Hemichromis frempongi

[Randall]

To the African & West African Forum:

I've just been informed that wild Hemichromis frempongi, a Ghanan endemic, may be imported for the first time in who knows how long. The distributor asks if there is interest in this rarity in the US hobby.

Although I, personally, would like to work with this more aggressive species, are there others who would like to as well?

Please post or privately message me your thoughts, feelings, desire, etc., so that I may report back to the distributor. Your feedback will dictate how many Hemichromis fremponi will be imported.

Thank you all very much!

Randall Kohn

 

[tjudy]

HI Randall... can you link to a pic of this fish?

 

[Randall]

Hemichromis frempongi Photo

Dear Ted,

Yes I can. Thank you for the sugguestion. The following link will take the viewer to Ariel Bornstein's Web site, where there is a nice photo of Hemichromis frempongi. When it comes up, please click on the photo to enlarge it.

http://www.blackwaterfish.com/frempongi.htm

Thank you.

Randall Kohn

 

[Florent]

For the Europeans, Uwe Werner have this fish. He sold a few young next year and this year but I was enable to get some

I caugth some H. elongatus in Gabun, but H. frempongi seems to be more colorfull

 

[coenga]

Hi, it seems that H. frempongi is a red colored "green" Hemichromis, isn't it ?

Think that a split is needed in Hemichromis genus.

Does anyone know if A. Lamboj works on that ?

 

[tjudy]

Is this fish similar in behavior and size to H. elongatus? In others words.. big and mean?

 

[Randall]

Hemichromis Peters 1858

To the Forum:

In 1858, Peters erected Hemichromis for a West African cichlid with a specific buccal dentition. The type species for the genus was designated as H. fasciatus, which has a wide range extending from Senegal, to the north, to southwest Cameroon, to the south.

Although subsequent scientists, over the years, worked with Hemichromis (Gill, Boulenger, Thys et al.), it was not until Paul Loiselle revised the genus and described three new species, that the species-group model for the genus was proposed. This model of four species groups consisting of 11 species is still used today. More recently, we now have an additional five undescribed forms that I will be discussing at the ACA convention next month.

Loiselle's fasciatus species-group contains three species: H. fasciatus Peters 1858, H. elongatus (Guichenot 1861) and H. frempongi Loiselle 1979. Of the three, both fasciatus and elongatus have extensive ranges covering much of West and Central Africa, and elongatus has been recorded in southern Africa. Frempongi, however, is a Ghanan endemic whose range is limited to Lake Busumtwi in the central part of the country.

These three are the largest of the Hemichromis species growing from about 14 to 18 cm., and they are aggressive and preditory.

My interest in H. frempongi is not in its docile nature, but rather in its rarity and striking coloration. It is also one of two Hemichromis forms that are endemic to Ghana. So few Ghanan cichlids make their way to the US that I think it would be a shame not to help facilitate its importation.

Any takers?

Thank you.

Randall Kohn

 

[tjudy]

I am interested Randall, but I will not be set up to tak eany for a while. Not until the end of August at least. We are moving to Colorado on July 17, but I will only have space for fish tanks in my classroom for about a year, and I doubt that I will have more that a couiple tanks. Let me know when you expect them to start arriving.

 

[fisheads]

Hello Randall I would be interested in bring some some Hemi. frempongi to Toronto as well. Let me know when you would be expecting them in and also how many you would need me to take. I assume that you would be importing them from a comercial dealer and would need to order a minimum quantity.
Just a side note as well on Ghana fish and cichlids in particular. I am hoping that with a little luck to have a sample shipment arrive to me in the last week of August of fish from Ghana through my source there. Everything is set up on my end for importing I am just waiting for them to collect the fish. His collections are going to come from Lake Volta, South west rain forest area of Ghana near the Ivory coast boarder, and hopefully from the south east corner of the country near Togo. They will have lots of Identification photos of fish that should be in these areas as well as I told them if it swims catch it and send me 25 that are not over 3 inches lol.

 

[BTBarney]

Definitely interested in the H. frempongi - does the importer in question also have access to another Ghanain cichlid, Limbochromis robertsi?

If so, I'm even more "in"

Thanks,
Bryan Barney[/i]

 

[Moi_Eater]

Hi Randall,

Did you ever get any Hemichromis frempongi imported? If so, any breeding success?

 

[Randall]

Dear Sam,

Yes, Hemichromis frempongi was imported this past summer; but, unfortunately, the distributor experienced heavy loses straight away. Hopefully, we'll have some more after the new year.

Thanks!

Randall Kohn

 

[Newbie cichlid lover]

A reply years later....

Hi, I only just found this site and this thread was years ago but I thought I'd reply anyway....

I recently bought some cichlids from a scary 'mixed cichlid' tank and was amazed to find I had bought 2 frempongi! I have had them only about a month and they are aggressive though not 'that' much more than my other cichlids. I was even more amazed to find them breeding, wow! I now have about a zillion (heehee) wrigglers being protected by their parents, it's so fun to watch. I can't wait to see what happens when the wrigglers get bigger but if most survive then I am going to be overcome with baby frempongi!

I just thought I'd add my findings to this incase it's helpful. I thought I had two males but it seems not.... They are aggresive though it's mainly a chasing sort of thing. The other cichlids know to get out of their way as they prowl the tank and we did have a couple of days of them going a bit wild but since the eggs were laid they've turned quite calm but only if the others stay away!

I did want to ask one question from someone who might know. When I bought these fish I was told they were Malawi (big error) they are obviously happy enough because they are breeding but I wondered what they are likely to be like when other cichlids breed. I have a mummy holding (mouthbreeder) but wonder if it's going to become a bloodbath when she spits, does anyone have any idea?

Whew sorry that was very long.....

 

[retro_gk]

First of all; congratulations!! Secondly; pics?

To answer your question, their behavior is not likely to change when the mouthbrooder spits... the fry will be eaten of course but, there shouldn't be any sort of blood bath.

If you want to save any of the mouthbrooders' fry, you should isolate the holding female in another tank or in a breeder box hanging in the main tank.

All the best!

p.s. Where are you located?

 

[Nebraska_cichlids]

I believe H. frempongi is very difficult to tell apart from H. fasciatus. How sure are you that you got the real frempongi? Did the seller come up with any info regarding the origin of the fish?

 

[Randall]

Hello Nebraska,

This thread was started on 6/27/2003! Wild Hemichromis frempongi has been imported several times since then. H. fasciatus can be distinguished from H. frempongi, in part, by the presence of small black dots interspersed between the large black blotches on the body.

Randall Kohn