After the country it inhabits - Cameroon.

Boulenger G.A. 1903.

Descriptions of New Cyprinodont Fishes from Southern Cameroon.

Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Series 7, 12 (70): 435-441, 1903.

5.5 cm.

D = 11-13, A = 14-17, D/A = 1/6, ll = 30-33.

n = 12-17, A=21-23 (Scheel 1974). Very variable between populations.

Mesoaphyosemion

A.cameronense

• Haplochilus cameronensis Boulenger 1903
• Panchax cameronensis Ahl 1924
• Fundulus beauforti Ahl 1924
• Panchax bellicauda Ahl 1924
• Panchax microstomus Ahl 1924
• Aphyosemion microstomum (Ahl 1924)
• Aphyosemion cameronensis Rachow 1928 (in part)
• Aphyosemion cameronense Myers 1933
• Aphyosemion beauforti Myers 1933
• Aphyosemion microstomum Scheel 1968
• Aphyosemion bellicauda Scheel 1968
• Aphyosemion cameronense cameronense Lazara 1984

• Abailaissi
• Adzap
• Akoabas
• Akometam (M'balmayo area)
• Assendjick
• Asseng
• Ayos
• Bélinga (Northern Gabon)
• Bengbis
• Binguela
• Diang (Eastern Cameroon)
• Djoum (Southern Cameroon)
• Ebé
• Ebolowa (20km north east)
• Ecucu
• Koumameyong (Northern Gabon)
• Lalara
• Latta
• Lolodorf
• Madang 1
• Mbombo
• Mbongomo
• Mébassa
• Mébandé
• Mefou (Eastern Cameroon)
• Mélen
• Meuban
• Mfoumou
• Mindourou
• Miniongo
• Mitzic (Northern Gabon)
• Mongomo (Rio Kie, Equatorial Guinea)
• Ngoyang-Chantier
• Nguem
• Nsessoum
• Nyezam
• Rio Ecucu (Equatorial Guinea)
• Sam
• GBG 92/25
• GJP 80/14
• GJS 00/19
• CSK 95/9
• CMM 40
• GKCAR 90/8

Spec. aff. cameronense

• LEC 93 / 2

Several specimens were took from the Kienke (then Kribi) River & one specimen from the Ja River. Scheel considered the type locality most likely to be Efoulan.

The Inland Plateau of southern Cameroon, Rio Muni & northern Gabon. Inhabits the drainage systems of the Boumba, Boume, Dja, Lobo, Nyong, Sanaga & Upper Ivindo rivers.

Found in slow moving rainforest streams near the banks. They are reported to be very numerous in the wild.

Biotope of A.exiguum & A.cameronense near Zoetele, Cameroon

Photo: Courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

In 1903 Boulenger had 8 specimens from the Kribi (now Kienke) River & 1 from the Dja River, southern Cameroon, which were collected by Bates.

Boulenger gives the following collectors / locations in his 1915 Catalogue.

• 1-8 (Types). Collected in the Kribi River, southern Cameroon.
• 9-15. Collected at the above location but not used as types.
• 16-35. Collected in the Nyong River.
• 36 (Type). Collected in the Ja River. All above collected by G.L.Bates.
• 37-38. Collected by Mr.E.Seimund in Fernando Po
• 39-42. Collected by J.P.Arnold at Cape Lopez, Gabon.
• 43-44. Collected at Kwikenga, Manyanga, Congo. The collector is given as the Congo Museum.

Scheel in ROTOW 1 states that he had seen 9 specimens from the Nyong River which were collected by Bates. Again these were identified as Haplochilus cameronensis by Boulenger.

The history of this sp. is confusing. They have been imported in the past as A.australe & A.ahli & have been confused with many sp. including A.labarrei & A.louessense.

In 1913 A.ahli (which were probably A.australe) were imported from Cap Lopez, Gabon. Another sp. was included in this shipment said to have been caught in Gabon. They arrived under the label Rivulus urophthalmus (or R.rubra which is not a recognised zoological name). These fish were identified as Haplochilus cameronensis by Arnold.

History of the synonym Fundulus beauforti AHL 1924

Named after the Dutch Ichthyologist Dr. L.F. de.Beaufort. Collected by Schreiner at Sangmelima (then Sangmelina). This location is the same as another synonym, Panchax bellicauda Ahl 1924.
Ahl described this species from a single specimen (probably female) collected in the Upper Lobo River, Sangmelima, Cameroon. Holly, in his revisions of 1930 reexamined the holotype & found certain differences between this & Ahl's data. Holly found meristically significant data - D = 15 (as opposed to Ahl's D = 9), A = 16 (as opposed to Ahl's 12).
In 1962 Klee & Turner reported individuals of Fp.gularis (then A.gulare) as beauforti. Radda also made this mis-identification in 1963.
Scheel (in ROTOW 1 p 106) considered Ahl's location for the specimen described may not be correct.

History of the synonym Panchax microstomus AHL 1924

Ahl used 4 specimenscollected by Zenker to describe the species. Information on the type locality for these fish from Cameroon was not published.

Holly placed these fish as a synonym for A.cameronense in 1930.

Wild imports are regarded as a little more difficult to breed although fish of F1 or later are regarded as easier to breed. Some populations are easier to breed than others apparently although I do not know which these are.

Success has been reported using the natural method of a well planted tank & letting nature take it's course. Fry are safe with the parents & can be netted out to their own tank after a few weeks.

Growth is slow & they can take 8 months to reach sexual maturity.

Rudiger Wagner in BKA Killinews No.290 (November 1989) reported leaving a pair to over winter at 13°C. When the temperature rose in the spring to 15-16°C 5-6 eggs were found daily. At 18°C egg laying ceased.
He also observed that the fish layed well in a thunder storm at the end of May. The water temperature was between 17-18°C. These eggs went 3 weeks on peat with no signs of development. After 5 weeks the fry could be seen in the egg. At this stage the eggs were wet. The first egg hatched tail first but the fry died as it could not free itself of the shell. A pipette was used to place the eggs in & this was shaken from side to side to help free the fry.

Young fish are regarded as sensitive to metabolic waste build up in the water. Also, sudden water changes can be equally harmful. Small regular water changes have been found to be the ideal method of maintenance.
Sterba in Freshwater Fishes considered males quarrelsome. Egg incubation was quoted at 15-20 days.