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63:
278:, reaches lengths of up to 20 cm (7.9 in). They live in a wide range of freshwater habitats, including rivers, lakes, and swamps. Although they spawn all year round, they lay a particularly large number of eggs at the start of the local rainy season. The eggs are attached to aquatic vegetation, and hatch seven to 18 days later. Rainbowfish are generalized omnivores, feeding on small crustaceans, insect larvae, and algae.
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In a home setting, these fish need well-oxygenated water with a pH level of 6.8 - 7.2, optimal temperatures varying between 72 and 82 °F (22-28 °C), and plenty of aquatic plants to give them hiding places amid their school. If properly cared for, Rainbowfish can live up to 5 years in
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are attached to the fish's abdomen by a membrane which runs along the length of the innermost ray and this is a feature which can be used to separate rainbowfishes from silversides, although the membrane is easily torn. The majority of the species in this family demonstrate conspicuous
657:, and other rainbowfish. However, two males may sometimes fight at breeding season if there are not enough females. Rainbowfish usually eat floating flakes in captivity, because in the wild they will often eat insects floating on the surface.
774:– Adrian Tappin's extensive information pages which promote the aquarium keeping, study and conservation of the rainbowfish species of Australia and New Guinea, and provide free and valuable information to the general public
254:
being separated but with only a small gap between them. There are 3–7 spines in the first dorsal fin while the second has 6–22 rays, with the first ray being a stout spine in some species, the
287:, and several other genera of rainbowfish include species that regularly appear in the aquarium trade. In the wild, some rainbowfish populations have been severely affected by the aggressive
535:
274:
Most species of rainbowfish are less than 12 cm (4.7 in) in length, with some species measuring less than 6 cm (2.4 in), while one species,
321:
Melanotaeniidae is divided into a number of subfamilies; these families have been considered by some authorities to separate families, but the 5th
Edition of
238:(banded). Translated, it means "black-banded", and is a reference to the often striking lateral black bands that run along the bodies of those in the genus
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and a quarterly newsletter devoted to the keeping and discussion of native fishes in
Australia and New Guinea (the geographical region known as Sahul)
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764:– Australia New Guinea Fishes Association, an international organization responsible for the quarterly publication of the color journal
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The
Melanotaeniidae is characterised by having their distal premaxillary teeth enlarged. They have a compressed body with the two
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is either weakly developed or absent. They have comparatively large scales and these number 28–60 in the lateral series. The
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has 10–30 rays and, again, the first may be a stout spine in some species. The
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This article is about the freshwater fish. For the children's book, see
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Rainbowfish usually do best with tropical community fish, such as
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classifies these as subfamilies of a single family as they form a
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Rainbowfish discussion forum (mostly
Europeans & Australians)
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Allen, Gerald R. (1998). Paxton, J. R.; Eschmeyer, W.N. (eds.).
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Easy to use information on keeping rainbowfish in the aquarium
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J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016).
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735:"The beautiful Australian Rainbowfish: A primer"
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712:. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 155–156.
739:Technology, gaming, politics, food & more
335:. They are therefore classified as follows:
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687:(5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 358–363.
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733:Staff, Culturalist Press (2023-01-25).
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195:, found in northern and eastern
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784:Rainbowfish discussion forum
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1064:Taxa named by Theodore Gill
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353:Madagascar rainbowfishes
302:cichlids, and pollution.
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58:Scientific classification
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1059:Ray-finned fish families
645:Rainbow fish in aquarium
377:Jordan & Hubbs, 1919
312:a Madagascar rainbowfish
222:The largest rainbowfish
772:Home of the Rainbowfish
710:Encyclopedia of Fishes
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637:Behaviour in captivity
554:Celebes rainbowfishes
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276:Melanotaenia vanheurni
203:(including islands in
50:Melanotaenia boesemani
46:Boeseman's rainbowfish
1000:Paleobiology Database
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308:
184:are small, colourful
292:eastern mosquitofish
778:Rainbowfish Species
684:Fishes of the World
324:Fishes of the World
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314:
296:Gambusia holbrooki
209:Raja Ampat Islands
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987:Open Tree of Life
800:Taxon identifiers
694:978-1-118-34233-6
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546:Telmatherininae
483:Pseudomugilinae
425:T.N. Gill, 1862
385:Melanotaeniinae
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246:Characteristics
211:in Indonesia),
193:Melanotaeniidae
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155:Melanotaeniidae
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240:Melanotaenia
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234:(black) and
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228:Melanotaenia
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168:Subfamilies
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145:Atherinoidei
121:(unranked):
111:(unranked):
49:
31:Rainbowfish
25:
935:iNaturalist
832:Wikispecies
661:captivity.
600:Paratherina
508:Pseudomugil
457:Iriatherina
450:Regan, 1914
437:G. R. Allen
407:Glossolepis
400:Regan, 1914
284:Pseudomugil
264:pelvic fins
252:dorsal fins
115:Ovalentaria
1048:Categories
744:2023-01-30
665:References
544:Subfamily
512:Kner, 1866
491:Blue-eyes
481:Subfamily
388:Gill, 1894
383:Subfamily
341:Bedotiinae
339:Subfamily
310:Bedotia sp
289:introduced
217:Madagascar
201:New Guinea
160:T. N. Gill
141:Suborder:
625:Tominanga
616:Boulenger
587:Ivantsoff
569:Ivantsoff
524:Ivantsoff
331:group or
197:Australia
174:See text
81:Kingdom:
75:Eukaryota
872:BioLib:
823:Q1141512
817:Wikidata
591:Kottelat
471:Pelangia
373:Rheocles
256:anal fin
213:Sulawesi
151:Family:
95:Chordata
91:Phylum:
85:Animalia
71:Domain:
52:, male.
655:guppies
536:Crowley
462:Meinken
359:Bedotia
300:tilapia
131:Order:
101:Class:
1031:151839
1005:266174
992:290611
966:165974
953:112387
716:
691:
651:tetras
622:Genus
618:, 1897
608:Genus
597:Genus
593:, 1998
589:&
575:Genus
571:, 1991
567:&
557:Genus
552:, 1958
538:, 1991
534:&
528:Unmack
516:Genus
505:Genus
497:Kiunga
494:Genus
489:, 1867
468:Genus
464:, 1974
454:Genus
443:Genus
439:, 1980
429:Genus
418:Genus
414:, 1907
404:Genus
393:Genus
370:Genus
366:, 1903
356:Genus
351:, 1919
347:&
345:Jordan
236:taenia
232:melano
190:family
162:, 1894
1026:WoRMS
1013:Plazi
979:30700
948:IRMNG
940:85891
875:15912
762:ANGFA
565:Saeed
550:Munro
532:Saeed
364:Regan
349:Hubbs
333:clade
224:genus
974:NCBI
961:ITIS
927:7174
922:GBIF
914:8273
888:1350
883:BOLD
714:ISBN
689:ISBN
583:Aarn
487:Kner
215:and
207:and
909:EoL
901:CK5
896:CoL
860:AFD
847:ADW
298:),
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673:^
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242:.
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219:.
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48:,
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722:.
697:.
294:(
23:.
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