Scheel's Letters: From letters received
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ARK - Arizona Rivulin Keepers

The Scheel Letters, No. 42

From letters received

Arnoult informed me about Nothobranchius walkeri that he brought back from French Soudan (as eggs). This species was described by Boulenger in 1911 using specimens from Ghana. Daget gives information on this killie in his book "Les Poissons du Niger Suprieur" 1954, page 314 (I have not seen this book yet). Daget placed this species in Aphyosemion. It will be very interesting and welcome if this species might be released, as it is the first West African Nothobranchius ever kept in aquaria.

De Looze informed me that he had a large number of eggs from the hybrids Nothobranchius rachovi/N. orthonotus (?), but they all were no good. Who has Cynopoecilus ladigesi for de Looze, as my stock is ???

Hoedeman badly needs larvae (preserved) of Siluroids (especially Callichthyids). Hoedeman presumes "Tek's minute Oryzias" to be a Phallostethid. Preserved specimens are needed. In an old letter Hoedeman discussed the Golden Tail Rivulus which has an irregular frontal scale pattern, and may be a hybrid from species of the "cylindraceus series" to "urophthalmus or isthmensis complexes".

Foersch sent Black and White photos of a new Aphyosemion from Ghana. This species is one of the species in the subgenus Fundulopanchax. Very few red dots on sides, many dots on vertical fins. Female has a few dots on sides and some in vertical fins also. This fish is (badly) pictured in DATZ Feb. 60 in an article by Meinken. Meinken gives the following information on the colors. Anterior part of the body is mauve-blue. This color changes into a more and more brilliant yellow on the hindmost part of the body. Vertical fins are brilliantly yellow. Edge is red. Upper and lower (and central?) rays of the caudal fin produced. Meinken also mentions a second new Aphyosemion from Ghana. This species has red crossbars on the sides, also on anterior part.

Many new Epiplatys also came in from Ghana. Roloff also sent me information on the species first mentioned and a handsome color slide.

Foersch also sent some information on Pterolebias longipinnis. 835 eggs were stored for 8 weeks at 8-18 C. 504 eggs survived, were transparent and showed no development. 6 glasses with moist peat mould had each 75 of these eggs. These glasses were then placed in a refrigerator at 5-9 C, in order to find out how long eggs of this species would stand this low temperature.

  • After 4 days in the refrigerator 25 eggs were killed.
  • After 9 days in the refrigerator 32 eggs were killed.
  • After 12 days in the refrigerator 65 eggs were killed.
  • After 16 days in the refrigerator 66 eggs were killed.
  • After 20 days in the refrigerator 71 eggs were killed.
  • After 24 days in the refrigerator all eggs were killed.

    This means that eggs of this species possibly will stand shipments during winter time (if they are transparent when shipped). Foersch hatched the eggs that survived. The red marking (behind the gill cover) was paler in these P. longipinnis and so was also the surrounding black scales. The other colors were normal. J. Franz from Dresden hatched eggs of this species, using water at 23 C and had mostly "belly sliders". When he used water of 17 C, the fry were swimming normally (this is known from C. nigripinnis also, JJS). Foersch knows of a male "longipinnis" which was 15 months old. This is not the rule. One female "longipinnis" spawned 745 eggs within 35 days. The maximal spawning within a few hours was 130 eggs. Specimens of this species that jumped out of the tank and that partly dried (they were as stiff as a pencil) recovered when placed in a tank (just like the Macropodus).

    Birket-Smith kindly sent me 2 specimens of Epiplatys sexfasciatus from Ibadan, Nigeria. They turned out to be females. One female is of the common Ibadan stock and is spawning with the male I got last year. Eggs are large, 1.3-1.4 mm, not circular. The other female was caught by Birket-Smith during a trip to Cameroon last year. On this trip Birket-Smith found very many Epiplatys, 20-30 different forms, that, in his opinion, all belong to one species, "sexfasciatus" (as far as I can see from the colored field drawings that Birket-Smith sent to me), however it is a variable species. One of these forms shows much more red color (even in female) and the other female is from this stock. It is diseased and will not spawn.

    Agar reports that he had very fine hatching of eggs from Nothobranchius guentheri that had been stored for more than one year. More than 100 fry came out of a small sample. Only very few belly sliders. New Zealand may be the most severe task for my egg shipments that take 7-13 days to come through. However, in 1959 we had 7-8 species arrive successfully.

    Norderhaug: it seems as if Aphyosemion labarrei is established in Norway. This is important because this most handsome species now seems to be very rare. 19 May 59 I packed 25 eggs of Cynolebias bellotti for Norderhaug. They came in on 21 May 59 and at that time he had to serve his time as soldier. He stored these eggs on low water. One fry hatched on 16 June 59, another one on 24 June 59. Then eggs were inspected and sorted out. 4 were without development, 4 had a small embryo and 15 had a bigger embryo. The 15 eggs were set apart. One fry hatched on 07 Nov. 59 (belly slider), another one on 14 Nov. 59 (normal fry), 5 on 22-28 Nov. 59 (2 normal). On 25 Dec. 59 only 3 eggs with fry left. One hatched on 06 Jan. 60, another one on 16 Jan. 60, both were belly sliders. That will say that "resting fry" of this species may live inside the eggs for at least half a year (Foersch also proved this). Temperature 22-23 C.

    Information from Magazines

    DATZ Jan. 60: H. Wilhelm gives some information on the development of eggs of Aphyosemion calabaricus. Eggs were spawned 23 Mar., 09. Apr., and 28 Apr. On 28 Apr. there was no development in any previously spawned egg. 26 C. Eggs were placed in 3 cups. He then moved the 3 cups to a cooler place, 20 C. The eggs in all cups developed evenly. First fry came out on 18 May. On 20 May all fry were out. This species is known to be of "somewhat annual character". Resting eggs often occur, so people say. In my own breeding of this species I had very many eggs indeed. When placed for development in cups with free entrance of air, in my normal water and at 20-24 C I never saw a single resting egg. My stock probably is the common German aquarium stock. It may be the temperature or the water type used. Wilhelm used water with a pH 5.5, peat and common salt. Wilhelm does not mention if he used a lid on his cups.

    Copyright 2022
    Richard J. Sexton