Originally collected by Col J.J. Scheel in January 1969 at the type locality- 15 km north of the Douala - Edea - Yabassi road junction, Cameroon and subsequently described in the January 1971 Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine - ("Aphyosemion franzwerneri & Aphyosemion celiae, Two New Rivulins from Cameroon" on pages 61-66).

The specues is found in Western Cameroon, in the lower Sanaga & Wuri River drainages and was discovered in a small pool one foot wide which was connected to a small brook one foot wide with a water depth of an inch or less. This brook is part of the Dibamba drainage. The small pool had a base of very coarse brownish sand reported to 'ooze' from a dense growth of tree roots. Sympatric with Aphyosemion riggenbachi.