Melanotaenia klasioensis
Species Summary
Melanotaenia klasioensis is one of eight closely related rainbowfishes from the Birds Head region of West Papua, Indonesia, described together in 2015 on the basis of combined evidence: a cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene phylogeny, genotyping at 12 microsatellite loci, and diagnostic morphological characters. The approach revealed a level of cryptic diversity in the region well beyond what traditional morphological survey alone had detected. Together with M. longispina, M. susii and its close relatives M. ajamaruensis and M. boesemani, it belongs to the ‘Central Ayamaru Plateau’ species cluster in the COI phylogeny.
Etymology
The species is named for Klasio Creek, the type locality.
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 klasioensis is known only from Klasio Creek near Malabolo village, on the road between Sorong and Ajamaru, in the Ayamaru Plateau karst region of the Birds Head Peninsula.
Description & Comparison with Similar Species
Live males are dark mauve, brown dorsally, with a continuous dark green mid-lateral stripe one scale wide on the front of the body and widening to two scales on the caudal peduncle, sometimes with one to three faint vertical bars on the front of the body; the dorsal fins are black with a white-to-red margin, and the anal fin is dark with black rays and reddish hues. Genetically, Melanotaenia klasioensis is readily distinguished from all of its Ayamaru Plateau relatives by its microsatellite profile; morphologically it differs from M. susii, the most similar of its companion new species, by fewer lateral scales, a shorter snout, a wider interorbital and body, a shorter predorsal length, a longer pectoral fin and a shorter first-dorsal spine.
Account compiled for Home of the Rainbowfish from M. F. I. Nugraha, Kadarusman, N. Hubert, J.-C. Avarre, R. K. Hadiaty, J. Slembrouck, O. Carman, Sudarto, R. Ogistira & L. Pouyaud (2015), “Eight new species of Rainbowfishes (Melanotaeniidae) from the Birds Head Region, West Papua, Indonesia”, Cybium 39(2): 99–130.
References
- Nugraha M.F.I., Kadarusman, N. Hubert, J.C. Avarre, R.K. Hadiaty, J. Slembrouck, O. Carman, Sudarto, R. Ogistira and L. Pouyaud (2015) Eight new species of Rainbowfishes (Melanotaeniidae) from the Birds Head Region, West Papua, Indonesia. Cybium 39(2): 99-130.