Melanotaenia laticlavia
Aifuf Rainbowfish
Species Summary
Melanotaenia laticlavia is one of three closely related rainbowfishes from the Birds Head Peninsula of West Papua, Indonesia, described together in 2014. Uniquely among rainbowfishes examined to date, adults develop two separate patches of vomerine teeth rather than the single medial patch (or none) found in every other known species.
Etymology
The species name laticlavia combines the Latin latus, wide, and clavius, purple striped, referring to the broad bluish-grey stripe along the lower side of the body.
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 laticlavia is known only from Aifuf Creek, in the upper reaches of the Kamundan River system, which drains into Berau Bay at the southernmost part of the Birds Head Peninsula. The type locality, at 154 m elevation and roughly 220 km upstream by the river’s meandering course, is a narrow (1–2 m wide), shallow stream with a gentle gradient flowing through second-growth forest over sand and gravel.
Description & Comparison with Similar Species
Live males are olive green to bronzy yellow with a narrow orange stripe between each scale row, a dark blue to blackish mid-lateral stripe (narrow in front, widening to up to three scales on the rear body), a broad blue-grey zone tapering rearward along the lower side, and orange dorsal and anal fins marked with a dark submarginal stripe and pale blue outer margin. Melanotaenia laticlavia belongs to a group of similar Birds Head species (informally the ‘Ayamaru complex’) that includes M. ajamaruensis, M. boesemani and its two new companion species; within this group it is distinguished by its paired vomerine tooth patches, dark upper and lower caudal-fin margins (also seen in M. irianjaya), a dark submarginal stripe and white margin on both the dorsal and anal fins (versus the dorsal fin alone in its relatives), and a prominent red opercular spot only weakly developed or absent in the others.
Account compiled for Home of the Rainbowfish from G. R. Allen, P. J. Unmack & R. K. Hadiaty (2014), “Three new species of Rainbowfishes (Melanotaeniidae) from the Birds Head Peninsula, West Papua Province, Indonesia”, aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 20(3): 139–158.
References
- Allen G.R., P.J. Unmack & R.K. Hadiaty (2014) Three new species of Rainbowfishes (Melanotaeniidae) from the Birds Head Peninsula, West Papua Province, Indonesia. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 20(3): 139-158.