Current status / search for new project members

For the conservation project "Moliwe River" we could already win some more participants. In addition to the Klimahaus Bremerhaven, the Zoo Aquarium Berlin and the Zoo Leipzig, two more persons and institutions are now participating. Among others, Dr. Anton Lamboj from the University of Vienna has taken on the cichlid species Benitochromis nigrodorsalis and Pelvicachromis kribensis from the Moliwe. Dr. Lamboj has been aware of the situation at the Moliwe since 1993 and he confirms that conditions have been deteriorating extremely and steadily since then. Dr. Lamboj is already responsible for the Limbochromis Conservation Project within the ÖVVÖ conservation projects and we are happy to have won him for our project as well. Another member of the team is Stefan Inselmann. Privately he has a wide range of West African species in care and breeding. Stefan Inselmann is taking care of the species Pelvicachromis kribensis and the barb species Enteromius (Barbus) callipterus. The latter is particularly pleasing because the West African barb species are becoming increasingly rare in aquaristics.

This means that there are now well over 200 Pelvicachromis kribensis "Moliwe" and over 100 each of Benitochromis nigrodorsalis and Enteromius callipterus in the project's stock! Thus, at least the cichlids of the Moliwe seem to be secured in the stock. Nevertheless, we are still looking for more comrades-in-arms for the cichlids. Therefore, an appeal for participation in the "Moliwe River" project will probably follow in the August issue of the DCG-Information (DCG = Deutsche Cichliden Gesellschaft e.V.). The situation for barbs is less satisfactory. For the species Enteromius callipterus, E. camptacanthus and E. thysii, sponsors or species coordinators are urgently needed. For this purpose, there will be another call in the IG BSSW e.V. (Internationale Gemeinschaft Barben Salmler Schmerlen Welse), a successor organisation to the VDA working group "BSSW". As already described: the African barbel species have been increasingly replaced by Asian species in aquaristics over the past decades. For the relatively large and less colourful Enteromius spp. there are hardly any interested parties. The situation is less critical for killifishes. Although the species in question are represented in large numbers in the aquarium hobby, no successful contact has been established so far. Therefore, there will probably be an article in the association magazine of the German Killifish Association (DKG). We are looking for keepers for the species Procatopus similis, Epiplatys infrafasciatus rathkei and Chromaphyosemion splendopleure. However, it is important that the strains originate from the Moliwe, because the species are partly widespread in Cameroon; however, they differ according to the locality!

Currently, the conservation project "Moliwe River" in the north of Germany was presented at the Day of Aquarists on 15 June 2019 in Oldenburg. As there are also some very committed killifish friends in this region, we hope for more participants.

Dr. Lutz Fischer