''Melanotaenia splendida splendida'', also known as the eastern rainbowfish, is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of fish in the family Melanotaeniidae endemic to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. The Eastern rainbowfish is widespread on the mainland, and is found in river systems east of the

Great Dividing Range The Great Dividing Range, also known as the East Australian Cordillera or the Eastern Highlands, is a cordillera system in eastern Australia consisting of an expansive collection of mountain ranges, plateaus and rolling hills, that runs rough ...

of Queensland, Australia, from the Boyne River south of

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

to Cape York Peninsula. It is usually found in large schools inhabiting small freshwater streams, but is also found in lakes and reservoirs. It is kept as a tropical

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

fish.

Description and diet

It is a small fish commonly found up to 8 cm but known to reach up to 14 cm. Males are highly variable in colour from pale

bluish Varieties of the color blue may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation, intensity, or colorfulness), or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and sha ...

- green or greenish- brown overall to yellowish and paler below, with a yellow or orange spot on the gill cover. Females and juveniles are silvery with translucent or faintly coloured fins. The Eastern rainbowfish is an

omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize the nutr ...

and feeds on

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

, insects, microcrustaceans and other small invertebrates.

References

* Melanotaenia Freshwater fish of Queensland Fish described in 1866 Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters {{Atheriniformes-stub