Epiplatys infrafasciatus rathkei (Radda 1970)

Meaning of Name

After Karl Heinz Rathke.
First Description

Radda, A.C. (1970)

Die Epiplatys arten Ostguineas mit der vorläufigen Beschreibung von Epiplatys sexfasciatus rathkei nov. subspec.

Aquaria 17 (9): 145
Size

9 cm (some reports put 12 cm).
Meristics 10 cm
Karyotype

Sub-Genus

Group

sexfasciatus
Synonyms
  • Epiplatys sexfasciatus rathkei Radda 1970
  • Aplocheilus sexfasciatus rathkei Scheel 1990
  • Epiplatys infrafasciatus rathkei Etzel 1995

Populations

  • Basilebeko (rathkei)
  • Ebonji (rathkei)
  • Edea
  • Eseka (West) (rathkei)
  • Lake Barombi Ba Mbu (near Kumba, western Cameroon)(rathkei)
  • Lake Kumba (rathkei)
  • Limbé - Mile 11 - CB 99 / 4 - (rathkei)
  • Malawe (possible corruption Malave)
  • Mambanda (rathkei)
  • Mbebé
  • Moliwe (rathkei) GPE 90 / 18
  • Mundemba (rathkei)
  • Somakak (Cameroon)(rathkei)
  • Tinto (rathkei) GPE 90
  • Tombel (rathkei)
  • ABDK 10 / 420 - Tiko Road
  • ADK 10 / 325 - Moliwé (rathkei)
  • HLM 99 / 07 - Kumba
  • KEK 98 / 4 ?
  • KEK 98 / 5 - Afan Essokie

Commercial Imports (Unknown Collection Sites) -

Wild male possibly E.inf.rathkei from a commercial import we found in a Cameroon shipment. Nicknamed E.sp.Flag after the anal fin.

Wild male imported to the USA in 2002.
Photo courtesy of Tony Terceira.

 

Edea -

(baroi). South of Edea, Cameroon.
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

    

Eseka -

Collected west of Eseka.
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

   

KEK - On the 1998 trip 7 locations where Epiplatys were collected. Requires more work but I put the list on this page for now.

Taken at the 2003 BKA convention through a scratched plastic tank. Tank just labelled KEK.

    

Kumba - Fröhlich collected north of Kumba 1971. Collected probably by Armbruster et al in the 1980's into Germany. Also HLM 99 / 07.

Kumba.
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Distributed as E.sexfasciatus rathkei Kumba

  

Lake Barombi Ba Mbu - Collected by Mr.Birkett-Smith in the early spring of 1959 on an expedition to collect butterflies. He noticed 20-30 different Epiplatys forms which he considered represented variants of the same sp. The lake biotope is situated in a crater near to Kumba, western Cameroon. The biotope was also reported to have no aquatic vegetation in the areas fished.
Birkett-Smith only managed to bring one specimen, thought to be a male, alive back to his base in Ibadan. This Barombi specimen & a female from Ibadan stock were sent to Scheel in January 1960 after unsuccessful attempts to cross breed them. Scheel considered this colourful specimen to be a female & successfully crossed it to an Ibadan male.

Malawe - Possible corruption (Malave). Collected by Armbruster et al in the 1980's.

Mile 11 - Limbé -

Mile 11 taken at the 2003 BKA convention through a scratched plastic tank.

    

Moliwe -

Moliwe. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Somakak -

Somakak. Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

   

Tinto - GPE 90 / 18 (?).

Tinto, Cameroon.
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

   

Tombel - First recorded distribution in the 1980's.
Type Locality

Kake River, stream near Kumba.
Distribution

 
Habitat

 
Distinguishing Characteristics Has 8 dark vertical/diagonal bars on body. Unpaired fins contain a vivid yellow. Outer margins to unpaired fins have a dark band deep maroon red to black varying in width. The outer margin of the upper caudal fin can be pale blue.
Colour/Pattern Variability High
History

Collected by Walter Fröhlich 1971, Mungo River, north of Kumba.
Breeding Notes

 
Diameter of Egg  
Remarks