Aphyosemion hofmanni Radda 1980

A.hofmanni GBG 93 / 17
Photo courtesy of Gottfried Marschitz

Meaning of Name

After Otto Hofmann, an Austrian aquarist who discovered the species with Ed Pürzl.
First Description

Radda A.C. 1980.

Beschreibung zweier neuer Aphyosemion - Arten aus Süd Gabun.

Aquaria 27 : 203 - 204, figure 3.
Size

4 cm (Radda & Pürzl 1987), 30.5mm (Holotype), 26-30mm (Paratypes).
Meristics
  • D = 11-12, A = 14-15, D/A = +6-7, ll = 30-32 (Radda)
  • D = 11-12, A = 14-15, ii = 31-32 (Radda & Pürzl 1987)
Karyotype

 
Sub-Genus

Aphyosemion
Group

hofmanni
Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion hoffmani Wildekamp, Romand & Scheel 1986
  • Aphyosemion hoffmanni Scheel 1990
Populations
  • Imeno Mbila
  • Munalzamb-Mageni
  • BSWG 97 / 14
  • GHP 80 / 12. Iméno Mbila
  • GJS 00 / 6 - Myanga
  • GJS 00 / 8 - Takamogikou

BBW 00/20 -

BSWG 97/14 -

BSWG 97 / 14
Photo courtesy of Karsten Keibel

    

EBT 96/18 - 2·5 kms south of Takamoundjikou

EBT 96/19 -

GBG 93/17 -

GBG 93 / 17 male
Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes

GBG 93 / 17 female
Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes

GBG 93 / 17 male
Photo courtesy of Mogens Juhl

GBG 93 / 17 male taken at the 2004 BKA convention donated by the SKS. Please excuse marks on front glass.

GBG 93 / 17 taken at the 2004 SKS convention in Copenhagen..

 

 

GEB 94/14 - 35·5kms south of Mbigou. Same location as EBT 96/19.

GEB 94/16 -

GHP 80/12 - Iméno Mbila (Type locality).

A.hofmanni Imeno Mbila, Gabon.
Wild fish.
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl

    


GJS 00/6 - Myanga - On the Miemba River/stream. A hofmanni collected together with some barbs and Clarias.
This locality was water temperature 21°C, pH 5·3 and the conductivity 1 microsiemens.

GJS 00 / 6 male
Photo courtesy of Mogens Juhl

    

GJS 00/8 - Takamogikou - Collected in a stream named Boungoma. Here were found a very handsome population of A. joergenscheeli that later actually split out into two different phenotypes - a very blue and a very red one. Here were also found a very handsome and variable A.hofmanni. Unfortunately this one did not make it to Europe, only 4 females survived the trip.

PEG 93/8 - 18kms north of Mbigou.

TDK 97/8 - Mbono on the road between Mbigou-Malinga.

Type Locality

Collection point GHP 80 / 12 on the road from Mimongo (via Mokabou) to Mbigu near Iméno Mbila, 55 km from Mimongo. du Chaillu Massif, Ngounié Province, southern Gabon.
Distribution

Very small distribution area apparently restricted to the highest parts of the Massif in the Mbomi drainage. Closest neighbouring Aphyosemion is A.lamberti.
Habitat

Small mountain streams at an altitude of 600 metres. Water depth was often recorded at 1 cm (shallow areas appear to be their favourite habitat). Air & water temperatures taken at 0900 was 20'C. Sympatric sp. include - Aphyosemion ocellatum, Barb sp. Clarius sp. & Ctenopoma sp.

Collecting place of A.hofmanni & A.ocellatum Du Chaillu Massif, Gabon.

Photo: Courtesy of Ed Pürzl.
Distinguishing Characteristics Spade shape caudal fin. Anal fin is distinctive with a pale blue band near the body & a wide yellow outer margin. Also, their is a dark band on the lower body from caudal peduncle to pectorals.
Colour/Pattern Variability Low
History

Originally collected by Purzl & Hofmann in 1980 from Imeno Mbila a small mountain stream on the road between Mimongo & Mbigu 55 km from Mimongo. Males only survived the trip back to Austria.

The holotype & paratypes ( being 2 males, 7 females & 43 sub-adults are deposited in the Musee Royal de l'Afrique Centrale. Tervuren, Belgium.

Radda considered this sp. to belong to the A.elegans group from meristic & morphological data but this was not taken up in various other articles.

Only males survived the return journey to Austria.
Breeding Notes

Little has been written about this sp. but breeding may be similar to A.ocellatum.
Diameter of Egg  
Remarks