After the spotted, mottled patterning on the body.

Radda A.C. & Pürzl E. 1977.

Cyprinodontiden Studien in Gabun II. Nordgabon.

Aquaria 24: p 27-29, figure 7.

4.5 cm

• D = 12-13, A = 16-17, D/A = 1/7 - 1/8, ll = 30-32 (Radda & Pürzl 1977)
• D = 12-14, A = 16-17, ll = 30-32(+2) (Radda & Pürzl 1987)

n = 17, A = 22 (Scheel 1990)

Mesoaphyosemion

cameronense

None

• Bisurn - GEMLBJ 03 / 34
• Ebé
• Koumameyong
• Lolo 1
• Matora
• Messé
• Makokou (west) (northern Gabon)
• ABDEK 2012 / 494
• BDBG 04/15 - Lolo I
• DNA 01 - Lolo 1
• G 02/125 - Near Matora
• GBHL 86/18 - 14 km Ovan to Koumaméyong
• GEMLB 02/2
• GEMLBJ 03/34 - Bisun
• LEC 93 / 4

A.maculatum. Wild male from type locality 33 km east of Koumameyong. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl	A.maculatum. Wild male from type locality 33 km east of Koumameyong. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl	Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.
GEMLBJ 03/34 Photo courtesy of Mögens Juhl	GEMLBJ 03/34 Female Photo courtesy ofMögens Juhl	GEMLBJ 03/32 Photo courtesy of Mögens Juhl

DNA 01/1 - Collected by Dr.Nevin Aspinwall in Gabon, 2001. A small creek on the south side of Lolo 1. He collected 25 fish & took them back to the USA. About 300' down the road on the opposite side he found A.cameronense.
On breeding he found them prolific but slow to mature.
This population had yellow in the anal & dorsal fins. It is thought that Peter Tirbak previously collected a yellow phase A.maculatum.

Ebé - A location mentioned in Wildekamp's 1981 book. Found near the village of Ebé in the rainforest. This may refer to Jan Pap's collection in 1980.

GAB 19/90 - On the Koumaméyong to Ovan road. This location is thought to be the type locality.

GBG 92/23 - Fished in July 1992 by Grell & Bitter in a stream crossing the Lalara to Koumaméyong road in the village of Matora. Also found was D.georgiae.

GBHL 86/18 - 14kms west of Ovan on the road to Koumaméyong. Collected in February 1986. Also collected were A.punctatum, D.georgiae & E.neumanni. This collection was returned alive to Europe but did not last long.

LEC 93 / 4 - Near Ebé, 12kms from Ovan on the road to Koumaméyong. Also fished what the villagers considered Pap's collecting place G80 some 400 metres west of the end of the village. A.maculatum, large numbers of barbs, characin, tadpoles, shrimps & water insects.
http://home.sprintmail.com/~garybartell/pg8.html Gary Bartell's site

PEG 93/14 - Matora, 18kms west of the crossroads in Koumaméyong. The villagers took Passaro & Eberl to a stream north of the village where A.maculatum could be caught in large numbers. D.georgiae was also there but in small numbers.

PEG 94/13 - Stream 15kms west of the bridge in Ovan, near the village of Messé which crosses the road. A.maculatum & D.georgiae were found but not returned to Europe.

PEG 94/14 - 18kms west of the bridge in Ovan. The Messé stream crosses the road between Messé & Mélané. This collection was brought back alive to Europe & distributed.

PEG 94/17 - Lolo 1·47km Eeast of Lalara.

Marshy ground in rainforest 33 km east of Koumameyong & 20 km west of Ovan in northern Gabon. Collected on the 11th December 1975 at 16.20 hrs.
The fish were fixed in preservative on the 18th September 1976 after being kep in aquaria. This location was coded G 75/36.
Measurements taken at the type locality were pH 6·4, electrical conductivity 20µS, ·5dGH, 1·6 Ca2/l, 1·2 mg Mg2/l.

Small area in northern Gabon, in the Okano River drainage system between Koumameyong & Lalara. This area is on the inland plateau.
There are 2 seperated areas of distribution which are drained into diferent systems. One area along the Lalara to Koumaméyoung road & another Between Koumaméyong & Ovan.

Small rainforest streams & brooks.

Discovered in 1977 in a marshy area near the road (N4) from Koumaméyong & Ovan (33km east of Koumaméyong & 20 km west of Ovan). The collected fish were all males so obviously no distribution was possible.

Jan Pap collected near Ebé to the west of Ovan. I am not sure as to the date or code for this collection. It may be JP 80 but I have little information on this code). This collection did not last long in the hobby.

In February 1986 Bardin, Lombard & Houdu (GBHL 86) collected the species at location 18 but failed to distribute to the hobby.

In 1990 Alan & Barbara Brown with David Armitage collected from the type locality. This collection was coded GAB 19/90 (also seen as GAB BBA 19/90). These fish were brought back to the UK & bred.
Keith Foden from Manchester managed to breed a good number for distribution. An F2 generation was introduced into Germany.

In July 1992 Grell collected & brought back the species on the road from Matora between Lalara & Koumaméyong. It reportedly had 'striking yellow fins'.

In January 1993 Legros, Eberl & Cerfontaine collected them from LEC 93/3. These were brought back to Europe & distributed.

In July 1993 Passaro & Eberl collected them at PEG 93/14 near Matora. Reportedly has 'yellow fins'.

In 1994 Passaro & Eberl again collected. This time in several localities including a stream west of Ebé & in the village of Lolo I (PEG 94/17).

Regarded as a difficult species to breed. I have bred them in 100% rainwater. Eggs, although not numerous were found regularly. The parents are regarded as non aggressive to fry. I did raise one fish up to about 1.5 cm. There might have been more but I collected the eggs from the mops. This one was probably laid in the plant cover.

Other reports suggest a water incubation time of 15-20 days with slow growth noted. Sexual maturity takes about 8 months.

Jan Pap reported that females outgrew males & would kill them.

Jaroslav Kadlec in BKA Newsletter No.380 May 1997 reported breeding them in water without carbonate hardness. Total hardness 1 - 5° with a pH of 5·5 - 6·5. It was found that 50%+ of eggs produced were unfertilised or disintegrated after a few days. If the water chemistry was not kept as previously mentioned all eggs would disintegrate. If levels were kept within these parameters about 25% of eggs produced would hatch.
It was found that they were not productive with a female producing only 20 eggs a week.
Eggs stored at 23-26°C would hatch in 20-30 days. Fry measure 4·5-4·6 on hatching. They take newly hatched brine shrimp but are not eager feeders. Growth rate is slow taking 5-6 weeks to reach 10mm. Growth rate then increases but males will not show colour until 4-5 months of age. At this time they should be 25-30mm. First sawnings noted at 6 months old.

It has been noted that young fish are sensitive to sudden water changes. Also, they are sensitive to a build up of waste matter in the water. This species seems to require regular very small water changes. I have kept 2 pairs in seperate tanks for 6 months without changing the water & they were full of life with the odd youngster in there as well. The tanks were heavily planted with Ceratopteris hence the removal of nitrate from the water.