Crimsonspotted Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi (Castelnau, 1878)

Scientific name: Melanotaenia duboulayi
Alternative name/s:
Duboulay's Rainbowfish
Duboulay's Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi Click to enlarge image
A 4.5cm long Duboulay's Rainbowfish from the Wilson River, New South Wales, 1998. The fish was photographed in an aquarium. Image: Carl Bento
© Australian Museum

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Melanotaenia
    Species
    duboulayi
    Family
    Melanotaeniidae
    Order
    Atheriniformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    Crimsonspotted Rainbowfish grows to 9 cm in length but individuals of 6 cm to 7 cm are more common.

Introduction

About the Crimsonspotted Rainbowfish

The Crimsonspotted Rainbowfish has a dark stripe along the side and a red spot on the upper operculum. Males have a series of red stripes along the sides of the body and red spots on the dorsal, anal and caudal fins. The species is endemic to Australia.

Identification

What do it look like?

The Crimsonspotted Rainbowfish is olive brown above, silvery on the sides and white below. There is a dark stripe along the side and a red spot on the upper operculum. The scale margins are brownish.

Males have a series of red stripes along the sides of the body and red spots on the dorsal, anal and caudal fins. When males display to females, all their fins, with the exception of the pelvics, have black margins. The fins of females and juveniles are clear.

Distribution

Where is it found?

The species is endemic to Australia. It is found in coastal freshwaters from southern Queensland to northern New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Ozcam map of Crimsonspotted Rainbowfish specimens in the Australian Museums.

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1982. Rainbowfishes of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Angus & Robertson. Pp. 141. (as M. splendida fluviatilis)
  2. Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. T.F.H. Publications. Pp. 240.
  3. Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & M. Allen. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 394.
  4. Allen, G.R. in McDowall, R.M. 1996. Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Reed Books. Pp. 247.
  5. Merrick, J.R. & G.E. Schmida. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes. Biology and Management. John R. Merrick. Pp. 409.