Fundulopanchax scheeli (Radda 1970)

Fp.scheeli. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Meaning of Name

After Jorgen Jacob Scheel.
First Description

Radda A.C. 1970.

Vorläufige Beschreibung von Aphyosemion scheeli nov. spec.

Aquaria 17: p 177-180, figure.
Size

6 cm
Meristics

D = 10-12, A = 13-14, D/A = +4-5, ll = 31-32 (Radda 1970)
Karyotype

n = 20, A = 38 (Scheel 1974)
Sub-Genus

 
Group

oeseri
Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion 'burundi' Scheel 1966 (nomen nudum)
  • Burundi Aphyosemion Radda 1970
  • Aphyosemion oeseri (non Schmidt 1928) Trewavas 1974
  • Aphyosemion scheeli akamkpaense Radda 1975 *
  • Aphyosemion akamkpaense Huber 1977 *
  • Aphyosemion scheeli akamkpaensis Lazara 1979 *
  • Aphyosemion scheeli scheeli Lazara 1984

* It is interesting to note that the true spelling of this village should be 'Akkamkpa'. See BKA newsletter No.154, June 1978.
Populations

 

  • Akkamkpa (southeastern Nigeria)
  • Okpore (east of)(southeastern Nigeria)
  • 'Burundi' (This location was a mystery. Burundi is a mountainous area of Eastern Africa, well outside the distribution area for the sp.)

Fp.scheeli Akkamkpa

Fp.scheeli 'Burundi'. This photo was taken in the US in July 1974. They were introduced as 'Burundi'
Photo: Courtesy of Tony Terceira.

Fp.scheeli. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Form circulating in the BKA as A.scheeli akamkpaense late 1970's.

 

 

Fp.scheeli circulating in the UK in the early '80's

Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

 

Akkamkpa - Formerly described as a subsp. (A.scheeli akamkpaensis). Known to be in circulation in the BKA in 1978 & possibly earlier.
The subspecies named after this village was considered an invalid naming. In 1990 Wildekamp collected 2 morphs in a small stream flowing into the Cross River just to the east of the village of Okporo. This was considered to seal the fate of this subspecies status.
Type Locality

Described from aquarium specimens. The exact wild origin is unknown.
Distribution

A fairly small area of distribution east of the lower Cross River., southeastern Nigeria.
Habitat

Found in small coastal rainforest streams & brooks, also in forested savannah where water flows over basement rock.
Distinguishing Characteristics
Modified line drawing by Bob Heap showing main identifying features of the 'Burundi' import.
Colour/Pattern Variability Fairly low
History

In Germany & Austria they appeared in 1964 as Aphyosemion burundi. The name burundi was a mystery as this is an area in east Africa well outside the distribution area for the genera Aphyosemion & Fundulopanchax.
A visiting German aquarist brought live fish into the country on January 17th 1966 & gave them to the BKA new species committee of the day for breeding & distribution. At the same time he also brought in a few other sp. including eggs of the then known A.vexillifer. Both sp. were reportedly not known in the BKA at this time & I believe this was there first introduction.

Line drawing of A.'burundi' by Bob Heap ( from K/N 113 ) as imported to the UK 1974/75.

 Originally distributed as Aphyosemion 'Burundi' in the UK. I had some of this import in the early '70's which were a really colourful fish. The photo on page 140 of ROTOW 1 is fairly accurate in terms of colouration.

A provisional description showing the relationship between scheeli,Burundi, gardneri & calliurum appeared in BKA newsletter No.81, May 1972 some 18 months after the original description in 'Aquaria' in 1970.

An article appeared in the BKA newsletter No. 113, January 1975 by C.Turner which helped to confuse vexillifer & 'Burundi' & probably led to both sp. being regarded as one & the same. The article states-'

In 1964 approximately a strain of Aphyosemion very similar to Aphyosemion gardneri was distributed as an aquarium fish in Germany under the name of Aphyosemion 'burundi'. No zoological description of the 'burundi phenotype has been published as it is certain this form does not come from Burundi, but is more likely from some part of Southern Nigeria. The fish is widely known through the BKA as Aphyosemion vexillifer...'

Wildekamp collected A.scheeli & the then A.scheeli akamkpaense in the same tributary of the Cross River east of the village of Okporo in 1990. As these fish were found syntopically (together) & given the fact that the subspecies A.scheeli akamkpaense was described on minor colouration differences it was felt that this name was a synonym for A.scheeli.
Also, akamkpaense was described partly on the basis of the colour pattern in the anal fin. However, this proved unsustainable in future aquarium bred generations.
Currently (2002) this sp. has been placed in the genus Fundulopanchax.
Breeding Notes

An easy species to breed laying eggs in top & bottom mops. Water incubation takes around 14 days. Growth rate is fairly fast with sexual maturity being reached about 4-5 months.

Francis Bruhier in BKA Newsletter No.385, October 1997 reported using light green mops to good effect. Eggs are laid at the top of the mop. Eggs are placed on peat fibre & stored at 18 - 20°C. Wet eggs every month. Growth of young is rapid with sexing out at 3-4 months.
Diameter of Egg 1·12 - 1·5 mm (Francis Bruhier)
Remarks

I had this species in the early 1970's as Aphyosemion 'burundi'. The colour photograph on page 140 of 'Rivulins of the Old World' Vol I (Scheel 1968) is in my opinion very close to the actual colours of this fish as maintained in those days.

I also maintained the then A.scheeli akamkpaense which I found easy to breed. This population had a greenish background colouration on the body.