Aphyosemion bitaeniatum

[Dan_G_Calgary]

Been collecting eggs on these for close to a month. First one hatched today.

Pics of the parents to follow.

Edit: correct name found

[CACAdmin]

Congrats. Hopefully, many more will follow. Looking forward to seeing pics.

[GaryofMontreal]

It's a weird name they sold that under. Chromaphyosemion may be a genus or it may be a sub-grouping. Scientists disagree on that.
splendopleure is a species with a lot of forms, so I guess it could be called a species complex. It's a legitimate species according to genetic studies.
biteniatum is too. They never meet in nature, as they occur on opposite sides of the Cross River along the Cameroon Nigeria border.
It'll be one or the other, and it's probably going to possible to tell from pictures. They are different.
http://www.aka.org/wak/Ref_Library/Aphyosemion/A.bitaeniatum.htm

http://www.aka.org/wak/Ref_Library/Aphyosemion/A.splendopleure.htm

http://www.aka.org/wak/Ref_Library/Aphyosemion/A.bivittatum.htm

There are the species pages from Killifish of West Africa, a magnificent site set up by British aquarist Tim Addis. I actually renewed my AKA membership today just because they agreed to host Tim Addis's site when its size became a problem for him. It's a great site to dig through, species by species, on a rainy day.

[Dan_G_Calgary]

changed the title according to what I now believe they are, based on they look most like the splendepluere that I just bought from Gary! haha!

Pics to confirm still to follow. As I don't know the location, they will be named as aquarium strain.

Unfortunately they were bought by someone who passed them on to me, and had lost the name along the way. They originally came from Big Als in Edmonton, so god only knows their actual history.

Anyway, with that stated, I am up to 2 fry on these. I keep losing the eggs, or they will stop spawning. But those two fry! man are they doing good! haha!

Going to try the alternating mops that Gary had recommended for this species. Currently have a group of eggs in straight distilled water (TDS <10) to see what the effect is. Will cut that back a bit once they eye up as I don't think I want to find out what happens if they hatch out in it!

[Dan_G_Calgary]

up to 4 fry on these. They stopped laying eggs again.

Took a few pics for some help in identification of the parents.

Big Papa

http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/Grimblyd/A%20splendopluere%20maybe/Various020.jpg

another shot of him

http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/Grimblyd/A%20splendopluere%20maybe/Various029.jpg

female

http://i970.photobucket.com/albums/ae184/Grimblyd/A%20splendopluere%20maybe/Various010.jpg

[Dan_G_Calgary]

So, what do you think? A. splendopluere?

[vince0]

Good looking fish, I can't wait for mine to get that size.

[Dan_G_Calgary]

this picture makes me think I have the right name

http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_Aphyosemion_splendopleure.php

[vince0]

yeah mine look similar to yours, just a different colour variation. they are really slow growers, the ones you got for me last year are still only about half the size of yours.

[GaryofMontreal]

I haven't been by this corner for a while. I think that's a Nigerian biteniatum. You'll never know for sure without location data, but that looks like fish I've had (and really liked) in the past, out of Lagos.
A splendopleure usually has a different body shine with green in, but biteniatum gets to bigger patterned reddish fins I see there. The spots in the big dorsal say biteniatum. That green in the anal says I should maybe shut up though.
The fish have identical habitats and needs and are really similar. I truly and wrongly thought they were one coastal species with one name in the old British colonies and another in the French, but DNA work proved I had missed the boat completely. They are similar enough though that armchair amateurs can have theories like that.
They are very beautiful. have you seen the male flare his fins for a display yet?

[Dan_G_Calgary]

Yah. He does it all the time. He was being a jerk though when I was taking pictures. In one he was flared, and managed a full turn before the shutter closed when I snapped a pic. It is quite pretty.

I have a few fry from them, but all my annual killies have stopped laying eggs. (probably coincidence, and partially because I've been fussing about with their tanks, but 3 species stopped simultaneously.)

I am a bit concerned about reproducing them without correctly identifying them. You recall Gary the original name I used on these that we had discussed in PMs? I'll find it again, but it was something like chyrmaphyosemion splendopluere biteniatum.

I don't want to misidentify them or send out wrong information when I put them on the BAP.... It's a conundrum...

