Threadfin rainbowfish

The threadfin rainbowfish from southern New Guinea and northern Australia is the only member of its genus. It lives in swamps, lagoons and slow streams with dense vegetation and eats diatoms and tiny planktonic crustaceans. The male, larger and more colourful, has fins with long filaments that other fish may nip. Its mouth is tiny, so it needs very small food. It scatters its eggs among plants, with no parental care.

Scientific name

Iriatherina werneri

Family

Melanotaeniidae