Edit Epiplatys sexfasciatus

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Name

Scientific name

Epiplatys sexfasciatus

Described by

Authority Gill, Year 1862

Family

Nothobranchiidae

Common names

Six-barred Panchax

Photograph credits

All 7 credited

Summary

The six-barred panchax, Epiplatys sexfasciatus, is a killifish from coastal regions between Gabon and Ghana. Well established in the hobby …

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

70mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 80 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 20–27°C, pH 5–7

Hardness

1–12dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Peaceful

Community suitability

Community-safe

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Benin, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Amou, Barombi Mbo, Barombi-ma-Mbu, Consul, Cross, Kienké, Lisoni, Mboumboula, Mirupururu, Musola, New Calabar, Niger, Ogooué, Ologbo, Orashi, Otamiri, Oulé, Tchibanga, Timbabé, Volta

Writing

Etymology

Epiplatys: from the Greek epi, meaning 'above, on top of', and platys, meaning 'flat, broad', in reference to the flat dorsal surface of the anterior half of t…

Distribution

Distributed throughout coastal regions north and westwards from Gabon through Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin and Togo as far as Ghana although som…

Habitat

This species mostly inhabits freshwater swamps and minor tributary streams but unsurprisingly given the extent of its range habitats vary considerably with som…

Aquarium size

Minimum base dimensions of 80 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent are recommended although smaller aquaria can be used for breeding purposes.

Maintenance

Perhaps looks best in a heavily-planted set-up or natural-style arrangement comprising a sandy substrate plus some driftwood roots and branches. The addition o…

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

Probably a predator feeding on terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates and other zooplankton in nature. In the aquarium it will accept dried foods of a suitable …

Behaviour and compatibility

Peaceful with other species and can make an excellent resident of the well-chosen community. Many similarly-sized characids, cyprinids, anabantoids, callicthyi…

Sexual dimorphism

Males are more colourful, possess more-extended fins and grow larger than females.

Reproduction

Relatively easy to breed and in a well-decorated, mature species set-up fry may begin to appear without further intervention. If the adults are being maintaine…

Notes

This species is well-established in the aquarium hobby with several forms available. Following the key of Romand (1992) it can be told apart from congeners by …

This species is well-established in the aquarium hobby with several forms available.

Following the key of Romand (1992) it can be told apart from congeners by the following combination of characters: large, dark, transverse bars on flanks; longitudinal bands more-or-less defined; adult size > 50 mm2.0 in SL; longitudinal bands composed of small red spots; caudal-fin sublanceolate; 15-19 anal-fin rays; 9-13 dorsal-fin rays; 7-8 anal-fin rays located anterior to dorsal-fin origin.

Its taxonomy is somewhat confusing with several subspecies, namely E. sexfasciatus baroi, E. s. leonensis, E. s. rathkei and E. s. togolensis having been described and the nominate form referred to as E. s. sexfasciatus in the past.

Among these E. s. leonensis is currently considered a synonym of E. fasciolatus while the remainder are synonymous with E. sexfasciatus, although E. s. togolensis in particular is considered valid by some authors and often referred to simply as E. togolensis.

E. infrafasciatus and E. multifasciatus have also been considered synonyms of E. sexfasciatus in the past but are currently valid, while confusingly both E. s. baroi and E. s. rathkei were previously thought to be synonymous with E. infrafasciatus rather than E. sexfasciatus.

We think it useful to provide some basic information about those subspecies still associated with E. sexfasciatus here since they're often referred to separately in aquarium literature.

E. s. sexfasciatus is native to northwestern Gabon and southeastern Equatorial Guinea and can be identified from the other subspecies by the presence of extended median rays in the caudal-fin. Body colour is typically grey to reddish and there are normally 6 dark bars on the body.

E. s. baroi was described from 'Creek 2.4 kilometers from "Palm Beach Hotel/Kribi" in direction to Kribi airfield, 2°58'N, 9°52'E, southern Cameroon'. It has a reddish-brown body, often yellow and/or red submarginal bands in the unpaired fins and usually six dark bars on the body.

E. s. rathkei was described from 'Kumba water in the area of Kumba, 4°39'N, 9°26'E, western Cameroon', which refers to a small river named 'Kake' near Lake Barombi Mbo (aka Barombi-ma-Mbu). The body is bluish with red-edged scales and 8-11 dark bars while the fins are yellowish with dark margins.

E. s. togolensis but has a relatively wide distribution extending eastwards from the Togo Hills in southeastern Ghana and southwestern Togo through southern Benin and southern Nigeria, including the Niger River delta, to the Cross River in southeastern Nigeria with type locality 'Headwaters of Hedjo (Todzie) River in coffee plantation of the Chief of Eyo, 8 kilometers north of Palimé, 6°55'N, 0°37'E, Togo'. Its colour pattern varies somewhat depending on population but it most commonly has 6-8 dark bars and 4-7 lateral rows of reddish-brown spots on a yellowish body.

Epiplatys is the most widely-distributed genus of West African aplocheiloid killifish with a range overlapping that of the other genera native to the region which are more restricted and split into eastern and western groups based on their respective patterns of distribution.

For example, Callopanchax is restricted to coastal lowlands of far Western Africa with Scriptaphyosemion and Archiaphyosemion known only from the interior of the Western rainforest, whereas Aphyosemion and Fundulopanchax present more easterly ranges extending south and eastward from Nigeria.

Although previously considered closely-related to the genus Aplocheilus due to shared similarities such as possessing an upturned mouth and dwelling mostly near the water surface Epiplatys is in fact affiliated with the western group above, i.e., its closest relatives are Callopanchax, Scriptaphyosemion and Archiaphyosemion.

In addition the phylogenetic analysis of Collier et al. (2009) revealed the existence of two distinct clades within Epiplatys itself, one comprising those species restricted to the Western rainforest (the western/savanna clade) and other those inhabiting lowland (coastal) swamps and streams west of the Dahomey Gap.

Most members of the coastal clade have a colour pattern consisting of broad, dark vertical bars which are present in juveniles of those species which lack them as adults, plus many populations possess an asymmetric caudal-fin shape with an extended lower lobe, whereas western clade species tend to lack or only possess thin oblique dark bars on the body and have symmetrically-shaped caudal fins.

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References

9 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References