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Rainbowfish
/ Melanotaeniinae / Dark Rainbowfish
Dark Rainbowfish
Melanotaenia nigrans | Pictures
Physical description:
An elongated, laterally compressed species with a large eye.
There are two dorsal fins, an anal fin
with a long base, and a slightly forked caudal fin.
The back is yellow-gray and the belly is beige-white.
The flanks are marked with a violet
to green iridescence.
A dark, black band runs from the snout through the eye and to the caudal fin.
Bordering
this marking are regions of whitish-yellow.
The fins, except for the caudal, are violet in color with dark borders.
The
caudal fin may be reddish-yellow.
Size/Length: Males to 2.8" (7 cm), females to 2.4" (6 cm)
Similar species: Melanotaenia
fluviatilis, M. maccullochi
Habitat: Inhabits freshwater rivers and occasionally visits brackish water estuaries.
Eastern
Australia; from Sydney to the Cape York Peninsula; and Papua New Guinea.
S: middle, top
Aquarium: A tank measuring 32" (81 cm) with a capacity of 30 gallons (114 L) is sufficient.
Plant
along the edges of the tank and leave an open swimming area.
The lighting should be bright and a sandy or
fine gravel substrate can be used.
Water chemistry: pH 6.7-7.8 (7.2), 8-15 dH (10), 64-77°F (18-25°C).
Salt can be added, anywhere from a 0.5-1.5%
addition is acceptable.
Social behavior: An active, but peaceful schooling species that should be kept in groups of five or
more.
Suggested companions: other Rainbowfish, Barbs, Danios, tetras, Gouramis,
Corydoras, Livebearers
FOOD: Live; insect larvae, crustaceans, worms, insects; flakes
SEX: Males are larger and more colorful with pointed first dorsal fin.
Females lack the black edging to the
fins.
Breeding techniques: As for M.
fluviatilis.
The parents will ignore the eggs.
Breeding potential: 5.
An easily bred fish.
Remarks: In tanks without males, a female may lay mature eggs which will not hatch.
Difficulty of care: 4.
This robust species is suitable for a community tank.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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