Biotopes of Cameroon | Aphyosemion ahli | Ahl’s Killifish

Chris Englezou Biotope, Biotopes of Africa Leave a Comment

Aphyosemion ahli Myers, 1933 is a Lower Guinea endemic found in the Wouri River in western Cameroon and southward to the Rio Benito drainage system in western Equatorial Guinea. It occurs in swamps and quiet parts of brooks under forest cover in the coastal lowlands (Wildekamp et al. 1986). It also inhabits flooded pools in the coastal rain forest and is usually found in shallow water; it is a benthopelagic, non-migratory species. (IUCN Redlist 2010)

Aphyosemion (Mesoaphyosemion) ahli MYERS 1933 | Russell Brian Tate ©

This individual was collected from a coastal swamp biotope north of the city of Douala in Littoral, Cameroon, within the Mungo River drainage area.

The Mungo River is a large river in Cameroon that drains the mountains in the southern portion of the Cameroon line of active and extinct volcanoes (Chisholm 1911). Living conditions recorded for this species were as follows: Freshwater; benthopelagic species; pH range: 5.8 – 7.2; non-migratory. Tropical; 22°C – 26°C (Baensch & Riehl 1995)

Aphyosemion (Mesoaphyosemion) ahli MYERS 1933 biotope | Russell Brian Tate ©

This species is assessed as Least Concern due to its fairly large distribution, its ability to occupy a range of habitats, and the lack of any known major widespread threats. (IUCN Redlist 2010)

A Wisp (Agriocnemis sp) found in the swamp biotope of Aphyosemion ahli | R.B. Tate ©

An entomophagous species (meaning that it eats insects), Aphyosemion ahli is know to live mostly over a substrate of mud and leaf litter. It is not one of the many seasonal killifish and is reported to be quite difficult to maintain and breed in aquaria. (Fishbase)

Aphyosemion ahli | R. Pohlmann ©


References
Baensch, H.A. and R. Riehl, 1995. Aquarien Atlas. Band 4. Mergus Verlag GmbH, Verlag für Natur-und Heimtierkunde, Melle, Germany. 864 p.

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). “Cameroon” Encyclopædia Britannica5 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 110–113.

Snoeks, J., Laleye, P., Moelants, T. & Contreras-MacBeath, T. 2010. Aphyosemion ahliThe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010: e.T169404A6618576. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-3.RLTS.T169404A6618576.en. Downloaded on 31 March 2020.

Web References
https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Aphyosemion-ahli.html

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