Rainbowfish

For the children's book, see Rainbow Fish.

Rainbowfishes
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
See text.

The rainbowfish 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.

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 lay a particularly large number of eggs at the start of the local rainy season. The eggs are attached to aquatic vegetation, and hatch seven 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

Duboulay's rainbowfish Melanotaenia duboulayi (also crimson-spotted rainbowfish)

FishBase lists 71 species in seven genera^[2], but many species likely 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).

Lake Wanam rainbowfish Glossolepis wanamensis (also emerald rainbowfish)

• Genus Glossolepis

A pair of male dwarf neon rainbows in a home aquarium

• • Glossolepis dorityi Allen, 2001.
  • Red rainbowfish, Glossolepis incisus Weber, 1907.
  • Sepik rainbowfish, Glossolepis kabia (Herre, 1935).
  • Leggett's rainbowfish, Glossolepis leggetti Allen & Renyaan, 1998.
  • Spotted rainbowfish, Glossolepis maculosus Allen, 1981.
  • Mamberamo 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

• 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).
• 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.
• Rainbowfish Species Easy to use information on keeping Rainbowfish in the aquarium.
• Rainbowfish discussion forum

References

1. ^ ^{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. 
2. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Melanotaeniidae" in FishBase. May 2006 version.

• "Melanotaenia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=165979. Retrieved 6 June 2006.