Red-striped Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia rubrostriata (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886)

Summary:

A pale bluish-green rainbowfish with a narrow orange to pink stripe between each horizontal scale row, and red membranes on the second dorsal and anal fin fins. Males differ from females in being larger and more brightly-coloured.

Video of Melanotaenia rubrostriata in the wild in West Papua.

Cite this page as:

Dianne J. Bray, Melanotaenia rubrostriata in Fishes of Australia, accessed 23 Sep 2023, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4888

Red-striped Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia rubrostriata (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886)

More Info

Photo Rights	Melanotaenia rubrostriata in the wild
Distribution	In Australia, Red-striped Rainbowfish have been found on Boigu Island and Saibai Island in the Torres Strait. Elsewhere, the species occurs in West Papua, Indonesia, and the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. Inhabits lowland coastal freshwater creeks and rivers, usually amongst aquatic vegetation and submerged logs and woody debris.
Author	Dianne J. Bray

Red-striped Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia rubrostriata (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886)

References

Allen, G.R. 1980. A Generic Classification of the Rainbowfishes (Family Melanotaeniidae). Records of the Western Australian Museum 8 (3): 449-490.

Allen, G.R. 1991. Field guide to the freshwater fishes of New Guinea. Christensen Research Institute, Madang, Papua New Guinea, 268 pp.

Hitchcock G., M.A. Finn, D.W. Burrows & J.W. Johnson. 2012. Fishes from fresh and brackish waters of islands in Torres Strait, far north Queensland. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 56(1): 13-24.

Humphrey, C., D.W. Klumpp & R. Pearson. 2003. Early development and growth of the eastern rainbowfish, Melanotaenia splendida splendida (Peters). I. Morphogenesis and ontogeny. Marine and Freshwater Research 54: 17-25.

Ramsay, E.P. & J.D. Ogilby. 1886. A contribution to the knowledge of the fish-fauna of New Guinea. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales (Series 2) 1: 8-20.