Melanotaenia bowmani
Bowman’s Rainbowfish
Species Summary
Melanotaenia bowmani belongs to the ‘Goldiei’ group of Melanotaenia, a closely related complex of rainbowfishes from southern and western New Guinea that has proven unusually prone to cryptic speciation. Members of the group share broadly similar body shape, meristics and colour pattern, and are most reliably distinguished from one another by genetic differences and their separate, non-overlapping (allopatric) distributions rather than by any single obvious external feature. It was collected in 2012 during an expedition up the Siriwo River in West Papua by Johannes Graf and Gary Lange, in the same net haul that also turned up M. grunwaldi — the first record of any ‘Goldiei’ group rainbowfish from a northward-draining Birds Head river system, every other member of the group having previously been known only from southern New Guinea.
Etymology
The species is named in honour of Ron Bowman (b. 1924), a widely respected Australian aquarist, for his many years of rainbowfish breeding expertise and knowledge sharing, and his countless contributions and exemplary leadership in connection with the Australia New Guinea Fishes Association (ANGFA) and its journal Fishes of Sahul.
Etymology compiled from C. Scharpf (2022), “Fishes of Sahul: An Etymological Survey (Part 5), the rainbowfishes (continued)”, Fishes of Sahul 36(4): 1968–1992, and etyfish.org.
Distribution & Habitat
Melanotaenia bowmani is known from two bridge crossings on the Nabire–Enarotali road in the Siriwo River system of Papua Province, at about 79 m and 197 m elevation, where it occurs in moderately fast-flowing water over rocky bottoms.
Description & Comparison with Similar Species
Live adult males are golden brown dorsally and whitish below, with a blackish mid-lateral stripe running from the eye to the caudal-fin base — faint over the front and middle of the body but prominent posteriorly — and a bluish zone on the lower anterior side. Compared with its Birds Neck relatives, Melanotaenia bowmani has a relatively subdued colour pattern, with bronze rather than reddish or orange stripes between the scale rows on the upper body, a greater average caudal-peduncle depth and length, and the highest average number of cheek scales in the group.
In the Aquarium
Melanotaenia bowmani has proved a peaceful, undemanding aquarium fish since its export to Germany and the United States following its discovery, reaching about 8–9 cm and, unusually for a rainbowfish, not troubling its own fry in a species tank. Breeding follows the usual rainbowfish routine of spawning mops or daily removal of fry, which take first foods of infusoria or fine fry food and grow to about 3 cm in around four months.
Aquarium notes compiled from J. Graf & G. Lange (2016), “Discovering Melanotaenia bowmani and Melanotaenia grunwaldi”, Fishes of Sahul, 30(2): 980–988.
Account compiled for Home of the Rainbowfish from G. R. Allen, P. J. Unmack & R. K. Hadiaty (2016), “The Goldiei group of rainbowfishes from the Birds Neck Region with descriptions of five new species and recognition of Melanotaenia dumasi Weber”, aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 22(1): 1–32.
References
- Allen G.R., P.J. Unmack and R.K. Hadiaty (2016) The Goldiei group of rainbowfishes from the Birds Neck Region with descriptions of five new species and recognition of Melanotaenia dumasi Weber. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 22(1): 1-32.