Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish

Male

Melanotaenia parva from the family of rainbow fish is endemic from the Kurumoi Lake near the Vogelkop, West Papua. The species was discovered in 1989 during an expedition to the Bintuni Bay by Gerald Allen.

Features

The males have red fins, the body is colored more or less reddish. The Melanotaenia - typical black longitudinal stripes is pronounced only in the front area. Females are uniformly fully colored pale yellowish compared to males and remain somewhat smaller. Melanotaenia parva is, despite its name (Latin parva = small) with more than 10 cm in length almost as big as many other rainbow fish as well.

Melanotaenia parva is very closely related to the angfa occurring in the immediate neighborhood type Melanotaenia. By means of comparative genetic studies can be both types do not differ morphologically but there are differences in the number of hard jets in the first dorsal fin and the soft rays of the second dorsal and anal fins and the number of scales on the cheeks.

Occurrence and Habitat

Melanotaenia parva was detected in the catchment area of ​​the River Yakati only about 500 by 800 m wide Kurumoi Lake -2.1602777777778134.0875. Most specimens were captured in the vicinity of the muddy, densely vegetated with submerged vegetation shore in murky water. In the isolated and secluded lake also the Schläfergrundel Oxyeleotris fimbriata and as neozoon an East African cichlid ( Oreochromis mossambica ) were caught.

Over the years, the lake level seems to have declined drastically. 2007, the small lake was up on some channels almost completely dried up. Because of this, the species is classified as endangered in nature.

Since 2000 there is Heiko Bleher thanks, who introduced some fish, but in the U.S. and Europe in the hobby stocks that are since increased by offspring (eg, within the International Society for rainbow fish).