Melanotaeniinae

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Melanotaeniinae
Red m boesemani.jpg
Boeseman's rainbowfish, Melanotaenia boesemani, male, red variety
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Atheriniformes
Family: Melanotaeniidae
Subfamily: Melanotaeniinae
Gill, 1894

Melanotaeniinae the Australian rainbowfishes is a subfamily of the rainbowfishes of the family Melanotaeniidae. They are a group of small, colourful, freshwater fish found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, islands in Cenderawasih Bay the Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesia and in Madagascar.

Contents

The largest Australian rainbowfish genus, Melanotaenia , derives 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 genus Melanotaenia.

Description

Australian rainbowfish are usually less than 12 cm (4.7 in) in length, with some species measuring less than 6 cm (2.4 in), while one species, Melanotaenia vanheurni, reaches lengths of up to 20 cm (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]

Australian rainbowfish are popular aquarium fish along with Pseudomugil blue-eyes, which are another small, colourful fish found in a similar range and habitats. In the wild, some rainbowfish populations have been severely affected by the aggressive introduced eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), tilapia cichlids, and pollution.

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

Classification

Melanotaeniinae is divided into seven genera: [2]

As aquarium fish

Australian rainbowfish usually do best with tropical community fish, such as tetras, guppies, and other rainbowfish. However, two males may sometimes fight at breeding season if there are not enough females. Australian rainbowfish usually eat floating flakes in captivity, because in the wild they will often eat insects floating on the surface.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbowfish</span> Family of fishes

Rainbowfishes are small, colourful freshwater fishes belonging to the family Melanotaeniidae, found in northern and eastern Australia, New Guinea, Sulawesi and Madagascar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red rainbowfish</span> Species of rainbowfish

The red rainbowfish or salmon-red rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish from Lake Sentani in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Belonging to the family Melanotaeniidae, in the subfamily Melanotaeniinae, the Australian rainbowfishes. It is threatened in its native range, but easily bred in captivity and common in the aquarium trade.

Cairnsichthys is a genus of rainbowfishes from the subfamily Melanotaeniinae. The genus is endemic to freshwater streams in eastern Queensland in north eastern Australia. The genus was designated as a monotypic genus in 1928 by John T. Nichols and Henry C. Raven but in 2018 a second species was assigned to the genus.

Bleher's rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniinae.

<i>Melanotaenia</i> Genus of fishes

Melanotaenia is a genus of rainbowfish from Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea, and nearby smaller islands.

The Waigeo rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniinae. It is endemic to West Papua in Indonesia. It reaches a maximum length of around 7.5 cm. This species was described as Rhombatractus catherinae in 1910 by Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort|de Beaufort from a type locality which was given as a rivulet flowing into the Rabial River in Waigeo. de Beaufort gave this species the specific name catherinae to honour his wife, Catherine, who had assisted him on the expedition on which the type was collected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Eacham rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The Lake Eacham rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniidae which was thought to be endemic to Yidyam, Queensland, Australia but has proven to have a wider range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish is a species of freshwater rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniinae. It was endemic to West Papua in Indonesia. Its natural habitat was only the small Lake Kurumoi in the Bird's Head Peninsula. It is primarily threatened by habitat loss, however it is unknown if the wild population still exists as it has probably been extirpated from its entire native range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dwarf rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The dwarf rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniinae. It is known under a number of common names including diamond rainbowfish, neon rainbowfish, Praecox rainbowfish, dwarf neon rainbowfish, peacock rainbowfish, and Teczanka neonowa. It is endemic to the Mamberamo River basin in West Papua in Indonesia and common in the aquarium trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The pygmy rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniinae. It is endemic to Australia.

The honey blue-eye is an endangered species of fish in the subfamily Pseudomugilinae. It is endemic to southeastern Queensland, Australia, where it is found in mildly acidic, often tannin-stained, ponds and streams in wallum habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern rainbowfish</span> Subspecies of fish

Melanotaenia splendida splendida, also known as the eastern rainbowfish, is a subspecies of fish in the family Melanotaeniidae endemic to Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray River rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The Murray River rainbowfish, known less commonly as the Australian rainbowfish, is a species of freshwater fish endemic to southeastern Australia. The southernmost species of all rainbowfishes, these fish are very colourful, hence the name; and there is sexual dimorphism with the males being larger and more colourful than females. Murray River rainbowfish are schooling fish and will congregate near logs or riverbanks, and are a popular aquarium fish.

Melanotaenia affinis, the North New Guinea rainbowfish, New Guinea rainbowfish, or red-finned rainbowfish, is a species of rainbowfish endemic to New Guinea. It grows to 11.5 cm (4.5 in) standard length. Of the three known varieties, the so-called standard variety has the widest range. It is commonly found in the Markham, Ramu, and Sepik Rivers; their preferred habitat includes clear rainforest streams, swamps, pools, and lagoons abundant in vegetation and submerged logs.

The blue rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniinae which is endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is found mostly in the lower and middle Kikori drainage system.

<i>Melanotaenia duboulayi</i> Species of fish

Melanotaenia duboulayi, the crimson-spotted rainbowfish, less commonly known as the Duboulay's rainbowfish, is a species of freshwater fish endemic to coastal eastern Australia. M. duboulayi has also been kept as an aquarium fish since the early 20th century, and is the original "Australian rainbowfish".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-banded rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The black-banded rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish belonging to the subfamily Melanotaeniidae. The species is endemic to Australia. Importantly, the species is the type species of the genus Melanotaenia.

The neon blue-eye or blueback blue-eye, is a species of fish in the subfamily Pseudomugilinae. It is found in northern Australia, in the Gulf Country, the Kimberley and around Darwin. First described in 1983, they have become established in the aquarium trade worldwide.

<i>Melanotaenia splendida</i> Species of fish

Melanotaenia splendida, the Eastern rainbowfish, is a species of rainbowfish from the subfamily Melanotaeniinae which is found in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banded rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The banded rainbowfish, also known as the Jewel rainbowfish,Goyder River rainbowfish,three-striped sunfish or regal rainbowfish, is a species of Rainbowfish found in the northerly regions of North Australia and Queensland. an adult Banded Rainbowfish can reach a stranded length of 15 cm -12 cm with a deep body usually exceeding 1/3 of their body length, like most Rainbowfish banded Rainbowfish vary in colour depending on where they were collected, but all variety's have a distinct dark mid-lateral band and bright red/yellow Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins.

References

  1. Allen, Gerald R. (1998). Paxton, J. R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 155–156. ISBN   0-12-547665-5.
  2. J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 358–363. ISBN   978-1-118-34233-6.