Fundulopanchax puerzli (Radda & Scheel 1974)

A specimen I maintained around 1982.

Meaning of Name

After Eduard Pürzl, collector, author, aquarist & photographer.
First Description

Radda A.C. & Scheel J.J. 1974. (Aphyosemion puerzli).

Aphyosemion puerzli nov. spec. und Aphyosemion robertsoni nov. spec., zwei neue Rivulinen aus Kamerun.

Aquarium Journal 4 (3): p 33-37, 3 figures.
Size

7 cm
Meristics

D = 13-14, A = 16, D/A = +2-3, ll = 33-34 +3-4 (Radda & Scheel 1974)

Karyotype

n = 20 (2n = 37-38), A = 21 (Radda & Scheel 1974, 1975).
Sub-Genus

Paraphyosemion
Group

ndianus (formerly gardneri)
Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion puerzli Radda & Scheel 1974
  • Fundulopanchax puerzli Lazara 1984
  • Aphyosemion (Paraphyosemion) puerzli Huber 1994
Populations
  • Dibamba
  • Dibeng
  • Ndokama
  • CSK 95/26

Wild male collected 27 km northeast from the crossing of the Douala - Edea - Yabassi towards Yabassi, Cameroon. (type locality).
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl

Wild female collected 27 km northeast from the crossing of the Douala - Edea - Yabassi towards Yabassi, Cameroon. (type locality).
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl

Dibeng wild male from commercial import 2000. Photo courtesy of Roger Gladwell

Dibeng. From commercial import 2000. This male was the first generation from the wild male above/right.
Photo courtesy of Roger Gladwell

Dibeng female from commercial import 2000. Photo courtesy of Roger Gladwell

Dibeng male. First generation (F1) from wild fish imported into the AKA in late 2001 / early 2002. Subsequent generations have been reportedly not as colourful.
Photo courtesy of Tony Terceira

Taken at the 2004 BKA convention. How not to handle a Fuji.

Male imported into the BKA in the '70's. BKA photo.

Female to the male shown on the left imported into the BKA in the '70's. BKA photo.

 

Photo courtesy of Monty Lehmann

 
Type Locality

27 km northeast of the Douala - Edea - Yabassi road junction in the direction of Yabassi. The biotope was a small stream near its entry into a larger tributary of the Wuri River.

Distribution

Western Cameroon where they inhabit the Henda, Nkwoh & Wuri River drainage systems.
Habitat

Rainforest swamps & shallow swampy parts of brooks & streams.

Sympatric sp. include A.riggenbachi which inhabit open water areas & are found in considerable numbers. Fp.puerzli is found 'under heavily shaded retreats in shallow, still inlets of small streams & in sections of backwater'.
Also found are E.sexfasciatus also found in quantity in open water & Procatopus similis, males were found to be spotted in deep red. Non killie sp. include Barbus sp. & Pelmatachromis (probably Pelvicachromis) sp. Also, a fish called 'Grundel' was found but I don't know what this is.
Clausen & Scheel took the following measurements-
On the 8th February 1966 - pH 6·8, DH 1.
On the 23rd January 1969 the measurements were pH 6·4, DH 1. Electrical conductivity was 100 micro-siemens at 12.30 hrs & the water temperature was 25·8°C.
On the 29th November 1973 at 13.20 hrs the water temperature was 24·8°C in the fast flowing water of the main stream.
(Aphyosemion puerzli. A New Rivulin from Cameroon. A.C.Radda & J.J.Scheel - BKA newsletter No.111, November 1974).
Distinguishing Characteristics Adult males have an extension in the upper rays of the caudal fin.
Colour/Pattern Variability Medium
History

Described from specimens collected in a brook in the Vouri (Wuri) River drainage 27 km north of the intersection of the Douala, Edea & Yabassi roads, Cameroon.
Breeding Notes

Fairly easy to breed. I used bottom mops & incubated the eggs on a layer of wet peat. Peat can also be used in the tank & taken out to dry every few weeks. Dry incubation takes 6-8 weeks with sexual maturity being attained around 2-3 months.

I did find they went through periods where no eggs were layed. A lowering of the temperature can sometimes trigger spawning.

First breeding attempts by Ed Pürzl report that the fish were spawned in water of 4-6 DH. Eggs were kept in moist peat & wet after 2 weeks with the result that no fry hatched. After 4 weeks a very few fry hatched. He found that after a drying period of 7-8 weeks a large number of eggs were ripe for hatching. Longer periods of dry storage produced fewer numbers of fry.

Adrian Burge in BKA Killinews No.276, August 1988 had the following breeding account..
The pair were spawned in a small tank (12x8x8") which received sunlight. He found the fish were shy although the male did display to the female which was generally ignored.
The tank was kept bare except for a floating mop which extended to the tank base. Live foods consisting of white worm, Daphnia & glass larvae were fed with flake food being offered also. A water change of 25% was undertaken each month.
Eggs were picked off the mop daily but 50% were found to fungus before hatching in 30 days. Newly hatched fry were fed on infusoria, microworm & newly hatched brine shrimp.

Tom Soper in the same newsletter states..
I set the fish up in a 12x8x8" tank with 50% freshly drawn water & 50% mature water. The base was covered with a half inch layer of peat moss & a clump of Java moss in the corner. An airstone was added.
Temperature ranged from 74-76°F with dim lighting.
The pair were fed daily on Tubifex, white worm & Daphnia. After a week the peat was removed & dried. After 8-9 weeks the peat was wet & a good number of fry were hatched although many turned out to be males.
He had no success with water incubation.

P.K.Webber in the same article as above noted that success in water incubation was determined on the age of the brood stock. He found eggs from young pairs easier to incubate in water. He found a 'definate cut off point after which only dry storage became viable'.
Diameter of Egg 1·1 - 1·2 mm (Pürzl).
Remarks

I have had this sp. a number of times & found they go through periods of no breeding activity despite the usual shock tactic of reducing the water temperature, which can work when the fish are waiting for it to happen.
It should be noted that all attempts were made with fish from auctions without collection data & these were most likely many generations removed from wild blood.