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Melanotaenia maylandi
Melanotaenia maylandi — photo © Gerald Allen

Melanotaenia maylandi

Allen, 1982

Mayland's Rainbowfish

Species Summary

Adult males of Melanotaenia maylandi are generally olive green or brownish dorsally and silvery white on the lower half. The upper back and sides often reflect bluish or mauve hues and there is a series of narrow oranges lines on the sides between each horizontal row of scales. There is also a diffused midlateral band extending from the upper corner of the opercula margin to the middle of the caudal fin base, often consisting of large blotches. The fins are translucent to light blue-grey except for a yellow anal fin. Males are more brightly coloured, larger, and deeper bodied than females. They may reach a maximum size of 10 cm. The species is named in honour of Hans Mayland a well-known German writer, photographer, and aquarist.

Etymology

The species is named in honour of aquarium-fish author Hans Joachim Mayland (ca. 1928–2004), who helped finance Allen’s visit to Irian Jaya (now Papua), during which the holotype was collected.

Etymology compiled from C. Scharpf (2023), “Fishes of Sahul: An Etymological Survey (Part 6), the rainbowfishes (continued)”, Fishes of Sahul 37(1): 2006–2022, and etyfish.org.

Distribution & Habitat

So far Melanotaenia maylandi have only been collected from a small creek about 2 km upstream from Danau Bira (Lake Holmes) in the lower Mamberamo system of West Papua. Lake Holmes is situated in the Mamberamo region of West Papua. It is a complex of three interconnected lakes lying at an altitude of about 430 metres above sea level and set in the foothills of the van Wees Mountains, approximately 290 kilometres west of Jayapura, the capital city of West Papua. The lakes lie within a radius of 6–7 kilometres with the main lake having a length of approximately 4.5 kilometres and maximum width of about 2 kilometres. The lakes are drained by a small stream, which flows into the Mamberamo River at a point approximately 15 kilometres directly to the north. The lake and surrounding creeks are inhabited by 11 fish species, including one other rainbowfish, Chilatherina bleheri.

Melanotaenia maylandi
Melanotaenia maylandi — photo © Gerald Allen

Remarks

This species was discovered by Heiko Bleher and Gerald Allen during a visit to West Papua in 1982. No live specimens have been collected for the aquarium hobby.

References