Scriptaphyosemion brueningi (Roloff 1971)


Fayeh. Photo courtesy of Christian Cauvet.

Meaning of Name

After Christian Brünning, a German aquarist.

First Description

 

Size

5 cm in males with females about a cm shorter.

Meristics

D = 11-12, A = 15-16, D/A = 1/3-5, ll = 32-33 (Roloff 1971).

Karyotype

n = 21, A = 22 (Grimm 1974).

Sub-Genus

Scriptaphyosemion

Group

A.liberiensis

Synonyms
  • Roloffia roloffi (non Roloff 1936); Scheel 1968 (in part).
  • Roloffia SL 15 Tirbak 1970
  • Roloffia brueningi Roloff 1971
  • Aphyosemion roloffi 1971
  • Aphyosemion brueningi Huber 1977
Populations
  • Benduma (Liberia)
  • Biato (Liberia)
  • Bomban (north of)(Liberia)
  • Bomi Hills (Sierra Leone)
  • Charles Town
  • Fayeh (Sierra Leone)
  • Giema (Sierra Leone)
  • Joru (Sierra Leone)
  • Lofa (Liberia)
  • Perie (Sierra Leone)
  • Serfalu (Sierra Leone)
  • RL 93 (Gema ? or Giema, Sierra Leonne)
  • SL 15

Benduma - Collected by Etzel & Putz in 1982 (EP 82 code).

Biato - Collected by Etzel in 1978.

Bomban - Collected north of this location by Etzel in 1978.

Bomi Hills - Collected by Roloff in 1971.

Fayeh - Collected by Busch & Hellner in 1989 (SL 89 code).

Giema - Gema may be a corruption of this collection. Collected by Roloff in 1971. Collected in shallow water with moderate vegetation.

Joru - Collected by Etzel in 1978.

Lofa - Collected by Etzel in 1978.

Perie - Collected by Busch & Hellner in 1989 (SL 89 code).

Serfalu - Collected by Etzel in 1978.

Type Locality

A pool which was connected to a stream close to Giema, Sierra Leone.

Distribution

Found in middle sections of the drainages of the Mano, Moa & Sewa Rivers of southeastern Sierra Leone & the middle Mano & Lofa Rivers of western Liberia.

Habitat

Swampy areas of rainforest streams & brooks. Also found in forested savannah.
The Kenema District location of SL 15 was a small stream containing little water, 'overhung by rocks or other media'. Roloff was reported as stating that they 'did not require clean water as they were well used to dirty water'.

Distinguishing Characteristics  
Colour/Pattern Variability  
History

Discovered by E.Roloff in 1970/71 ?

The SL code was imported to the BKA around 1970/72. Possibly there first introduction into the BKA.

Breeding Notes

Eggs are laid in top & bottom mops or in fine leaved plants where they will grow on with the parents. Incubation takes around 14 days.Young fish reach maturity after about 5 months.(Wildekamp. A World of Killies).

When the code SL 15 was first distributed in the BKA (around 1970-72) it was observed that they preferred the bottom area of the tank to lay eggs in but the occaisional egg could be found in the mid level in floating mops. Eggs were found to be small & difficult to find. They proved delicate with many turning fungussed when removed. The natural method of leaving the eggs to hatch with the parents proved a better method. Young fish/fry could be 'dipped' or ladelled out into there own tank for growing on. Water composition should be the same as the parents tank. Fry were small on hatching & required infusoria as a first food.
Growth rate was reportedly slow with first signs of sexing out after 4 months of age. Full sexual maturity was reportedly not reached until they were 10-12 months (this is twice the time quoted by Wildekamp above). Life span of this sp. is quoted as being two & a half years at a temperature of 22°C.
(BKA newsletter No.83, July 1972).

Peter Schneider writes in BKA Newsletter No. 266/267, October/November 1987.
Fish kept in water of dGH 2, pH 6·8. Water used for changes was aged for 2 days.
A male is introduced to a spawning tank with 2-3 females the next day. Three days spawning resulted in 30-40 eggs.
Water incubation lasted 3 weeks. Eggs were fairly resistant to fungus. Fry do better on brine shrimp than microworm & were more colourful on this diet.

Diameter of Egg  
Remarks

This sp. seems to not eat eggs or fry.