Aphyosemion chauchei Huber & Scheel 1981

RPC 130 / 78
Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

Meaning of Name

After Maurice Chauche (French aquarist).

First Description

Huber J.H & Scheel J.J. 1981.

Revue systématique de la superspèce Aphyosemion elegans. Description de A.chauchei n.sp. et A.schioetzi n.sp.

Revue Française d'Aquariologie 8 (2) 36 pages with figure & map.

Size

4 cm

Meristics

D = 10-11, A = 15-16, ll = 30(+ 1-2) (Huber & Scheel 1981).

Karyotype

n = 12, A = 18 (Huber & Scheel 1981).

Sub-Genus

Aphyosemion

Group

A.elegans

Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion "COBWEST" Huber 1979. 'Congo Blue West'
Populations
  • RPC 130 (1978)
  • RPC 132
  • RPC 134
  • RPC 136
  • RPC91 / 1
  • RPC 91 / 2 ( Oyoué )
  • Masépé (or corruption Marsépé ? )
  • Obeya RPC 91/6
  • Ollombo Aphyosemion aff. chauchei RPC 96/5 (Ollombo Sawatzky) (Oltombo is a corruption from Wolfgang Grell)
  • Oyoué

A.chauchei RPC 91 / 2
Photo courtesy of Pat Rimmer

RPC 91 / 2 female
Photo courtesy of Pat Rimmer

RPC 132, 134 & 136 all collected west & north of Makoua.

Type Locality

A slow flowing rainforest stream 20 km east of Mtoumbi towards Makoua.( RPC 130 ).

Distribution

North eastern Congo. In the Likona River system. The southern range of this sp. is restricted by savannah where A.schioetzi takes over.

Habitat

Crystal clear streams in deep primary forest.

Sympatric species include:- Adamas formosus, Epiplatys phoeniceps, Procatopus sp.Neolebias trewavasae, Ctenopoma nigropannosum.

Distinguishing CharacteristicsPerhaps the only sp. this fish could be confused with is A.lamberti.
Colour/Pattern VariabilityMost often confused with A.lamberti. A.chauchei has a yellow border in the anal fin.
History

Discovered by J.H.Huber on a collecting trip in 1978 to the west of Makoua in the forest spurs of the Congo plateau. ( RPC 130, 132, 134, & 136 ).
Wildekamp in 'A World of Killies Vol 1' reports them introduced as an aquarium fish in 1991.
It is possible a Frenchman collected & brought this sp. back to France in 1982. This form had more red spots on the sides than that of the type locality. All first generation fish from these all turned out female.

Breeding Notes

 

Diameter of Egg 
Remarks

Reports advise not taking this sp. over 24'C.