After Walter Wachters of Tremelo, Belgium.

Radda A.C. & Huber J.H. 1978

Die Rivulinen des südlichen Kongo (Brazzaville) 1, Beschreibung von vier neuen Arten der Gattung Aphyosemion Myers.

Aquaria, 25: p 179 - 181, figures 8 & 9, map.

4.5cm

• D = 12-13, A = 13-15, D/A = +5-6, ll = 28-29 (+1-2) (Radda & Huber 1978)

n = 17, A = 34 (Scheel 1981)

Mesoaphyosemion

wachtersi

• Aphyosemion wachtersi Radda & Huber 1978
• Aphyosemion wachtersi wachtersi Radda 1980

• Gnimi
• Gualikoto
• Obilly
• Voula II (central Congo)
• RPC 78 / 30
• RPC 202
• RPC 91/13

RPC 78 / 30 - Sympatric sp. include A.caudofasciatum, Hypsopanchax zebra, Barbus sp. (3), Gymnallebes alvarezi.

Voula II, 9km north east of Zanaga on the road to Ogowe, Congo.

Central Congo, in the Ogowe River drainage system & the Lesala subsystem.

Rainforest pools, streams & brooks. The type locality was a pool four square metres in diameter fed by a spring. This was used as the water supply by the native people from the village.

Discovered by Buytaert & Wachters in the village of Voula II, 9 km northeast of Zanaga on the road to Ogoue on the 24th July 1978 at 0830 hrs.
Also collected by Buytaert in July 1979 at Zanaga (RPC 202) & 10 km from Voula II on the track north of Zanaga at the same location as RPC 30. This collection point was RPC 204 on this trip.
Also collected further west of RPC 30 near Komono (RPC 19). This population was described as a subspecies by Radda in 1980 (A.wachtersi mikae).
RPC 30 was distributed by the BKA Species Import Committee in September 1979.

Regarded as a difficult species to breed. Males can be aggressive so plenty of cover is required for females. Parents reportedly leave eggs & fry alone so a permanent breeding set up works well. Eggs may also be water incubated in seperate containers. Water incubation takes 12-21 days. The fry are capable of taking newly hatched brine shrimp as a first food. Growth is slow with sexual maturity taking 7-8 months. Some males can start to show colouration at 4-5 months.
Aquarium bred stock is reported to lose colouration through successive generations & care should be excercised when choosing future brood stock.

A breeding account in BKA newsletter No.194, October 1981 by Andre Schonewille stated that the pair were set up in a 12x8x8" tank with water of DH 6, pH 6·7 & a temperature of 20-23°C. Some peat fibre & a spawning mop were added. Within 3 days 15 eggs were collected but these all fungussed.
The next 10 eggs collected were put into peat & wet after 18 days with the result that 8 hatched out. The first food was micro worm graduating onto newly hatched brine shrimp after 3 days. For the first 5 days 25-40% of the water was changed daily. After this the fry were fed twice a day & 50% of the water was changed. Two weeks later the young were transferred to a larger tank for rearing. At this time one was already 2 cm with the others around 1 cm. The larger fish predated on the smaller fish.
Males were hard to distinguish from females whilst growing up. First signs do not appear until they are at least 3 cm in length.
It has been reported that the young need to be at least 1 year old to breed them.

Best maintained in aquaria with a dark bottom to show full colouration. The first generation from wild did not show the colouration of there parents & careful selection of future brood stock should be excercised.
This sp. is reportedly sensitive to velvet & fungal infections & water cleanliness is important.