Fire carrier, referring to the flared red pattern on the caudal fin.

Huber J.H. & Radda A.C. 1979.

Die Rivulinen des südlichen Kongo (Brazzaville) 2, Der Aphyosemion lujae Komplex.

Aquaria 26: p 175-178, figures 1-2.

4.5 cm

D = 12-13, A = 15-16, D/A = +6-7, ll = 30-31(+1-2) (Huber & Radda 1979)

n = 19, A = 32 (Scheel 1981)

Mesoaphyosemion

ogoense

• Haplochilus lujae var. ogoensis Pellegrin 1930 (in part)
• Aphyosemion aff. ogoense Buytaert 1979
• Aphyosemion ogoense pyrophore Radda 1980

• Gnimi - Central Congo - Yellow morph
• Komono - (JH 165 ) (RPC 82/2) - Yellow morph
• Mopia
• Mpoukou - Congo - Blue morph
• Mvengué - Yellow morph
• Poubara - Yellow
• BB 04 / 03 - Same as BSWG 97 / 1
• BSWG 97 / 1 - Same as BB 04 / 03
• BSWG 97/2
• CMBB 89 / 13 - Gualikoto (blue & yellow)
• CMBB 89 / 14 - Mbila (yellow)
• CMBB 89 / 16 - Between Mbila & Kingani on the Menanga River. (yellow)
• COFE 2010 / 14
• FCCO 11 / 8 & 14
• FCCO 2013 / 12 - Mombagala
• FCCO 2013 / 13 - Makoumi
• GANB 06 / 2
  
• GHG 84 / 1 - Poubara (?)
• GH 82 / 2 (?) = RPC 82/2
• GHP 80/1 - 2 km E. Mvengue to Franceville
• GHP 80/23 - Mopia, 30 km to the south of Franceville on the road to Boumango.
• GHP 80/29 - 15 km from Franceville on the road to the River Ogooue water falls.
• JH 164 - Makaga
• JH 165 - Komono Catholic Mission
• PEG 95 / 17
• PEG 95 / 19
• PEG 96 / 1 - Moyabi, PK 45 Franceville to Moanda
• PEG 09 / 7
• PEG 09 / 8
• RPC 78 / 18 (Blue)
• RPC 78 / 19 (Yellow) - Gnimi, Mpoutoulou Creek
• RPC 78 / 20
• RPC 78 / 21
• RPC 78 / 23
• RPC 207
• RPC 91 / 15 - Lisengue

The village of Gnimi, Mbaya Quarter, Muputulu River, Lékoumou Province, Southern Congo. RPC 78/19.

The hills of Lékoumou Province, central Congo & an area over the border with Gabon (south eastern) in the upper Ogowe River drainage system.

Small rainforest streams in the hills of the Province of Lékoumou, Southern Congo. Measurements recorded at location JH 165 (Komono) were pH 5.4, DH 0.5, water temperature 19·8'C.
The pH is recorded at 6.5, water temperature 18-19°C in other locations.
Sympatric sp. include - A.schluppi, Hypsopanchax zebra, Nannocharax altus, Neolebias trewavasae, Chromidotilapia shiloanga, Ctenopoma nanum.
JH 164 - Small forest stream.
JH 165 - Small brook in dense forest. I metre wide, 10-30cm deep. Reported to be very numerous at this location. Measurements taken at 10.00 hrs, air temperature 20·2°C, water temperature 19·8°C, DH ·5, pH 5·4.

Collected by W.Wachters & J.Buytaert in July 1978 at Gnimi - Quartier - Mbaya in the river Moupoutoulou, Lékoumou Province, Southern Congo & close to the Mossendjo - Komono road. Also collected at Gnimi on the road to Moetche & also at Monala, Quartier de Komono, Maiques, in the Mounboli River.
Also collected by J.H.Huber in July / August 1978 at the village of Makaga & towards 32 km north of Komono 300 metres below the Catholic mission. Both locations being yellow phenotypes.

Water temperature is important in breeding this sp. It should be kept on the cool side (18-19°C). Eggs reportedly laid in mops or peat fibre which has been allowed to sink. This later medium has given good results. Eggs can be water incubated with a hatching time of anything between 12 - 21 days.
First food is best kept small with infusoria for a day or two graduating onto newly hatched brine shrimp. Other reports suggest a larger fry & newly hatched brine shrimp being fed from the start.
Growth is quite fast with sexual maturity at about 5-6 months.
RPC 18 can prove difficult to breed & needs clean water. Fry are reportedly very sensitive. Fish are sexable at 6 months.

Jim Gasior in BKA newsletter 281, February 1989 reports them ( the RPC 18 population ) to be aggressive breeders needing to be seperated after a short breeding period. Breeders should be fed heavily on a variety of live foods for 2-3 weeks. A bare breeding tank is set up with clean, heavily aerated water. pH used for spawning was 7·6, hardness of 180 ppm, temperature 70 - 75°F. The tank should be set up away from strong sunlight as this makes the fish skittish.
The pair are put into this set up after the aeration has been turned off. A long floating mop which extends to the base is added. The mop is checked after 4-5 hours. Up to 100 eggs have been noted from one female. The breeders are again seperated after a maximum of 48 hours.
Eggs are water incubated & hatch in 19 - 21 days. An egg loss rate of 10 - 20% can be expected.
For raising the fry a 5 gallon tank is set up a week before the eggs hatch which is filled with clean water with a sponge filter. Also added is a clump of Java moss & half a dozen snails. By the time the eggs hatch their is enough infusoria in the raising tank.
After the 2nd - 3rd week water changes of 10% are done.
After 6 weeks the fry are moved to larger quarters & given a 20% water change weekly. After 2-3 months signs of sexing can be observed. Jim recommends seperating the sexes as this increases the growth rate, especially in females.
Jim found the RPC 78/18 grow a little faster than the RPC 78/19.

Pat Rimmer in BKA Newsletter No.311, August 1991 bred them in a shaded tank, water temperature 72°F, pH 6·5 with a little aeration. Peat fibre & mops were used for eggs but all eggs were found in the peat fibre. This fibre is harvested weekly in a small tank with water from the parents tank. The large eggs took 20 days of water incubation to hatch. First food for fry was newly hatched brine shrimp. Velvet is something to look out for on fry. The growing fry were kept in a 24 x 12 x 8" tank with water of pH 7, water temperature 72 - 75°F with aeration & filter.
Fry are slow growers taking 9 - 10 months to reach sexual maturity & need regular feeds & water changes.Stunted fish will not make good specimens.

Gunther Schmaus in BKA Newsletter No. 324 (Sept.1992) reports breeding them in pH 7·5, DH 17, water temperature 22°C. Despite the harder water the fish were prolific on various live foods. Tubifex was found to be especially good with regard to number of eggs produced. Summer temperatures of 25°C saw egg production stop.
It was noted that all water stored eggs went fungus. Eggs were best kept on peat fibre but still half were lost to fungus. Six months on the fish sexed out (17) & all turned into males. This bias towards males remained despite reducing the breeding water to pH 6·5-6·8 & softening to DH 8-10. Only 6 females out of 70 fish were female.
If eggs on damp peat were wet too soon the eggs would not hatch well. When the fry was seen to move in the egg a further couple of days later the container was wet. This method was found to be the best hatching method. Egg development time was 14 - 20 days. Cooler temperatures meaning a longer incubation time.

Ton Hannink reported in BKA newsletter No.188, April 1981 that F2 fish of the RPC 78/18 population tended to lose the vertical lines on the rear part of the body. He advised future brood stock should be carefully selected.