Takamogikou GJS 00 / 8 male
Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes

After Jorgen Jacob Scheel.

Huber J.H. & Radda A.C. 1977.

Cyprinodontiden studien in Gabun IV, Das Du Chaillu Massiv.

Aquaria 24: 105-107, figure 7.

4.5 cm.

D = 12-13, A = 14-15, D/A = +4, ll = 28-29(+2-3) (Huber & Radda 1977)

Mesoaphyosemion

None.

• Diange
• Mbigou (central Gabon)
• Mimongo (central Gabon)
• Moubindou
• G 80 / 8
• GBN 88/18
• GBN 88/19
• GBN 88/20
• GBN 88/21
• GJS 00/5 - Sikasika
• GJS 00 / 8 - Takamogikou
• GJS 00 / 13 - Nguambanga (12 km north of Malinga)
• GJS 00 / 15 - 20 km SW Mbigou
• GBB 93/21

• GJS 00/5 - Sikasika - Mogens Juhl commented to me in an E-mail that these were collected at an altitude of 500 metres, water temperature 21·7°C, pH 6·4, conductivity 17 microsiemens.
  Wild fish from this population were observed to be very prone to jumping out as soon as the lid was opened.
• GJS 00/8 - Takamogikou - Collected in a stream named Boungoma. Here we found a very handsome population of A.joergenscheeli that later actually split out into two different phenotypes - a very blue and a very red one.
• GJS 00 / 15 - From notes sent to me by Mogens Juhl - "Water temperature was 21°C, pH 5·95 and conductivity 6 microseimens.
  Altitude was 540 metres and we found lots of A.joergenscheeli.
  The stream was very narrow, only 20-40 cm wide, but after a tiny waterfall there was a ditch that was some 2 metres wide and rather deep.
  Here I collected large amounts of juvenile A.joergenscheeli. They had gathered just beneath the waterfall where the current was strongest.
  This population was very colourful with a strong blue body colour. Bitter once collected a population (GBN 88/..) that resembled this one very much, actually the most colourful A.joergenscheeli I had ever seen!"
  

6 km to the west of Mimongo towards Lébamba (between Magara & Lamadou).

Central southern Gabon in the Migoto-Ogoulou subsystem draining into the Ngounié River drainage system.
Mogens Juhl commented that he started to collect this sp. over 500 metres above sea level & not below this altitude.

Mostly fast flowing small streams & brooks. The type locality was about 500 m above sea level.
Mogens Juhl commented in an E-mail that he observed wild males to hold territories from 3 - 6' in diameter.
Friedrich Bitter in BKA Newsletter No.293 (Feb.1990) found adult males (3 in a 10 metre section) under overhanging roots at the edge of a stream. Collected with A.ocellatum which were in greater numbers at about 50:1 compared to A.joergenscheeli. Also collected in this area were Barbus camptacanthus, B.aff.jae, B.sp. & several unidentified catfish sp.
The principal food in nature is small freshwater shrimps, insects & larvae.

Biotope of A.joergenscheeli & A.ocellatum near Mbigou, Gabon.

Photo: Courtesy of Ed Pürzl..

Location of GJS 00 / 15. Photo courtesy of Mogens Juhl

Distinguishing Characteristics

Wolfgang Eberl collected this sp. in 1993 at PEG 93 / 4. This collection is understood to be the first to be distributed in the hobby.

A difficult species to breed. Water temperature is best kept to 19-21'C.
Friedrich Bitter bred them in tanks of 40 x 20 x 20cm. Several cms of peat made up the base with some dark brown mops, one floating. A few half grown Epiplatys were added as target fish. The tank was aerated with a sponge filter. Complete water changes were made every 4-5 weeks.
Eggs were found to fungus in water so dry starage for 3 weeks was used. Fry are capable of taking newly hatched brine shrimp.
Males reportedly grow faster than females.

Although they are reportedly difficult to breed they have been seen on numerous occaisions in BKA auctions.