After the 2 horizontal stripes down the body.

Ahl E. 1924.

Neue afrikanische Zahnkarpfen aus dem Zoologischen Museum Berlin.

Zoologischer Anzeiger 61 (3-4): 141.

4 cm.

D = 9-10, A = 12, ll = 27-28. (Ahl 1924)

D = 9-14, A = 11-15, D/A = 1/2, ll = 24-28. (Scheel)

18-20 (31). Reportedly variable at population level.

Chromaphyosemion

• Fundulus bivittatus (non Lonnberg 1895) Arnold 1908
• Aphyosemion (Fundulopanchax) bivittatus (non Loennberg 1895) Myers 1924.
• Fundulus bitaeniatus Ahl 1924.
• Fundulus rubrostictus Ahl 1924 (nomen oblitum).
• Fundulopanchax bivittatus (non Loennberg 1895) Rachow 1928.
• Fundulopanchax bitaeniatus Rachow 1928.
• Fundulopanchax multicolor Bruning 1929.
• Fundulopanchax rubrostictus Meinken 1930.
• Aphyosemion (Fundulopanchax) rubristictum Myers 1933.
• Aphyosemion multicolor Myers 1933.
• Aphyosemion bivittatum bivittatum (non Loennberg 1895) Myers 1933.
• Aphyosemion bitaeniatum Myers 1933.
• Aphyosemion (Fundulopanchax) nigri Ahl 1935.
• Aphyosemion rubrostictum Arnold & Ahl 1936.
• Aphyosemion bivittatum (non Loennberg 1895) Arnold & Ahl 1936.
• Aphyosemion nigri Daget & Iltis 1965.
• Aphyosemion bivittatum bitaeniatum Lazara 1979.
• Aphyosemion bivittatum multicolor Lazara 1979.
• Aphyosemion bivittatum nigri Lazara 1979.

• Afangasam
• Afangnagan TMBB 90 / 13
• Agbetiko RT 97
• Agomé-Klozou TMBB 90 / 12
• Apapa
• Benin City
• Brook Island
• Cotonou
• Dévé
• Ekondo Titi
• Gammi
• Godomey - Cotonou
• Igolo
• 47 km Lagos - Ibadan (sometimes reffered to as 47km north of Ibaban)
• Ijaguna River (sometimes seen as Ijagema River)
• Ijebu Creek (sometimes seen as Ibeja Creek)
• Ijebu Ode
• Ikeja
• Ikerocho Nigeria CI 2003
• Ikpenié (corrupted to Ikpele)
• Ikorodu (on the road to Sagamu)
• Iwere (sometimes spelt Ivere)
• Kwa River Falls Plantation
• Lagos (Generally distributed through commercial imports)
• Lagos (north of)
• Lagos Red
• Lagos CI 96
• Lakossa
• Majidun River
• Majitam
• Meko
• Oron
• Port Harcourt
• Porto Novo
• Satoké
• Takon
• Tchékpoé-Dédépoé
• Umpire
• Umudike
• Warri
• Yemoji River
• Zagnanado (Zaguanado)
• Zinvié
• CIN 97
• CI 95
• GEMHS 00/42 - "Nsupu".
• NA 04 / 2 - Onitsha, Oba
• TAAG 2003 / 4 - RED
• TMBB 90 / 13 - Afanyangan

Wild male collected by Stanley Cox in 1978/79. Unknown collecting location. Photo courtesy of Dick Cox.	RIM 2001 Photo courtesy of Glynn Cartwright	Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.
Male imported into the BKA in the '70's as A.multicolor. BKA photo.	Ekondo Titi circulating in the USA in 1976/77 Photo courtesy of Tony Terceira

Afangasam -

AFANGASAM Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

AFANGASAM Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

AFANGASAM & IJEBU-ODE Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

Afanyangan - Situated 8 kms west of Afanyangan. Collected by Marsan, Bousseau and Bousseau in 1990 (TMBB 90/13).

AFANYANGAN-TMBB90-13. Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

AFANYANGAN-TMBB90-13. Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

Agbetiko - Collection from this location coded RT 97 & was collected by Tilo Böhme in 1997. Located 30 kms from the coast near the Togo/Benin border.

AGBETIKO-RT97 Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

AGBETIKO-RT97 Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

AGBETIKO-RT97 female Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

Agome-Klozou -

Agome Klozou TMB 90 / 12 Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

Benin - Patrick de Rham collected this population in water with a temperature of 30°C. Collected near Zagnanado, 100 metres from the coast & 50 kms from the Nigerian border. Rudolf Pohlmann noted his first fish had yellow anal fins but these came out blue in the young.

Godomey, suburb of Cotonou - Slightly dark water & soft. Not lagoon type water. Water temp 30° C. Found near bankside vegetation. Sympatric sp. include Cichlid sp.

Ijaguna River - A mistake in lierature is the spelling Ijagema. Also, this population may have been distributed as Ijebu Ode. Collected 18th December 1999 by T.Schulz on the road from Lagos through Epie & Yemoji towards Ijebu Ode, turn left to Ijaguna. The road crosses the Ijaguna River. From this road Ijebu Ode can be seen approx 1 km away. The road from Yemoji to Ijebu Ode and the freeway run on along the ridge.

