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Teleostei (teleosts) > Atheriniformes (Silversides) > Melanotaeniidae (Rainbowfishes, blue eyes)
Etymology: Melanotaenia: Greek, melan, -anos = black + latin, taenia = stripe (Ref. 45335); wilsoni: Named for David Wilson, who was the first person to document the presence of the small isolated population in the Northern Territory..

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 6.5; dH range: ? - 10; depth range 0 - 1 m (Ref. 121823). Tropical; 23°C - 24°C (Ref. 121823)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Oceania: Australia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.3 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 121823)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 5 - 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 13 - 16; Vertebrae: 31 - 33. This species with well-contrasted dark lateral body stripes, is distinguished by the following set of characters: D IV-VI, I,7-9 (mode 8); A I,13-16 (mode 14); total procurrent caudal rays 11-13 (mode 12); lateral scales 30-32 (mode 31); cheek scales usually 8-9; total gill rakers on first arch 14-16; vertebrae 31-33 (mode 32); body deep with greatest depth 3.1-3.6 (mean 3.3) in SL and greatest width 1.9-2.9 (mean 2.3) in HL; maxilla is relatively short 4.0-4.7 (mean 4.3) in HL; long predorsal distance 1.9-2.1 (mean 2.1) in SL. Colouration: when alive, brown to whitish body with a series of black lateral stripes the middle being the most distinct in having a dark purple hue; fins pale with diffuse patterns and most pronounced in nuptial males (Ref. 121823).

Habitat is shallow (<50 cm) comprising small Pandanus lined spring fed creeks over sandy soils with strong lateral connectivity to densely vegetated peat swamp and side-channel areas. Swamp and channel habitats can be seasonal or retract to refuge holes. Water transparency ranges from clear (streams) to heavily stained, indicative of water quality parameters in the dry season including pH 6.0–6.5 (noted also as 5.0: Armstrong 1995), temperature 23–24°C, water conductivity 15–30 ìScm-1 and general hardness and carbonate hardness <10 ppm. Occurs with regionally ubiquitous Melanotaenia nigrans and Mogurnda mogurnda and other swamp dwelling fish including Pseudomugil gertrudae, Oxyeleotris nullipora, Porochilus obbesi, Denariusa bandata, and Ophisternon gutturale. Little else is known on the biology of this species other than records of spawning and behaviour in captivity, where it is observed as extremely shy, which is viewed as an adaption to shallow habitat (Ref. 121823).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

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)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Vulnerable (VU) (D2); Date assessed: 01 February 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Aquarium: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = No PD50 data [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).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.0 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

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Melanotaenia wilsoni Hammer, Allen, Martin, Adams & Unmack, 2019