Melanotaenia angfa

Allen, 1990

ANGFA Rainbowfish

Species Summary

Melanotaenia angfa are bright yellow (including fins) with a narrow midlateral band, which is interrupted along its length by narrow yellow streaks. They grow to a length of around 13-cm, males are usually deeper bodied than females. Melanotaenia angfa was named “angfa” in honour of the Australia New Guinea Fishes Association.

Etymology

The species is named for ANGFA, the Australia New Guinea Fishes Association, which has “greatly contributed to our knowledge of the biology of rainbowfishes.”

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

Melanotaenia angfa have only been collected from Kurumoi Creek, about 12 km north of Yakati Village and Pondok Creek, near Lake Kurumoi, both in the Yakati River system of West Papua. The Yakati River is located in the Bintuni Bay region between the Vogelkop Peninsula and the remainder of West Papua. Both streams are characterised by slow to rapid-flowing water with rock or sand bottom and minimal aquatic vegetation.

The region contains a number of river systems that empty into Bintuni Bay and include the Wasian, Muturi, Bokor, Tirasai, Sumber, Kodai, Rarjoi, Kamisayo, Tatawori, Sorobaba, Yakati, Yensei, Sobrawara and Naramasa Rivers. Most of these rivers are fast-flowing during the wet season, particularly in the upper part of the rivers, sometimes causing flooding. Some rivers always have flowing water, while others are dry and only flow during the wet season.

Remarks

In 1989, Gerald Allen participated in a conservation survey of the Bintuni Bay region, the large gulf that serves to isolate the Vogelkop Peninsula from the remainder of New Guinea. Although the work mainly involved brackish and marine fishes, he had the opportunity to make several freshwater collections there and also in the vicinity of Manokwari and Sorong, in the northeast and western region of the Vogelkop Peninsula. These collections resulted in the discovery of three new species, Melanotaenia angfa, M. arfakensis and M. parva. The collection near Sorong also helped to clarify the taxonomic status of the poorly known Melanotaenia fredericki.

In 2008, specimens were collected from Pondok Creek, a small creek (4-5 m wide) flowing westward to the Yakati River and situated 2 km south of Lake Kurumoi. The stream was slow-flowing in dense forest over gravel and limestone boulders. In 2009, specimens thought to be M. angfa were collected in the Naramasa River. The Naramasa River flows into the Gulf of Bintuni, just opposite the mouth of the Yakati River (type locality of M. angfa). Males were a beautiful golden yellow with some blue scales in the region of the lateral line.

Live specimens were collected by Heiko Bleher in 1999 and distributed into the aquarium hobby.

References

Allen G.R. (1990) Les poissons arc-en-ciel (Melanotaeniidae) de la Péninsule de Vogelkop, Irian Jaya, avec description de trois nouvelles espèces. Revue française d'Aquariologie 16(4): 101-112.
Allen G.R. (1994) The ANGFA rainbowfish. Fishes of Sahul 8(3): 374-379.