Refers to the striped body pattern.

Boulenger G.A. 1911.

Descriptions of new African Cyprinodont fishes.

Annals & Magazine of Natural History (8) 8 (44): p 266.

5 cm

• D = 9-10, A = 13, ll = 30-31 (Boulenger 1911)
• D = 9-10, A = 12-14, ll = 30-31 (Radda & Pürzl 1987)

n = 20, A = 33 (Scheel 1974)

Mesoaphyosemion

striatum

• Haplochilus striatus Boulenger 1911
• Panchax striatus Ahl 1924
• Epiplatys striatus Poll 1951 (in part)
• Aphyosemion striatum striatum Lambert & Géry 1968
• Aphyosemion striatum Scheel 1968 (in part)
• Aphyosemion lujae (non Boulenger 1911) Scheel 1968 (in part)
• Aphyosemion striatum ogoense (non Pellegrin 1930) Roman 1971

• Andem
• Cabo San Juan
• Cap Estérias
• Coco Beach
• Kinguélé
• Kouame
• Lambaréné (northwestern Gabon)
• Libreville
• Macoura (northwestern Gabon)
• Ndjole
• Ntoum
• Ongam - BDBG 04/26
• G 92 / 3
• GBG 93 / 35
• GBL 85 / 6 Cap Estérias
• GEMHS 00/33
• GEMHS 00/34
• GWW 86 / 1
• LEC 93/24 Cap Estérias
• LEC 93/29
• BBW 00/26
• GEBLCG 07 / 61

Cap Estérias - Arrived in Europe a little later than Lambaréné (early 1970's).

Lambaréné - Arrived in Europe in the early 1970's (probably in the Nederlands). They were brought into the UK in 1973 by Species Import Committee.

http://www.nakashima.org/ga_stri.htm Japan Gallery

Abanga River, Ogowe, in an area between the 1st & 2nd rapids of northwestern Gabon.

Widely distributed in the coastal areas from Equatorial Guinea (found in the lower Mitemele River drainage system), to northwestern Gabon (in the Mbei, Komo, Gabon, Abanga & lower Ogowe Rivers).
Replaced south of the Ogooue River by A.exigoideum & A.primigenium.

Lambaréné. Photo courtesy of Mogens Juhl

Lambaréné. Photo courtesy of Mogens Juhl

Coastal rainforest swamps, brooks & small streams.

Prefers stagnant or slow flowing conditions.
See A.escherichi for biotope photo.

Boulenger based his description of Haplochilus striatus on 4 specimens collected by Ansorge between the first & second rapid on the Abanga River. This was a northern affluent of the Ogowe drainage, Gabon.
In 1912 Boulenger reported a single specimen from Lundo, Luali River, Portuguese Congo. Pellegrin reported striatum from the Sangha River (Congo drainage) in 1930. Poll reported 17 specimens in 1952 from the Mayumbe District, Chiloango drainage, Lower Congo. He considered them to belong to Epiplatys & considered they may represent a subspecies of ansorgii.
In 1961 La Corte described & figured (in colour) an aquarium form he called A.lujae. These were collected by Pierre Brichard (who identified them as striatum) (See also A.lujae & A.ottogartneri). A colour photo of 'La Corte's strain' can be found on page 281 of ROTOW 1.

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

• 1-4 (Types). Collected at Ogowe in the Abanga River area between 1st & 2nd rapids.
• 5. Collected at Lundo, Luali River, Portuguese Congo. Both locations collected by Dr.W.J.Ansorge.

A group of BKA members made a tour of European killie keepers in 1973. A.striatum were obtained & fish were distributed to Species Control members. Probable first release into the BKA was at the Collingham AGM in October 1973.

An easy species to breed. Eggs are laid in top & bottom mops. Water incubation 13-15 days. Growth rate is quite rapid with sexual maturity being attained at about 4-5 months.

Anthony Pinto in BKA Newsletter No.269 (January 1988) reported breeding them in water of 5 - 10 DH, pH 7, water temperature 24 - 26°C.
Fry were fed newly hatched brine shrimp & microworm as a first food. Males were seen to start colouring up at 3 months.