Scriptaphyosemion etzeli (Berkenkamp 1979)
This form circulating in the BKA in the '70's. BKA photo.
Meaning of Name |
After Volrad Etzel a German biologist. |
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First Description |
Berkenkamp H.O. 1979 Description provisoire de Roloffia etzeli sp.nov., un nouveau Cyprinodontidae de Sierra Leone. Killi Contact 7 (1) (seperatum): pages 1-11, figures & map. (Association Killiphile Francophone de Belgique AKFB). |
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Size |
5 cm |
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Meristics |
D = 12-13, A = 15-17, D/A = +5-7, ll = 29-30 (Berkenkamp 1979) |
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Karyotype |
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Sub-Genus |
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Group |
liberiense |
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Synonyms |
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Populations
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Drawings by Les McCathie
from BKA Newsletter No.337, october 1993.
Spelling should be Yek Bir & Petifu. |
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Type Locality |
Given as being near to Kirma, Porto Novo district, Sierra Leone. |
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Distribution |
Restricted to an area west of Porto Novo to the south of the mouth of the Little Scarcies River, southwestern Sierra Leone. The range of S.etzeli is overlapped by S.geryi & S.roloffi. |
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Habitat |
Collected in brooks & swampy areas of forested
savannah. |
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Distinguishing Characteristics | Heavy red markings in caudal fin often showing as two vertical lines (sometimes broken). | ||
Colour/Pattern Variability | Can be variable despite their restricted distribution area. | ||
History |
Collected towards the end of 1975 by V.Etzel & W.Kessel. They were originally called Roloffia sp. 'Etzel's toddi' |
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Breeding Notes |
They are reported to prefer a shaded tank. Prefers laying in top mops. Eggs take 12-16 days of water incubation. Some breeders have reported leaving the eggs to hatch in the breeding tank where the fry are not harmed by the parents. Growth rate is a little slow with sexual maturity being around 6 months. Fish will spawn at 1" but eggs are very small. A high percentage prove infertile at this size. Eggs are reportedly better incubated on a layer of wet/moist peat & take 20-24 days. Tony Pinto in BKA Killinews No.259, March 1987
gives a breeding account as using water of pH 7, DH 2, water temperature
24 - 27°C. 25% water changes were carried out every fortnight. Les McCathie reported in BKA Newsletter No.337, October 1993 - The populations Yek Bir, Petifu & Bundulai can be spawned by the natural method & do not eat fry. It was observed though that older & larger fry would predate smaller fry. |
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Diameter of Egg | 0·8 mm | ||
Remarks |
This sp. is an expert jumper & no gap should be left in the cover glass. |