Aphyosemion amoenum Radda & Purzl 1976

Unknown population picked up in an auction early '80's

Meaning of Name

Meaning beautiful.
First Description

Radda A.C. & Pürzl E. 1976.Der Aphyosemion cameronense-Komplex.DKG Journal 8 (11) 134-138.
Size

6 cm.
Meristics

D = 12, A = 16, D/A = +8.
Karyotype

16 (22).
Sub-Genus

Mesoaphyosemion
Group

A.cameronense
Synonyms

Aphyosemion raddai amoenum Scheel 1981
Populations
  • Dibang
  • Log Bako'o (Has a white colouration to the lower outer margin of the caudal fin) EMS 90 / 9
  • Mbanga
  • N'Kong
  • Mbanga (Has an orange anal fin)
  • Mkak
  • N'Konga C89 / 22
  • Ndoupé (EMS 90 / 10)
  • Pouma
  • Sonbo
  • Son Mayo EMS 90/8
  • CGE 91 / 13

A.amoenum circulating in the US around 1980. Photo: Courtesy of Lennie MacKowiak

A.amoenum in circulation in the BKA.
Photo courtesy of Pat Rimmer

This form distributed in the BKA in the '70's. BKA photo.

Pouma taken at the 2003 BKA convention.

Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

Ndoupé EMS 90 / 10 taken at the 2004 SKS convention.
Photo courtesy of Dick Cox.

 

Ndoupé EMS 90 / 10.
Photo courtesy of David Baker

 

Log Bako'o - On the EMS 90 collection Eberl et al found males of both A.amoenum & A.raddai in the same stream - EMS 90 / 9.
In this biotope were also found A.loennbergii & E.sexfasciatus.
Type Locality

Ndoupé. Rainforest area 20 km west of Ovan & 3·5 km north-northeast of the junction of the Sondo-Bibang (now Dibang) & the Edea-Yaounde Roads west of central Cameroon. A.georgiae were also found in this location. This is in the Kéllé / Nyong drainage.
Distribution

Small distribution area. Relict rainforest areas in brooks & the western rim of the Inland Plateau. A.amoenum is only 13 km west of the type locality of A.raddai, a sp. once thought to be closely related.
Habitat

The type locality was a rainforest brook water temperature 23·2°C, pH 6, DH 0·75.
Distinguishing Characteristics  
Colour/Pattern Variability  
History

In 1981 Scheel published his findings on cytological studies on the sp. & regarded A.amoenum to be a sub sp. of A.raddai on the grounds of their close Karyotype. This view is not currently followed.

The first reports I can find of imports to the UK are by Species Import Commitee in September 1980.
Breeding Notes

Not a very demanding sp. Keep them in the low 70's F & provide them with floating & submerged mops. Water incubation of 10-15 days has been reported.
Diameter of Egg  
Remarks

I have maintained this sp. on a number of occaisions & found them fairly easy to breed on the bottom level of my fish house.

Growth rate is a little slow & maturity can take 6-7 months.