Lake Eacham rainbowfish

The Lake Eacham rainbowfish (Melanotaenia eachamensis) is a species of rainbowfish in the subfamily Melanotaeniidae which was thought to be endemic to Yidyam (Lake Eacham), Queensland, Australia but has proven to have a wider range.

Lake Eacham rainbowfish
A Lake Eacham rainbowfish in an aquarium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Atheriniformes
Family: Melanotaeniidae
Genus: Melanotaenia
Species:
M. eachamensis
Binomial name
Melanotaenia eachamensis
G. R. Allen & N. J. Cross, 1982

Conservation

The species was thought to be extinct due to predation from native fishes — including the Barred Grunter (Amniataba percoides) and Mouth Almighty (Glossamia aprion) — illegally translocated to Lake Eacham in the 1980s.[2] The species was rediscovered in the private collections of aquarists and has also been found to have a wider distribution in the Barron and Johnstone River systems.[2]

It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and on the EPBC Act 1999.

This species is found in small creeks and crater lakes, congregating along the shallow margins among aquatic vegetation, fallen logs or branches.[3]

See also

References
  1. Unmack, P. & Brown, C. (2019). "Melanotaenia eachamensis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2019: e.T13054A123378257.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Bray, Dianne; Gomon, Martin. "Lake Eacham Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia eachamensis". Fishes of Australia. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  3. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Melanotaenia eachamensis" in FishBase. April 2019 version.
  • Allen, Gerald R.; & Cross, Norbert J. (1982). Rainbowfishes of Australia and Papua New Guinea. Angus & Robertson, Australia. ISBN 0-207-14604-7


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