Aphyosemion rectogoense Radda & Huber 1977

A.rectogoense wild male. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl

Meaning of Name

Recto = true, ogoense = the Ogooue River, Gabon.

First Description

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

Cyprinodontiden Studien in Gabon III. Zentral und Südostgabun.

Aquaria 24: p 64-66, figures 3,6.

Size

5cm

Meristics

D = 8-9, A = 14, D/A = +9-11, ll = 27-29 (+2-3) (Radda & Huber 1977)

Karyotype

n = 9, A = 18 (Huber & Scheel 1981)

Sub-Genus

Aphyosemion

Group

elegans

Synonyms
  • Haplochilus castaneus (non Myers 1924) Pellegrin 1930
Populations

 

  • Bongoville
  • East Franceville
  • BBA GAB 90 / 27
  • BBA GAB 90 / 28
  • G 92 / 11
  • G11 / 76 ( Léconi )
  • G14 / 76
  • GHP 80 / 30
  • PEG 95 / 16

GHP 80/30 taken in 2002.
Photo courtesy of Alan Green

GHP 80/30 taken in 1982

GAB 90 / 28
Photo courtesy of Pat Rimmer

 

A.rectogoense circulating in the US around 1980. Photo courtesy of Lennie MacKowiak

BKA photo from the late '70's probably from the first import to the UK.

CMBB 90 / 27
Photo courtesy of Monty Lehmann

Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

 

Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

This form circulating in the USA in 1978.
Photo courtesy of Tony Terceira.

 

PEG 95 / 16.
Photo courtesy of Martin Fourcade.

 

GHP 80 / 30 - Imported as F1 fish by BKA Species Import Committee in June/July 1981.

Type Locality

6 km west of Léconi on the new road from Franceville to Bongoville, southeastern Gabon. The biotope was a brook in the Djouele, Léconi drainage system (G76/11).
Paratypes were collected near the Kelé - Omoy crossroads in the M'passa system.

Distribution

Southeastern Gabon on the savannah of the Bateke highlands. They inhabit the upper Lékoni-Djouya & upper Mpassa River drainage systems.

Habitat

Savannah brooks. Altitude approx. 500 metres.
Collected by Radda & Huber in 2 locations in 1976 between Leconi & Franceville in shaded brooks. Measurements taken were.. water temperature 25·2°C at 0940 hrs & 21·5°C at 1430 hrs, pH 5·0 - 5·2, conductivity 19 - 21 microsiemens (at 20°C), DH 2.

Biotope near Leconi, Gabon, collecting place of A.rectogoense and E.boulengeri.

Photo: Courtesy of Ed Purzl.

Distinguishing Characteristics 
Colour/Pattern VariabilityFairly low.
History

Discovered by Radda & Huber in 1976 in the Bateké uplands of Gabon.
Introduced into the UK around June 1978.
Collected by Hofmann & pürzl in 1980 31 km east of Franceville at collection location GHP 80 / 30

Breeding Notes

Wild fish are reportedly more prolific than aquarium bred fish. Water incubation takes 10-12 days. Growth is fairly slow taking around 7 months to reach sexual maturity.

Lothar Seegers gives a breeding report in BKA newsletter No.220, December 1983. He found the pair layed on the bottom of the tank. The tank was filled with Java moss. When tried in a bare tank with a long floating mop the pair spawned at all levels. He considered the key to breeding this sp. lies in their diet which should consist of mosquito larvae & other fly larvae with worm type food offered less often.
Eggs were noted as hatching around 3 weeks from laying. First food was newly hatched brine shrimp although it was considered advantagious to start them off on Paramecium for a few days.

Diameter of Egg 
Remarks