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| Melanotaenia goldiei - photo© Neil Armstrong |
(Macleay, 1883)
Goldie River Rainbowfish
Description
Melanotaenia goldiei have a distinctive coppery coloured sheen on the upper half of the body with a creamy white colour on the lower half. The mid-lateral stripe is discontinuous, dark blue or blackish, and about 2 scale rows wide. There is a narrow copper or orange-coloured stripe between each scale row on the upper half of the body.
Distribution
Initially collected from the Goldie River, in southern New Guinea, near Port Moresby in the 1880's. It is one of the most widely distributed rainbowfishes in New Guinea, ranging from the Port Moresby district of Papua New Guinea, westward into West Papua. they are also found on the Aru Islands.
Habitat & Ecology
Melanotaenia goldiei are found in a wide range of habitats, including swamps, backwaters, small creeks, and large rivers. Occurs most frequently around sub-surface vegetation, submerged logs, or branches in small tributary streams. Their natural environment is subjected to seasonal variations with water temperature, pH, and hardness levels varying considerably, and they adapt to the particular water conditions and the seasonal changes when they occur. Often found in company with Melanotaenia papuae and Melanotaenia splendida rubrostriata. May reach a maximum size of 10 cm, but usually less than 8 cm. Spawning females produce between 100 and 200 eggs. Eggs adhere to water plants and hatching occurs around 7-10 days at temperatures between 24- 28° Celsius.
Remarks
Melanotaenia goldiei was one of the first New Guinea rainbowfishes to enter the aquarium hobby. They were being maintained in the Australian hobby as early as 1958 and perhaps even earlier. Just how many separate collections have occurred over the years is not known, but I know of at least 3 during the early 1970's. What eventually happened to the fish from these importations has been lost in the pages of aquarium history.
One collection that has been documented was made by Gerald Allen in 1978. However, as the number of new species arrived from New Guinea, Melanotaenia goldiei fell out of favour with hobbyists and most of the captive stock disappeared. In 1994, stock of recently wild caught specimens arrived in Australia and once more they are being eagerly sought after by the rainbowfish faithful. Despite this rather long association with the aquarium hobby, not a great deal of information about them has been published in the aquarium literature.
© Copyright Adrian R. Tappin
Updated January, 2007.
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