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| Chilatherina axelrodi - photo© Neil Armstrong |
Allen, 1980
Axelrods Rainbowfish
Description
Males are bluish-grey above the blackish midlateral line and silver-white below. The midlateral band is broken into a series of large blotches and there are several dark vertical bars on the lower side of the body. The dorsal, anal and pelvis fins are yellowish, other fins translucent. Females are an overall silvery colour and rather plain compared to the males.
Distribution
Collected by Gerald Allen, Brian Parkinson, and Peter Neusinger in 1979 from Yungkiri creek, a tributary of the Nemayer or Pual River, in the Bewani Mountains of Papua New Guinea. This location is about 40 kilometres inland from the north coast town of Vanimo, which is close to the West Papuan border.
Habitat & Ecology
Usually abundant around sub-surface vegetation, submerged logs, or branches in narrow slow flowing rainforest streams. The water at the collection site was slightly turbid and a temperature of 26° Celsius and pH 7.8 were recorded. Other rainbowfishes found in the stream included Chilatherina crassispinosa and Melanotaenia affinis.
May reach a maximum size of 10 cm, but usually less than 8 cm SL. Males are more brightly coloured, larger, and much deeper bodied than females. Spawning usually occurs from October to January, with females producing between 50 and 150 eggs, spawning over a period of several days. Eggs adhere to fine-leaved plants or among the roots of floating vegetation which hatch around 7-10 days. Stomach contents of many of the collected specimens indicated a diet consisting primarily of algae.
Remarks
A number of live specimens were collected by Gerald Allen in 1979, but unfortunately they all died on the journey to Australia. However, Gerry returned in 1982 and together with Heiko Bleher they collected more live specimens, which were later bred and distributed in the hobby. Although a rather attractive species, it has never achieved much popularity in the hobby, and could be considered rare. The species was named in honour of Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod who provided funding for the first collecting expedition.
© Copyright Adrian R. Tappin
Updated January, 2007.
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