Rainbow fish
Rainbow fish | ||||||||||||
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Salmon red rainbow fish ( Glossolepis incisus ) |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Melanotaeniidae | ||||||||||||
Gill , 1894 |
The rainbow fish (Melanotaeniidae, Greek melan, -anos = black + Latin taenia = stripes) are a family of mostly small, often colorful, secondary freshwater fish that are endemic to Australia and New Guinea and some of the offshore islands .
features
Rainbow fish are generally taller, especially in old age, and more colorful than the earfish related to them . Their body is slightly flattened on the sides and reaches lengths between four and twelve centimeters, depending on the species. The head is more or less pointed, the eyes large. The mouth is relatively small, the lips thickened, and the jaws have one or two rows of teeth. In many species there is a sexual dimorphism , the males are usually more colorful and sometimes have elongated fin rays .
The two dorsal fins are clearly separated, but are close together. The first is supported by three to seven fin spines, the second by a strong fin spine and 6 to 22 divided soft rays. The fin spine is missing in Cairnsichthys and Iriatherina . The anal fin has 10 to 30 fin rays, in some genera there is a strong fin spine in front. The innermost fin ray of the pelvic fins is connected to the body over its entire length by a fin membrane. The sideline is absent or limited to a few shallow pits in a few sheds. The scales are relatively large, in a middle row one counts 28 to 60. The region between the base of the pelvic fin and the anus is scaly. The number of vertebrae is from 27 to 38.
Systematics
The rainbow fish family belongs to the order of the ear fish-like (Atheriniformes).
External system
According to the latest scientific research, there is a close relationship to the Bedotiidae (endemic to Madagascar), as well as the Telmatherinidae (found in Sulawesi and New Guinea) and the Pseudomugilidae (found in Australia and New Guinea). They were placed with these families in the new suborder Melanotaenioidei within the Atheriniformes.
Internal system
Relationships within the rainbow fish family:
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There are about 100 species of rainbow fish in 7 genera scientifically described. In addition, there are around a dozen new discoveries that have been discovered in recent years, especially in the western part of New Guinea, but have not yet been described as a species by science.
- Genus Cairnsichthys
- Genus Chilatherina
- Genus Glossolepis
- Genus Iriatherina
- Genus Melanotaenia
- Genus Pelangia
- Genus Rhadinocentrus
use
Representatives of the Melanotaeniidae are excellent and increasingly popular aquarium fish . Only a few species have an - albeit minor - significance as food fish for the local indigenous population.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Dyer, BS & B. Chernoff. 1996. Phylogenetic relationships among atheriniform fishes (Teleostei: Atherinomorpha) Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 117: 1-69
- ^ Sparks, JS & WL Smith. 2004. Phylogeny and biogeography of the Malagasy and Australasian rainbowfishes (Teleostei: Melanotaenioidei): Gondwanan vicariance and evolution in freshwater. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33 (3): 719-734.
- ^ Unmack, Allen, Johnson: Phylogeny and biogeography of rainbowfishes (Melanotaeniidae) from Australia and New Guinea . In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . tape 67 , 2013, p. 15-27 .
literature
- Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World . 4th edition. Wiley, New York 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .
- G. Allen, S. Midgley, M. Allen: Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia . 2nd Edition. Western Australian Museum, Perth 2003, ISBN 0-7307-5486-3 .
- Harro Hieronimus : Rainbow Fish and Kindred Families . ACS, Mörfelden-Walldorf 2002, ISBN 3-931702-80-4 .
- Hans J. Mayland: blue eyes and rainbow fish . Dähne, Ettlingen 2000, ISBN 3-921684-82-X .
- Harro Hieronimus: Magnificent rainbow fish . Aqualog, Mörfelden-Walldorf 1999, ISBN 3-931702-50-2 .
- Gerald R. Allen : Fascinating Rainbow Fish . 2nd Edition. Tetra, Melle 1996, ISBN 3-89356-201-X .
- Günther Sterba : The world's freshwater fish. 2nd Edition. Urania, Leipzig / Jena / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-332-00109-4 .
Web links
- International Rainbow Fish Society - IRG
- Rainbow fish on Fishbase.org (English)
- some short descriptions: zierfischverzeichnis.de
- Adrian R. Tappin: Rainbowfish Species (English) Details and pictures of about 90 species