[vince0]

Didn't we figure out last winter that when the temperature dipped outside, which then caused your fishroom temp to dip, your annuals stopped laying eggs then too? At least I think that's how the conversation went?

[Dan_G_Calgary]

nah. Just all the eggs died then. was having terrible hatch rates, and massive spawn die offs at the 2 -3 week age when the temps dipped.

[Dan_G_Calgary]

this is cut and paste from the email regarding these

The fish are part of the Chromaphyosemion splendpleure complex, bitaeniatum I believe,

[vince0]

nah. Just all the eggs died then. was having terrible hatch rates, and massive spawn die offs at the 2 -3 week age when the temps dipped.

oops, forgot about that... I wonder if this is temperature related too though... it has been rather cold outside lately.

[GaryofMontreal]

A couple of things. You could call them "cf biteniatum" aquarium strain. "Cf" stands for probably, in real worldish. I've had to put it on some wild fish where I thought I knew, but wouldn't bet the farm.

My killies have been breeding like there's no tomorrow. I pulled 49 cameronense eggs in 2 days last week. But if I were to go into my now 25 degree fishroom, I would not find an egg. They will shut for the summer, unless it gets down to 22 again. My splendopleure (and your biteniatum) will get producing after a few days of warm, as they like it. But the blue and red Aphyos won't be happy til it cools again.
A lot of annuals love the heat, but most Aphyosemions hate it. Some of my fish won't give eggs again til September.

[Dan_G_Calgary]

Good call Gary. Finally heard back from the source. They are indeed A. bitaeniatum. and I shall refer to them as aquarium strain.

thanks again!

[vince0]

sweet deals dan. Illl trade ya for some splendopleurs when you get some fry and I get some fry lol

[Dan_G_Calgary]

So sure 'nuff. Finally get them identified and the male jumps... Had a half cover on the tank for the entire time since I got them, and last week he decided he could fly....

Only got 2 fry hatched out of them. Vince and I had a look at them tonight and we think I have a baby male and female... looks like a longer term project!

[CACAdmin]

Sorry to hear the male took flight. I hope you and Vince are correct in that you have wee ones of both sexes.

[Dan_G_Calgary]

so it's been back and forth on the 2 fry. Are they two females? Vince and I were sure that one was, but the other was just slightly in doubt. I can now confirm that I have a male and female! The male is just starting to color up. Once again I pull a killie project from the brink of fail! haha! This one is the closest I have cut it so far though!

[vince0]

Congrats Dan. I was basing my observations on my spledopleures, and I think yours are closely related to mine. I have to say I was supprised that hey spawn so small, that may not hold true for yours, but its something I observed on mine.

[GaryofMontreal]

It's a great group. I have two young biteniatum Ijebu Ode, and I think I may have a pair too. There's a male - it's only a question of the sex of his friend now. I'm hoping.

As for Vince using splendopleure as a guide - it works. A biteniatum stretches down the West African coast from Benin to the Cross River, which forms a solid natural barrier to a fish that size (and makes the Nigeria/Cameroon border). It coexists with the larger A bivittatum. South of the Cross River, splendopleure takes over its lowland, coastal niche, with poliaki at higher, cooler elevations. Then comes loennbergi and a host of neat localized species, all the way through Cameroon. The small range ones are often tough to breed, but biteniatum, bivittatum, splendopleure and poliaki are pretty generous. I've never met a Chromaphyosemion I didn't like, but I have had a few I could not breed - lugens is one that looks like a Goth in a licorice cape and that I got one fry from in 2 years of really trying everything. A. alpha is another nice one I could never breed. I'm stubborn, if anyone ever sees any available....

[Dan_G_Calgary]

From the very brink of disastrous finish, you pull me back in little fishies! haha!

Collected my first egg from these yesterday. This time I have the tank fully covered, and heavily planted, with much duckweed cover. They are such pretty little fish, I do want to prolilferate them.

[Dan_G_Calgary]

Collected ~ 5-8 eggs this evening.

[CACAdmin]

Collected ~ 5-8 eggs this evening.:thumbup: Congrats!

[silvak]

Nice!!!! They are such a pretty fish!!!!

[Dan_G_Calgary]

first fry hatched.... 9 more then I have to convince Vince or AM to come visit. :laugh:

[vince0]

Congrats dan!

[CACAdmin]

Congrats... glad to hear they're hatching for you.:Smile: