Species Profile: Melanotaenia sahulensis

Common Name:   Sahul Rainbowfish

Species Photo by: image© Gunther Schmida

Description:   A small silvery-white to greyish-brown rainbowfish, with 7-8 black stripes along a white lower half of the body, a brownish-grey head, greyish lips greyish sometimes with hint of yellow or orange, a small red to orange 'spot' on the upper gill cover and a silver iris. The dorsal and anal fins are tricolored, with a broad dark submarginal band separating a narrow white to orange or red fin margin, and a an area of yellow to orange area below the dark band.

Category:   Rainbowfish

Global Region:   Australia

Distribution:   northeast Cape York Peninsula, Australia and southern central New Guinea