IJAGUNA RIVER Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	IJAGUNA RIVER Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	IJAGUNA RIVER Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann
IJAGUNA RIVER Female Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	IJAGUNA RIVER Female Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

Ijebu Creek (Yemoji River) - Collected October 1998 by T.Schulz. Fish were given to Rudolf Pohlmann for breeding. Situated midway between Epe & Ijebu Ode near Yemoji. At the Yemoji river the fish were found in beds of 'floating weeds'. Fish were collected in 2 locations 100 metres apart but were mixed up. It was not possible to seperate females. Rudolf found through 5 years of breeding the fish would have either blue or orange anal fins.

Photos courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann.

YEMOJI RIVER Orange.Wild fish Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	YEMOJI RIVER Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	YEMOJI RIVER Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann
YEMOJI RIVER Blue Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	YEMOJI RIVER Blue Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

 

Ijebu Odé - Often seen with large extended fins. A dark area can sometimes be seen in the throat & belly regions.

Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	Ijebu Ode female Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes	Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann
Ijebu Ode male Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes	Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann	Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann
	Ijebu Ode tanen at the 2004 BKA convention

Ikeja -

Ikeja Photo courtesy of Tony Terceira

Lagos - A common name usually attached to shipments originating from the city. We found a red form in these shipments & sorted out females which bred true. These we called TAAG Red some years ago but you can also find similar red forms called Lagos Red.
Breeding these is pretty easy. Bill Drake in BKA newsletter No. 515, August 2008 commented that young fish will eat there eggs. Also, bigger fry will eat smaller fry. Bill bred the fish in water of pH 5·5-6·9, hardness below 5 & water temperature of 21-25°C. Higher temperatures will shorten there lifespan.
Water incubation of the eggs takes 12-21 days. As a first food you can feed microworm & newly hatched brine shrimp. Growth rate is fairly slow.

Lagos Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes	A.bitaeniatum Orange. Wild male taken from commercial shipment from Lagos 2001	Form found in commercial shipment 2003
	BKA photo of a form circulating in the BKA in the '70's as A.bivittatum Lagos.

Majidun River - In March 2020 I had a commercial shipment from Nigeria. The collectors said these were caught in the Majidun River. One bag was labelled A.bitaeniatum & the other A.bivittatum. Obviously both A.bitaeniatum.

A.bitaeniatum No.1 - Majidun River

A.bitaeniatum No.2 - Majidun River

Majitam - I received this information from Norm Ruebsamen 26/10/03.. Regarding A.bitaeniatum Majitam. As far as I know, this fish was first introduced in the US in last year's new and rare at the WAKO show. I still have the name of the gentlemen who supplied them. He is a breeder / collector in Japan. If there is a naming problem, it probably occurred when he translated the African location to Japanese and then to English. It has always been my policy never to change the name of a fish that is labeled, unless the "experts" decide it should be changed.

Photo by Doug Stacey sent courtesy of Norm Ruebsamen

Majitam. Photo courtesy of Joel Saunders.

Meko - Collected in small streams & irrigation ditches in very shallow water. These waterways were silted & had heavy plant growths, water grasses & floating plant. An average reading in the area was pH 6·3, DH 1 but this was found to vary slightly in the area.
This population was found to be intolerant of pollution in the water. Aquarium bred individuals of this population have been bred in water as hard as DH 15.

Onitsha, Oba - Discovered by the Dutchman Henk Alders. The journey took place in 2004 and has the code NA 04/2 (Nigeria, Alders, 2004). The site is located approximately 7 kms from the town of Onitsha and the Niger River. This is about 200 kms to the coast, towards Port Harcourt.
Bill Drake wrote a report in BKA newsletter No.545, Nov/Dec 2011 - No eggs found during winter months where the roof was shaded with extra insulation. In May with the shading removed & natural light coming through the fish started to lay eggs. After water changes the fish became inactive & not eating for a day or two. Water was rainwater filtered for 24 hours, pH 5-6·9.
Fry require infusoria for the first few days. He found fry grew better if netting out all the bottom debris into a 1 litre tub of tank ater & putting the fry in there. Better results were had by putting a mop with the parents over the bottom debris.

NA 04/2 taken at the 2004 BKA convention. Apologies for the poor shots but at least you can see what they look like.

NA 04/2 taken at the 2004 BKA convention

Port Novo (just north of) - Water flowing with a clear tea colour. Sand or mud base with calm spots. Water temperature 28-30°C, Conductivity 54 micosiemens, DH ·5, pH 5·8. Collected by Patrick de Rham.

TAAG Red - Found in a commercial import from Lagos. We called it TAAG Red as it was more intense red than others in the shipment.

TAAG Red. This specimen was F1 as placed in the BKA conservation project. Fish bred by Stan Langdon. Photo taken at the BKA 2003 Convention. Photo courtesy of Dick Cox.

