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| Strickland River - photo© Graham Weston |
Allen, 1987
Strickland Rainbowfish
Description
Adult males are bluish on the upper back and white on the lower portion with a vivid dark blue stripe (about 2 scales wide) on the middle of the sides. There is also a series of narrow, red-orange stripes between each scale row on the upper and lower margin of the blue midlateral stripe and one in the middle of the stripe particularly prominent. Live colours of the female are unknown.
Distribution
Inhabits the upper tributaries of the Strickland River system in southwestern Papua New Guinea. The Strickland River is a major tributary of the Fly River.
Habitat & Ecology
Freshwater streams and tributaries. Melanotaenia iris may reach a maximum size of 12 cm, but usually less than 10 cm.
Remarks
Known only from five specimens collected in 1984 by David Gwyther from the Logatyu River, a mountain tributary of the Strickland River near Wankipe in southern Papua New Guinea. Presently unknown in the aquarium hobby.
© Copyright Adrian R. Tappin
Updated January, 2007.
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