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Atheriniformes (Silversides) >
Melanotaeniidae (Rainbowfishes, blue eyes)
Etymology: Melanotaenia: Greek, melan, -anos = black + latin, taenia = stripe (Ref. 45335); sahulensis: Named for the Pleistocene-era continent Sahul which comprised the land masses of Australia and New Guinea connected under low sea-level and is reflected in the modern distribution of this species. This is a tribute to the Australian and New Guinea Fishes Association (which maintains the journal Fishes of Sahul) that has done much to promote and document native fishes of the region, especially rainbowfishes.
Entorno: milieu / zona climática / rango de profundidad / gama de distribución
Ecología
; agua dulce bentopelágico; pH range: 5.5 - 7.0; rango de profundidad 0 - 1 m (Ref. 121823). Tropical
Distribución
Territorios | Áreas FAO | Ecosistemas | Ocurrencias, apariciones | Mapa de puntos | Introducciones | Faunafri
Oceania: Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
Tamaño / Peso / Edad
Madurez: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.8 cm SL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 121823); 3.9 cm SL (female)
Descripción breve
Claves de identificación | Morfología | Morfometría
Espinas dorsales (total) : 8; Radios blandos dorsales (total) : 7 - 10; Espinas anales: 1; Radios blandos anales: 15 - 17; Vértebra: 32 - 35. This species with well-contrasted dark lateral body stripes, is distinguished by the following set of characters: D V-VII, I,7-10 (mode 8); A I,15-17 (mode 16); total procurrent caudal rays 12-16 (mode 13); lateral scales 31-34 (mode 33); cheek scales often 9-12; total gill rakers on first arch 14-18; vertebrae 32-35 (mode 34); body very deep with greatest depth 2.6-3.7 (mean 3.0) in SL, greatest width 1.7-2.9 (mean 2.0) in HL; maxilla relatively long 3.2-4.2 (mean 3.6) in HL; long predorsal distance 1.8-2.2 (mean 2.0) in SL. Colouration: when alive silver to grey body with a series of black lateral stripes; fins with distinct contrasting colour zones, separated by a thick dark submarginal band, most distinct in nuptial males (Ref. 121823).
Cross section: compressed.
Known from large lateral floodplain systems and small swampy creeks, including dune lakes, with dense cover. Occurs in lily lagoons and is most frequently found in acid waters (pH 5.5-7.0). The largest fish recorded in wild was 4.06 cm SL (4.97 mm TL: AM I.21008-005; 4.84 cm SL from captive stock from Skull Creek, near Bamaga), and the fish attributable to this form (Skull Creek) grow larger in captivity (around 50 mm SL or 60 mm TL: NTM S.18153-001) (Ref. 121823).
Ciclo vital y comportamiento de apareamiento
Madurez | Reproducción | Puesta | Huevos | Fecundidad | Larva
Hammer, M.P., G.R. Allen, K.C. Martin, M. Adams and P.J. Unmack, 2019. Two new species of dwarf rainbowfishes (Atheriniformes: Melanotaeniidae) from northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Zootaxa 4701(3):201-234. (Ref. 121823)
Situación en la Lista Roja de la UICN (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Amenaza para el ser humano
Harmless
Usos humanos
Pesquerías: comercial; Acuario: Comercial
Herramientas
Informes especiales
Descargar XML
Fuentes de Internet
Estimaciones basadas en modelos
Índice de diversidad filogenética (Referencia
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref.
93245).
Nivel trófico (Referencia
69278): 2.9 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resiliencia (Referencia
120179): Alto, población duplicada en un tiempo mínimo inferior a 15 meses (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerabilidad pesquera (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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