TAAG Red. Import taken at the 2003 BKA convention.

Umudike - Clausen collected the fish in 1956. Scheel also collected here in 1962 & it is thought this was the last time the fish were collected from this location.

		Photos courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann.

Yemoji River - See Ijebu Creek.

Zagnanado - Collected in muddy ponds.

Bioko Island - A comercial import into Spain in 1995 brought about a lot of confusion as it was understood to have been collected on the Island. The fish strongly resembled A.bitaeniatum from Nigeria despite reports that only A.splendopleure are endemic to the island. After some investigations it was made clear that fish (A.oeseri & maybe some A.splendopleure) were collected on the island & shipped to Nigeria for export from Lagos. At this time more fish were added to the shipment collected locally so A.bitaeniatum were mixed up. The A.bitaeniatum may be seen in the hobby as 'Bioko Island' or 'CI 95'. A.C.Rodriguez considered it to be close to the Ijebu Ode bitaeniatum.
These should not be confused with GEMHS 00/42, "Nsupu" which were collected on Bioko Island in 2000.

For reference see BKA newsletter No.406, July 1999.

CI 95
Photo courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann

Aquarium Strain - No locations

Fish circulating in the USA 1981 Photo courtesy of Tony Terceira

Given as 'Niger' (Niger River in southern Nigeria), exact location unknown.

From southern Togo across southern Nigeria & into Cameroon.
Found on sedimentary soils in coastal regions which extend into savannah areas in Nigeria where it is replaced by Fp.gardneri. North of the River Niger it seems to be absent.

Small brooks & streams in coastal rainforest. Some locations are brackish coastal lagoons. Restricted to sedimentary soils derived from the Quarterniary period.Generally a marshy habitat with higher temperatures.
Has been collected at higher altitude in the northern area of its distribution in marginal forest savannah of Nigeria. Eastern limits to distribution are the River Cross where it is replaced by A.bivittatum.
Species diversification in the distribution of A.bitaeniatum is thought to be controlled by the easier terrain where they cannot maintain pockets of isolation whereby to evolve into a new sp.

Sympatric sp. include E.sexfasciatus, Hemichromis cf.bimaculatus, Thysia cf.ansorgii (Godomey, suburb of Cotonou).

An obscure start. Ahl used four specimens to describe Fundulus bitaeniatus in 1924. These were obtained 'from aquarists & a professional breeder, Matte of Berlin' (ROTOW 1).

Introduced as an aquarium fish in 1908 according to Arnold. These were said to have originated from Warri, western Niger Delta. This population was originally described under Fundulus bivittatus.

History of the synonym Fundulopanchax multicolor Meinken 1930

Meinken described this species in 1930 using a pair plus one live male. His article describing the species (Two new Fundulopanchax species from Cameroon) stated that these fish came from Cameroon, but in a further article stated that the type specimens were collected by Griem of Hamburg at Ajakapulka which is situated near Lagos, Nigeria.
Ladiges, in 1951stated that Griem collected these fish at Apapa, near Lagos. Griem was well known as a collector in the Niger Delta & Western Cameroon.
Scheel in ROTOW 1 considered that the colour pattern indicated they came from southwestern Nigeria. For a time in Germany the multicolor name was changed to splendopleure & vice versa for some unknown reason.

History of the synonym Aphyosemion (Fundulopanchax) nigri Ahl 1935

Ahl described this species in 1935 from a single specimen reportedly collected from the mouth of the Niger River. This was given to Ahl by Siggelkow. The type specimen was kept in the Berlin Museum but was reportedly not examined by other zoologists. This specimen is presumed to have been lost now. The caudal fin was reported to be trilobate

History of the synonym Fundulus rubrostictus Ahl 1928

Ahl described this sp. from 3 specimens he received from Matte who reported them as being from the Niger Drainage. Matte was a professional fish breeder & not a collector.
Meinken thought this aquarium strain was probably imported with A.bitaeniatum although no date could be ascertained as to their original import.
Meinken, in Die Aquarien Fische stated that they resembled A.cameronense, A.meinkeni & A.oeseri & were imported by Platy Tischrunde in 1932.
Ahl also had a change of mind as in 1936 with co-author Arnold he stated that the form used as a type was imported from the Niger in 1932.

A breeding report in BKA newsletter No. 134, October 1976 stated that the sp. was easily bred. A tank was set up with plenty of floating Indian Fern (Ceratopteris) to help keep the water clean. Top mops were added & 80% of the eggs were found in them.
Eggs were removed to another container & water incubated for 14 days before hatching was observed. Dry storage was tried but not recomended as development was observed to be too fast with the fry being poor compared to those water incubated.
Fry growth was rapid with first signs of sexing out between 6-8 weeks. Full size was attained in 4-5 months.

Oliver Legros in BKA Killinews No.326, November 1992 reports fry hatch in 12-13 days. Fry are small. Lateral bands are visible at 6 weeks with sexing out at 3 months. Fish being able to breed at 4-5 months.
Benin populations are reportedly more difficult & older fish are best for breeding.