Scriptaphyosemion banforense (Seegers 1982)

Script.banforense. This specimen was photographed in
1983/84 from the first import to reach the UK.
Photo Dave Astbury BKA Photo.

Meaning of Name

After the type locality - Banfora.
First Description

Size

5 cm
Meristics

Karyotype

Sub-Genus

Group

Synonyms
  • Roloffia banforensis
  • Roloffia nigrifluvi Romand 1982

Populations

  • Banfora
  • Mamou (nigrifluvi)(Guineé)

Banfora (Type locality) - Collected by Bauer in 1980.

Mamou (area) - Collected by Romand et al in 1979. Formerly thought to be Roloffia nigrifluvi. The description was published on the 27th December 1982.

Type Locality

15 km north of Banfora, Burkina Faso. Collected by Dr. B.Bauer in October 1980.
Distribution

The area surrounding Banfora, Upper Volta. This is in the Upper Comoe River drainage. Lower down this system Archiaphyosemion petersi is found.
This sp. is quite isolated from other closely related sp.
Habitat

Dr.Bauer collected them in a slow moving stream 50 cm wide which crossed the road from Banfora to Bobo-Dioulasso 15 km from Banfora.
The sp. was found under fallen leaves in quiet areas of the stream. Also collected was a species of Barb & some small shrimps.
The banks of this stream were heavily overgrown with trees & other fauna & only diffused light reached the water surface. The only aquatic vegetation was algae. Water temperature 26-27°C. During the rainy season the pH measured 7·2-7·4, 2 DH. Other streams running parallel to this biotope were fished but no banforense could be found.
Distinguishing Characteristics Green overall body colour.
Females have clear unpaired fins but these have a greenish/yellow colour. The dorsal fin contains red spots. Scale edges are dark brown forming a pattern. An irregular line of red spots runs horizontally along the length of the body.
Colour/Pattern Variability
History

Collected in November 1959 in the area of the Black Volta & Upper Comoe Rivers around Banfora, Upper Volta. In this collection 7 specimens 14-20 mm were collected on the road from Banfora to Sindou. These were classified as Aphyosemion liberiense.
In 1965 doubts were cast on the validity of putting them into liberiense as the area of collection was far to the northeast (700-800 km) of the known distribution area of liberiense. Also this area was in savannah whereas liberiense was known to inhabit coastal rainforest in the area of Monrovia, Liberia. Huber considered this collection to be A.maeseni.
Collected in 1979 by Romand et al
In October 1980 Dr.Burkhard Bauer made a collection trip to Banfora & sent live & preserved specimens back to Germany. Lothar Seegers described specimens from this collection as Roloffia banforensis in 1982.

First distributed in the UK at the North west group auction of 1983.
Breeding Notes

A breeding report appeared in BKA newsletter No.227, July 1984 where the pair were spawned in rainwater with a 25% water change each week. Water temperature 72-74°F. The tank was heavily planted with Riccia & Java moss.
Eggs were water incubated for about 18 days before hatching & were fed on newly hatched brine shrimp.
Diameter of Egg
Remarks