| Rainbowfishes | |
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| Boeseman's rainbowfish, Melanotaenia boesemani, male, red variety | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Atheriniformes |
| Suborder: | Melanotaenioidei |
| Family: | Melanotaeniidae |
| Genera and species | |
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See text. |
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The rainbowfishes are a family of small, colourful, freshwater fish that are found in northern and eastern Australia and New Guinea and in the Southeast Asian Islands.
The dominant rainbowfish genus and its many species derive their generic name Melanotaenia from the Ancient Greek Melano (=black) and taenia (=banded). Translated, it means "black-banded" and is a reference to the often striking lateral black bands that run along the bodies of those in the Melanotaenia genus.
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Description
Rainbowfish are usually less than 12 centimetres (4.7 in) in length, with some species measuring less than 6 centimetres (2.4 in), while one species, Melanotaenia vanheurni, reaches lengths of up to 20 centimetres (7.9 in). They live in a wide range of freshwater habitats, including rivers, lakes, and swamps. Although they spawn all year round, they are lay a particularly large number of eggs at the start of the local rainy season. The eggs are attached to aquatic vegetation, and hatch 7 to 18 days later. Rainbowfish are omnivorous, feeding on small crustaceans, insect larvae, and algae.[1]
Rainbowfish are popular aquarium fish along with blue eyes (genus Pseudomugil), which are another small colourful fish found in a similar range and habitats. Rainbowfish populations in the wild have been severely affected by the aggressive introduced eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).
Species
FishBase lists 71 species in seven genera[2], but it is likely that many species remain undiscovered[1]:
- Genus Cairnsichthys
- Cairns rainbowfish, Cairnsichthys rhombosomoides (Nichols & Raven, 1928).
- Genus Chilatherina
- Chilatherina alleni Price, 1997.
- Axelrod's rainbowfish, Chilatherina axelrodi Allen, 1979.
- Bleher's rainbowfish, Chilatherina bleheri Allen, 1985.
- Bulolo rainbowfish, Chilatherina bulolo (Whitley, 1938).
- Highlands rainbowfish, Chilatherina campsi (Whitley, 1957).
- Silver rainbowfish, Chilatherina crassispinosa (Weber, 1913).
- Barred rainbowfish, Chilatherina fasciata (Weber, 1913).
- Lorentz's rainbowfish, Chilatherina lorentzii (Weber, 1907).
- Chilatherina pricei Allen & Renyaan, 1996.
- Sentani rainbowfish, Chilatherina sentaniensis (Weber, 1907).
- Genus Glossolepis
- Glossolepis dorityi Allen, 2001.
- Red rainbowfish, Glossolepis incisus Weber, 1907.
- Leggett's rainbowfish, Glossolepis leggetti Allen & Renyaan, 1998.
- Spotted rainbowfish, Glossolepis maculosus Allen, 1981.
- Sepik rainbowfish, Glossolepis multisquamata (Weber & de Beaufort, 1922).
- Tami River rainbowfish, Glossolepis pseudoincisus Allen & Cross, 1980.
- Ramu rainbowfish, Glossolepis ramuensis Allen, 1985.
- Lake Wanam rainbowfish, Glossolepis wanamensis Allen & Kailola, 1979.
- Genus Iriatherina
- Threadfin rainbowfish, Iriatherina werneri Meinken, 1974.
- Genus Melanotaenia
- This genus has a separate species list page located here.
- Genus Pelangia
- Pelangia mbutaensis Allen, 1998.
- Genus Rhadinocentrus
- Ornate rainbowfish, Rhadinocentrus ornatus Regan, 1914.
External links
- Home of the Rainbowfish - Adrian Tappin's extensive information pages which promote the aquarium keeping, study and conservation of the rainbowfish species of Australia and New Guinea, and provide free and valuable information to the general public.
- ANGFA - Australia New Guinea Fishes Association, an international organization responsible for the quarterly publication of the color journal Fishes of Sahul and a quarterly newsletter devoted to the keeping and discussion of native fishes in Australia and New Guinea (the geographical region known as Sahul).
References
- ^ a b Allen, Gerald R. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ^ "Melanotaeniidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Melanotaenia (TSN 165979). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 6 June 2006.
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