Northern rainbow fish
| Northern rainbow fish | ||||||||||||
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Northern rainbow fish ( Melanotaenia solata ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Melanotaenia solata | ||||||||||||
| Taylor , 1964 |
The northern rainbow fish ( Melanotaenia solata ) is a freshwater fish species from the rainbow fish family (Melanotaeniidae). It occurs in Australia in the northern Northern Territory and on the larger islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria .
features
The northern rainbow fish has a relatively high-backed, laterally strongly flattened body and is usually 8 cm, in rare cases up to 12 cm long. For specimens that are longer than 5 cm, the body height is 30.5 to 36.2% (females) or 32.9 to 41% (males) of the standard length . The fish have a golden yellow basic color, which the species name refers to (Latin: “solata” = sunburned), and black and red vertical stripes. The caudal fin base is bright yellow. A characteristic bronze-colored stripe runs from the eye over the preoperculum to the gill cover. There are different color variants and variants that differ in terms of the intensity of the coloring. Northern rainbow fish from Yirrkala have bright red dorsal and anal fins.
- Fins formula : dorsal 1 IV – VI, dorsal 2 I / 9–12, anal I / 18–21, pectoral 12–14.
- Scale formula : mLR 31–36, QR 10–13, 14–22 in front of the dorsal fin, 9–13 on the “cheek”.
Systematics
Melanotaenia solata was described in 1964 by William R. Taylor on the basis of specimens that were caught in 1948 during an American-Australian expedition to explore the Arnhem Land on Groote Eylandt , on Bickerton Island and in a stream near Yirrkala . In 1980, the Australian ichthyologist Gerald Allen counted the northern rainbow fish in a revision with regard to the color pattern and morphometry to the species Melanotaenia australis and placed it as a subspecies Melanotaenia splendida australis to Melanotaenia splendida . Based on molecular genetic studies, Melanotaenia solata was recognized as an independent species again in 2002.
habitat
The northern rainbow fish lives in very different habitats. These include rivers, streams, swamps, lagoons, lakes and reservoirs. It usually forms swarms near the surface of the water, especially where there is cover in the form of vegetation, rubble or rubble.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Adrian R. Tappin: Rainbowfishes. 2011, Art Publications, online publication, page 339
- ^ A b Taylor, WR 1964: Fishes of Arnhem Land. Records of the American-Australian scientific expedition to Arnhem Land. Zoology Volume 4: 45-307, Pls. 1-68.
- ↑ a b Melanotaenia solata on Fishbase.org (English)
- ↑ Allen GR (1980). A generic classification of the rainbowfishes (Family Melanotaeniidae). Records of the Western Australian Museum 8, 449-490.
- ↑ K. McGuigan, D. Zhu, GR Allen & C. Moritz: Phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography of melanotaeniid fishes in Australia and New Guinea Mar. Freshwater Res., 2000, 51, 713-23
- ^ Allen GR, SH Midgley and M. Allen (2002). Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Western Australian Museum.
Web links
- Melanotaenia solata on Fishbase.org (English)