Fundulopanchax gardneri mamfensis (Radda 1974)


Form circulating in the BKA in the early 1980's.

Meaning of Name

Refers to the Mamfe plains.
First Description

Radda A.C. 1974. (Aphyosemion gardneri mamfense).

Studien zur Cytogenetik, Taxonomie und Verbreitung der 'Gardneri-Gruppe' der Gattung Aphyosemion (Osteichthys, Cyprinodontidae) aus dem südlichen Westkamerun.

Jahrbuch des Naturhistorisches Museums der Stadt Bern 5: p 6-8, figure 3.
Size

48.5 mm (according to the original description).
Meristics

D = 13-15, A = 15-16, D/A = +5-6, ll = 32-33 +3 (Radda 1974).
Karyotype

n = 20, A = 34 (Radda 1974)
Sub-Genus

Paraphyosemion
Group

gardneri
Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion subspecies No.1 Radda 1973
  • Aphyosemion gardneri mamfense Wright 1973 (nomen nudum)
  • Aphyosemion gardneri mamfense Radda 1974
  • Aphyosemion obuduense mamfense Kottelat 1976
  • Aphyosemion mamfense Huber 1977
  • Fundulopanchax gardneri mamfensis Lazara 1984
  • Aphyosemion (Paraphyosemion) gardneri mamfense Huber 1994

Populations

  • Abinti
  • Bachou-Akagbé
  • Basua
  • Bessongabang
  • Ebinsi HAH 98
  • Eyumojok (Corrupted spellings include Eyomojok, Eymojok & Ejomocock as seen in AKA Killie Notes August 1971)
  • Faishang (sometimes spelt Faintschang or
    Fainchang)
  • Ikom
  • Mamfé
  • Mfuni (Mfune ?)
  • N'Debaya
  • Nechemba
  • N'Debaya
  • Nguti to Mamfe road.
  • Obudu (formerly 'obuduense')
  • Ossing
  • Talangaye
  • Ugep
  • CSK 95/6 (Talangaye)
  • CSK 95/26
  • GPE 90/10

Ebinsi HAH 98. Photo courtesy of David Ramsey.

GPE 90 / 10. Photo taken by kind permission from Werner Eigelshofen's site.

Mfuni - Clear anal fin with feint dark outer rim . Lower submarginal band in caudal fin lacks integrety.
Type Locality

3 km south of Bachou-Akagbé on the road to Manyemen. The biotope was near the mouth of a brook which emptied into a larger river.
Distribution

Restricted to the rainforest of the Mamfé plains in the upper Cross River drainage system
Habitat

Shallow areas of pools & brooks.
Climate chart for Mamfe.
Distinguishing Characteristics Most populations (Ossing, Mamfé etc) can be distinguished from other Fp.gardneri subspecies by heavy red blotches over the body & un-paired fins.
Colour/Pattern Variability Fairly High considering the limited distribution area. Their is a marked difference in populations from Mamfé & Ossing. The later being more strikingly patterned.
History

Collected by Scheel in 1966 from Eyomojok. First reported introduction to the UK was in the early part of 1973 when they were imported as an unknown type of gardneri. Later Radda established its true identity.

In 1970 a blue phase mamfense was found near Besongabang. This fish was described as being heavily spotted in the body & un-paired fins.

The early part of the '70's saw the introduction & distribution of a fish called Aphyosemion 'Mini-Killie'. They were reported to have been collected by Mr. Kluge of Hamburg in Nigeria. See also Eymojok & Fp.gardneri gardneri.

First introduction of the fish known as 'mamfense' into the BKA was probably in 1973.

In November/December 1998 Jack Heller, Nevin Aspinwall & Tomas Heller of the AKA collected them at Ebinsi, Cameroon. These were distributed as HAH 98/Ebinsi.These were still around at the 2000 AKA Convention.
Breeding Notes

When first introduced into the UK they proved to be very reluctant spawners with best results coming from pairs which layed eggs in a sand substrate.
Over the years they have become easier to spawn using bottom mops or peat fibre.
The Ossing I kept were not easy although some eggs were laid on bottom mops.
Some reports have suggested the growth rate of this sub-species to be slow.
Diameter of Egg

1.2 mm.
Remarks

This subspecies mainly comprises blue phenotypes but Ossing has been seen as yellow & blue.