Melanotaenia rumberponensis
Species Summary
Melanotaenia rumberponensis 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. It is the only one of the eight new species found on an offshore island rather than the Birds Head mainland, and belongs to the ‘Southern Birds Head’ group, within the ‘Birds Neck’ species cluster alongside M. angfa, M. parva and M. naramasae.
Etymology
The species is named for Rumberpon Island, Cendrawasih Bay, 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 rumberponensis is known only from the type locality on Rumberpon Island in Cendrawasih Bay, a swamp drained by a small creek about 5 m wide flowing through primary forest over a muddy substrate with abundant aquatic vegetation, in the central part of the island.
Description & Comparison with Similar Species
Live males are overall yellow, brownish dorsally, with a continuous black mid-lateral stripe three scales wide running the full length of the body from the upper edge of the preopercle to the caudal-fin base, and no margin stripe on the dorsal or anal fins; a faint blue blotch extends from the pectoral-fin base to the middle of the anal fin. Melanotaenia rumberponensis is distinguished from M. angfa and M. parva by a greater eye diameter, a shorter caudal peduncle, and the thickness of its mid-lateral stripe on the caudal peduncle (three scales wide, versus faint or absent), and from its closest neighbour M. naramasae by a greater interorbital width and eye diameter and a slenderer body and caudal peduncle.
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.