Aphyosemion pseudoelegans Rainer Sonnenberg & Jouke R. Van der Zee 2012

Photo courtesy of Heinz Ott with help from Axel Schwekendiek.

Meaning of Name

After pseudo meaning lying or false.
First Description

Aphyosemion pseudoelegans (Cyprinodontiformes: Nothobranchiidae)

A new killifish species from the Cuvette centrale in the Congo Basin (Democratic Republic of Congo)

Rainer Sonnenberg & Jouke R. Van der Zee 2012
http://zoologicalbulletin.de/BzB_Volumes/Volume_61_1/003_012_BzB61_1_Sonnenberg_R_and_VanDerZee_JR.pdf

Size

Male (Paratype), max. 36·7mm SL, female (Paratype) max. 28·7mm SL.

Meristics D=8-9, A=13-15, D/A=8-10, C=24-28, ll=29/30.
Karyotype

 
Sub-Genus

Aphyosemion
Group

elegans
Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion elegans Boende 2002
  • Aphyosemion elegans, non (Boulenger, 1899): Baensch & Riehl (1985), Huber (2005 a, b), Ott (2002), Scheel (1968, 1990), Seegers (1997), Van der Zee & Huber (2006), Wildekamp (1993).
  • A. sp. Cuvette in Van der Zee & Sonnenberg (2011)
  • Aphyosemion sp. aff. elegans: Van der Zee & Sonnenberg (2011)
  • Aphyosemion sp.aff.Cuvette

Populations

  • Boendé
 Boendé - J.Lambert brought back to Europe fish from this location which is situated some 300 km east of the type locality. Specimens from this collection were placed in the Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium. Live specimens were released into the hobby & were reportedly still alive in 1984. This was reportedly a difficult population to maintain & breed.
Type Locality
Distribution Small rivers on the left bank of the mid section of the Congo River. Known to have been collected in the Tshuapa, Lomani and Lokoro drainages.
Habitat Small shallow tributaries under forest cover.
Found sympatric with A.elegans, A.sp.aff.castaneum & an undescribed species of Aphyosemion at Ikela.
Distinguishing Characteristics Dorsal fin pattern & colouration - heavy red colour in dorsal fin. A.congicum can have similarly patterned dorsal fin but is distinguished by few red spots on flanks. A.pseudoelegans having heavier spotting/pattern.
Female A.pseudoelegans in a photograph in the paper describing the species have several red spots in the dorsal fin close to the body.
Colour/Pattern Variability
History

First import into Europe thought to be by Lambert in the sixties. These from Boende then called A.elegans.

Collected by Armand van Deun on the road from Boende to Yaa. From Yaa at the first bridge over a small river. In this area many bridges are on the road with water holes between them. No killies found at this location. At the 2nd bridge, near the river several water holes full of leaves. First one was 30-40 cms deep. A female Aphyosemion was seen. In the next hole which was 2 metres long & 1 metre wide, 5-10 cms of water & about 20 cms of leaves on the base they collected 29 Aphyosemion which turned out to be 14 male & 15 female.
Another location was 35 kms from Boende on the road to Yaa. This was the Tshuapa river drainage. Collected on 22nd May 2002 at 13.00 hours.
Breeding Notes Probably similar to A.elegans.
Diameter of Egg
Remarks