Celebes rainbow

Celebes rainbow
Celebes rainbow
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Atheriniformes
Family: Telmatherinidae
Genus: Telmatherina
Species: T. ladigesi
Binomial name
Telmatherina ladigesi
Ahl, 1936

The celebes rainbow (Telmatherina ladigesi) is a species of fish in the Telmatherinidae family, endemic to Indonesia.

Description: Males grow to 6-8cm, and females to 5-7cm in length. Their bodies are slender and almost fully transparent with a blue stripe along the sideline. The sexes can be easily distinguished, since males have elongated black dorsal and ventral fins, and are usually a little darker than females.

Distribution: Telmatherina ladigesi is originated from Indonesia. In Indonesia, they can be found only near the town of Maros, so the other name of the species is Marosatherina ladigesi. Due to ornamental fish business and pollution, their numbers have dramatically reduced.

Habitat: These fish dwell in estuaries, where freshwater rivers flow into the sea, so they live in fast flowing brackish water with lots of dissolved oxygen. Most of their day is spent hiding among the leaves of plants, where they eat small worms, insects or vegetable debris.

In the Aquarium

The Celebes Rainbowfish is a peaceful aquarium fish. It grows to 7.5 cm (3 inches). It eats prepared foods and small livefoods. It prefers a temperature of 20-28 C (68-82 F), a pH of 7.0 to 7.5 and a hardness of 150 to 200 mg/l. These fish are sensitive to water quality.

If conditions are favorable spawning may occur nonstop for months, but they often eat their eggs. Eggs hatch after up to 11 days.

References

  • Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish (2005) (David Alderton) (page 177)


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