Refers to the 6 dark bands along the body.

Gill T. 1862.

On the west African genus Hemichromis and description of new species in the museum of the Academy and Smithsonian Institution.

Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 14: 136 (footnote).

10 cm (Scheel 1990, Atlas).

• D = 3.7 (3.8), A = 3.12, ll = 23 3/5 (Gill 1862)
• D = 11, A = 15, ll = 27 (Boulenger 1915)
• D = 10-11, A = 15, ll = 28 (Scheel 1968)
• D = 10-12, A = 17-19, ll = 30-33 (Roman 1971)
• D = 10-12, A = 16-18, ll = 29-32 (Scheel 1974)
• D = 9-13, A = 14-19, ll = 27-32 (Radda & Pürzl 1987)

n = 24, A = 25 (Scheel 1974, 1990).

Epiplatys

sexfasciatus

• Haplochilus sexfasciatus Sauvage 1880
• Haplochilus spilargyreius (non Duméril 1861) Garman 1895
• Panchax sexfasciatus Regan 1911
• Aplocheilus sexfasciatus Fowler 1919 (in part)
• Epiplatys sexfasciatus sexfasciatus Schwabe 1979

• Akkamkpa - Commonly mis-spelt Akamkpa
• Andem - BDBG 04 / 2
• Benin City
• Cap Estérias
• Coco Beach
• Elon
• Ibadan
• Kinguélé
• Lambaréné
• Machinda - GEMLBJ 03 / 47
• Ntoum
• Ongam - BDBG 04 / 26
• G80 / 12
• G02 / 91
• GEM 05 / 4

Akkamkpa - Introduced into the BKA & bred. Known to have been here in 2005.

Andem - BDBG 04 / 2 location was described as being 'beautiful yellow & blue'. Difficulties in breeding & maintenance saw them dissapear from the hobby around 2008.

Barombi - A crater lake near Kumba. Scheel studied this population & noted it as being 'variable'. Collected originally on the shores of Lake Barombi by Mr.Birket Smith in 1959, who was collecting butterflies at the time. No aquatic vegetation was noted at this biotope. See BKA newsletter 11 & 12.

Benin City - Collected by Ulf Hannerz of Sweden in 1962 near Benin City, southern Nigeria. He gave 3 forms of Epiplatys to Scheel for identification. One form was identified by Scheel as sexfasciatus who had 2 males & 3 females as breeding stock. Females exhibited a dark longitudinal band when spawning. He reported 'One of the males has an overall yellow brilliance & even the pectorals are bright yellow'

Coco Beach - Collected by Hofmann & Pürzl in the 1980's. Reportedly only slight difference from the 1980 Pap collection.

Ibadan - Collected by the Zoologist Birkett-Smith in 1959-60 at the Botanic Garden of Ibadan, the University of Lagos, Nigeria. The base colour was reportedly 'cold grey' according to Scheel (BKA newsletter August 1966). Females used for spawning did not exhibit any dark longitudinal banding. See also E.infrafasciatus Barombi population..

Machinda - Near Bata, Equatorial Guinee. Collected 2003 - GEMLBJ 03 / 47.

Given as 'Gaboon River'.

Northwestern Gabon northwards just into Equatorial Guinea. They inhabit the lower Komo, Ogowe River drainage systems & the Estuary of Gabon.

http://homepage.uibk.ac.at/homepage/c102/c102mr/epiplaty/sexfasci.htm

Small Rivers, streams, pools & swamps.

Biotope of E.sexfasciatus at Cocobeach, Gabon.
Photo: Courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

See A.ahli for another biotope photo.

Described by Gill in 1862 from 'numerous specimens' collected in Gabon. This description was not very informative & Boulenger redescribed them in 1915. The material used in this redescription also contained individuals of chaperi, multifasciatus & macrostigma. Keilhack also redescribed them from a mixture of sp. in 1910.

Boulenger gives the following collectors / locations in his 1915 Catalogue.

• 1-2. Collected by W.P.Lowe at Nanna Kru, Liberia.
• 3-7. Collected by R.B.N.Walker & Dr.A.Günther in the Atesu River, Gold Coast.
• 8-13. Collected by R.B.N.Walker & Dr.A.Günther at Bokitsa Mine, Wasa, Gold Coast.
• 14-21. Collected by R.B.N.Walker in theKotchwah River, Gold Coast.
• 22-28. Collected by Dr.H.G.F.Spurell near Dunkwa, Gold Coast.
• 29-38. Collected by Major G.E.Bruce in a stream at Awka, Lower Niger.
• 39-40. Collected by Dr.W.J.Ansorge at Sapelle, Lower Niger.
• 41-42. Collected by Dr.W.J.Ansorge at Assay, Lower Niger.
• 43-44. Collected by J.PArnold at Warri, Lower Niger.
• 45-47. Collected by J.P.Arnold in the 'Mouths of the Niger'
• 48 (Type of II infrafasciatus). Collected by J.P.Arnold in Old Calabar.
• 49-52. Collected by Major G.E.Bruce in a stream at Udi, headwaters of the Cross River.
• 53. Collected by Major G.E.Bruce at Omalu, headwaters of the Aboina River, Cross River drainage.
• 54-63. Collected by Major W.A.C.Cockburn in the Cross River District of Old Calabar.
• 64-70. Collected By Mr. E.Seimund in Fernando Po.
• 71. As above.
• 72-73. Collected at Longji, Cameroon. Collector given as the Berlin Museum.
• 74-76. Collected by G.L.Bates in the Lobi River area, southern Cameroon.
• 77-78. Collected by G.L.Bates in the Kribi River area, southern Cameroon.
• 79-87. Collected by G.L.Bates in the Benito River area, Spanish Guinea.
• 88-89. Originated in Gabon, no collector given.
• 90-91. Collected by Dr.W.J.Ansorge in the Abanga River area, Ogowe.
• 92-98. Collected by Dr.W.J.Ansorge. Location given as 'Luali River (Chiloango) at Lundo'.
• 99-100. Collected by Capt. Royaux at Banzyville, Ubanghi.

In 1930 Fowler prepared a full redescription from Gill's 30 cotypes.

Collected by M.Birket Smith in various locations in 1959 - Ibadan, Lake Barombi.

In 1962 Ulf Hannerz collected near Benin City.

The BKA received a wild shipment from Cameroon containing E.sexfasciatus. Unknown date.

Regarded as more of a challenge than others in the genus. They will lay eggs in fine leaved plants & spawning mops but they are not a prolific species. Eggs water incubate for 12-14 days. With such a large fish growth is slow with sexual maturity taking 7-8 months.

Some authors prefer to lump E.sexfasciatus & E.infrafasciatus together whilst others prefer to split them. I have given information on each species.