Western African Cichlid Availability Update

[Randall]

Hello all,

2004 has been a western African cichlid-rich year so far. Now that the weather in the eastern US has warmed up a bit, wild caught fish from Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and the Dem. Rep. of the Congo have been imported. A partial list of what has been recently available follows:

Guinea/Sierra Leone/Liberia

Anomalochromis thomasi "Guinea"
Hemichromis cristatus "Lime"*
H. sp. "Guinea I"
H. sp. "Guinea II"
Pelvicachromis humilis ("Liberia Red" & "Kasewe" color forms)
P. rubrolabiatus (http://www.apistogramma.com/cms/pel...tus/pelvicachromis_rubrolabiatus_lamboj_2004/)
P. signatus (http://www.apistogramma.com/cms/pel...signatus/pelvicachromis_signatus_lamboj_2004/)

*The "Lime" in Hemichromis cristatus "Lime" was coined by Laif DeMason in reference to this form's greenish coloration. Although the distribution of H. cristatus extends into Guinea, I have seen this fish and it is not H. cristatus. As more is known about this form, I will post it here in the forum.

Ghana

Steatocranus irvinei
Tilapia spp. (contaminants)

Nigeria

Pelvicachromis sacrimontis

Cameroon

Benitochromis spp.
Benitochromis sp. "Eseka" (probably B. sp. "Makondo")
Chromidotilapia spp.
Etia nguti (http://www.apistogramma.com/cms/etia/etia_nguti/etia_nguti_schliewen-stiassny_2003/)
Gobiocichla ethelwynnae
Parananochromis caudifasciatus (http://www.apistogramma.com/cms/par...arananochromis_caudifasciatus_boulenger_1913/)
Pelvicachromis taeniatus (several color forms)
Tilapia spp. (contaminants)

DR Congo

Nanochromis transvestitus
Pelmatochromis nigrofasciatus
Steatocranus casuarius
S. tinanti
Teleogramma brichardi
Tilapia sp. (Probably T. tholloni)

With peaked interested in western Afican cichlids--and other western Afican fishes--among US hobbyists, we may look forward to continued importations of an incredibly diverse wealth of species.

Enjoy!

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[Moi_Eater]

Hi Randal,

Would you know if any Hemichromis frempongi will be imported, or if they are already available somewhere? Thanks!

 

[Randall]

Hemichromis frempongi

Hello Sam,

We may see Hemichromis frempongi this year, but it's hard to say. Expected is H. fasciatus for sure.

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[Ryan B]

H. frempongi is now available through www.belowwater.com.

 

[mr_apisto]

I tried to have a look at the link, but I kept on getting a message that I wasn't logged in, even though I was. Can you help?

 

[tjudy]

Frempongi are available on www.rehobothaquatics.com

 

[Moi_Eater]

Hi Ted,

Yes, I did contact Toyin about some H. frempongi, and did still have some available. The bad thing is I sent in my import permit application and then realized that H. frempongi is not listed on the Hawaii State Dept. of Ag's list of conditionally approved animals, so I may need to wait a while before they approve my permit. I think the Board of Agriculture has to approve any additions to the list, I am not sure if just requesting a permit for an unlisted organism will prompt them to add it or not. I may need to call them to get more info. One of my friends that brings in Rift Lake Africans said he lists a closely related species if the one he is importing isn't on the list. I think only H. fasciatus is listed, I didn't see H. elongatus listed either. Hopefully I will be able to get some frempongi soon!

 

[tjudy]

I was just sent a picture of H. fasciatius that was dipped from a lake in Hawaii. THe guy who sent me the pic said that he could sit and watch adults herding fry around. Any other westies that have been introduced to Hawaii?

 

[Moi_Eater]

It must have been from Lake Wilson which is actually a resevoir on the island of Oahu. There are other species introduced in that "lake", but I don't know if there are any westies, though there are a couple CA and SA cichlids, and maybe some Rift Lake species. I know of a stream that my brother caught some red jewels that were probably H. guttatus and someone on another forum said that they caught Johanni's in a stream on Oahu. As for Kauai, I am pretty sure there are no westies that were introduced, I don't know about the other islands.