·5 cm (Scheel).

Meristics
  • D = 6-7, A = 13-14, ll = 30-31 (Meinken 1932)
  • D = 6-8, A = 12-15, ll = 28-31 (Scheel 1968)
  • D = 6-8, A = 12-14, ll = 28-31 (Scheel & Romand 1981)
Karyotype

n = 20, A = 26 (Scheel & Romand 1981)

Sub-Genus

 

Group

 

Synonyms
  • Panchax nigeriensis Bruning 1929 (nomen oblitum)
  • Panchax spec. nov. Meinken 1929
  • Aplocheilichthys flavipinnis Meinken 1932
  • 'Aphyosemion' flavipinnis Scheel 1968
  • 'Aphyosemion' flavipinna Scheel 1974
  • Aphyoplatys flavipinnis Schrey 1975
  • Foerschichthys flavipinnis Scheel & Romand 1981
Populations
  • Bénin
  • Lagos
  • Lukodja
  • Majidun - NG MM 14
  • Molajolé
  • Olajole (Lagos State, Nigeria)
  • Orashi River
  • Tchékpoé Dédékpoé

Male entered into the 2002 BKA convention as Aplocheilichthys nigeriensis.
Photo courtesy of Adrian Burge.

Female entered into the 2002 BKA convention as Aplocheilichthys nigeriensis.
Photo courtesy of Adrian Burge.

Female. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

F.flavipinnis. Males. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Majidun - NG MM 14 - A shipment of wild caught Killies from the Niger Delta area into the USA in 2014. This was coded NG MM 14 which stands for Nigeria -Macowiak & Mazzola 2014. Collected in the Majidun River and its creeks, in Majidun town, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

Type Locality

Coastal Lagos, Nigeria.

Distribution

Coastal habitats from southeast Ghana through Togo, Benin to the Niger Delta.

Habitat

Found in small rivers, streams & swampy areas of primary & secondary rainforest on the coastal plain. They are reportedly caught in open clear water near the surface..

Distinguishing Characteristics A distinctive species easily recognisable. They are a small species with large eyes.
Colour/Pattern Variability In 1993 I kept 2 colour forms from the same bag from a commercial shipment. One was a dull green, the other a dull red/brown.
History

Griem of Hamburg, in 1929 collected them in West Africa near to Lagos. They were referred to as 'Panchax species nov. 'der Zwerpanchax', the 'Dwarf-Panchax' by Meinken in 1929. Prior to this import he stated that they had been imported by Platy-Tischrunde without location information.

Meinken, in 1932 had a change of opinion regarding their generic status & put them in Aplocheilichthys without any documented reason.

Scheel, in 1965 examined 38 specimens originating from Ibefun, south of Ijebu Ode, Ugheli, east of Warri, Aduna, approx 40 miles south of Isela-Ubu, Auna, between Ijebu Ode & Shagamu or Aiyetoro or Badagri, southwest Nigeria.

In 1981 Scheel & Romand created the genus Foershichthys for this sp.

Breeding Notes

I spawned these easily in rainwater with a little salt added. Eggs were laid in floating mops. Water temperature around 75°F. I had about 20 fish of mixed sex in the breeding tank & found ample eggs. I don't think they are predatory to eggs & fry. Water incubation takes about 14 days. Newly hatched fry are small & were fed on infusoria in an established tank which no doubt contained ample zooplankton for them to feed on.
Although the fish are small, growth is slow, with sexual maturity being reported around 8 months at which time they should be around 2 cm.

Diameter of Egg Small
Remarks

In there natural habitat they appear in schools in open water. In commercial shipments they usually come in very small & emaciated. I had two colour forms from the same import mixed in the same bag. A green shaded form & a brown shaded form.
Adults do well on newly hatched brine shrimp.
Sperm from this species has been observed to live for at least 15 minutes in water after discharge.