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| Melanotaenia utcheensis - photo© Günther Schmida |
McGuigan, 2001
Utchee Creek Rainbowfish
Description
Melanotaenia utcheensis has a distinctive colour pattern with a blue-black mid-lateral band and orange margins on vertical scale rows. It is morphologically distinct from the broadly sympatric Melanotaenia eachamensis and Melanotaenia splendida splendida, as well as from its sister species, Melanotaenia duboulayi. In particular, Melanotaenia utcheensis has more first dorsal spines and fewer vertical scale rows and anal rays than Melanotaenia splendida splendida, and fewer soft second dorsal rays and more pectoral rays than either Melanotaenia eachamensis or Melanotaenia duboulayi. Melanotaenia utcheensis is also generally smaller than either Melanotaenia splendida splendida or Melanotaenia eachamensis and intermediate between them in eye diameter, predorsal length, head depth and body depth.
Distribution
Currently only collected from the Utchee, Fisher, Rankin and Short Creeks in the North and South Johnstone River catchments in north Queensland.
Habitat & Ecology
The Johnstone River Catchment flows into the Coral Sea near the north Queensland town of Innisfail. The river branches about 5 km from the mouth into the North and South Johnstone Rivers, both of which have their sources on the Atherton Tablelands. The highest part of the catchment is on the Atherton Tablelands and is 1385 m above sea level. The Atherton Tablelands and the coastal plain are separated by steep, heavily forested uplands where the rivers flow through deep gorges and are characterised by the presence of rapids and waterfalls. The Johnstone catchment has an area of approximately 1680 km2, and an average annual runoff of 2.7 million Megalitres. Melanotaenia utcheensis was found in sites with moderate to high water flow over cobbles and boulders and all sites are in close proximity to major agricultural activity and have moderately to highly disturbed riparian vegetation.
© Copyright Adrian R. Tappin
Updated January, 2007.
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