Aphyosemion boehmi Radda & Huber 1977

A.boehmi Photo: Courtesy of Lennie MacKowiak

Meaning of Name

After Otto Böhm an Austrian aquarist.

First Description

Radda A.C. & Huber J.H. 1977.

Cyprinodontiden Studien in Gabun 5, Das Tiefland West-Gabuns und die Mayumbe-Berge.

Aquaria 24: 145-147, figure 4-5.

Size

Male 5 cm, female 4·5 cm.

Meristics

D = 11, A = 14, D/A = +6, ll = 28-29( +2) (Radda & Huber 1977)

Karyotype

n = 18, A = 32 (Scheel 1981)

Sub-Genus

Mesoaphyosemion

Group

striatum

Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion gabunense subspecies Böhm 1977
  • Aphyosemion species aff.gabunense Bochtler & Heinrich 1977
  • A.gabunense Gold.

Populations

  • Bigouenia
  • Mora
  • GACC 16 / 05 - Camp Morocco

A.boehmi, type locality.
Photo courtesy of Ed Purzl.

A.boehmi circulating in the BKA in 1978.
Photo courtesy of Dick Cox.

A.boehmi. Photo courtesy of Mogens Juhl

A.boehmi. Photo courtesy of Doug de Silva.

Type Locality

Collected by Bochtler in 1976 - Stream between Bigouema & Mora, 3okm south of Lambarené.

Distribution

Restricted to the Congo Inland Plateau in the Diala drainage of western Gabon in the N'goume River drainage system.

Habitat

Coastal rainforest streams & swampy brooks.

Sympatric sp. include Aphyosemion ogoense; A.pyrophore; A.caudofasciatum; A.thysi. Found at locations RPC 206 & 207, JH 212.

Distinguishing Characteristics Originally described apart from A.gabunense by the distinctive assymetrical pattern of the caudal fin. Also by the black marginal bands & yellow sub marginal bands.
Distinguished from A.gabunense by the yellow outer margin in the lower caudal fin. Some photos do show a feint red line on the outer margin.
Colour/Pattern Variability Low.
History

Discovered by Bochtler & Gaspers in January 1976 in a stream on the road between Bigouema & Mora at an altitude of 45 metres. When this sp. was first distributed in the USA they were called A.gabunense Gold.

Breeding Notes

Typical mop spawner which can prove difficult if conditions are not to the breeders liking. Egg incubation takes 12-14 days. Some breeders store eggs in very damp peat fibre in plastic bags & store them for 12 days before wetting. Sexual maturity is attained at around 5-6 months.

Geoff Besbrode in BKA newsletter No.245, January 1986 reported breeding them at pH 6·4-6·8, DH 4-6, temperature 21-23° C. Eggs incubated in water took 16 days to hatch.
Males were observed as being boisterous so the tank was well planted in Indian Fern. Young males when starting to colour up (at 6 weeks) were observed to get more aggressive to one another.

Fish that I had were very reluctant to lay eggs in my tap water of DH 10. A BKA I/P from 1977 reported water conditions not critical up to DH 9.

Diameter of Egg 0.9 mm
Remarks