Melanotaenia fluviatilis

(Castelnau, 1878)

Vernacular names
English : Murray river rainbowfish
French : Poisson arc-en-ciel de la Murray River

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Atheriniformes
Family : Melanotaeniidae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach 11 cm in length. Silvery-grey body with blue tinge on back. Dark grey-blue fins. Horizontal orange lines on upper two-thirds of body. Body clearer on belly. Females have more pearly-grey coloration.

Range and habitat
The species is endemic Australia, occurring in most major river systems of south Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Lives in rivers, creeks, drains, reservoirs and lakes with still or slow moving water.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : Declines were observed in the past but now, the species seems safe. Its populations are stable and some are even increasing.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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