Australia country information

Common names: Macculloch's rainbowfish, McCulloch's rainbowfish, McCulloch's sun-fish
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Type locality of Melanotaenia maccullochi, Barron River, Cairns, northeastern Queensland. Native to tropical northeast Queensland (Ref. 48666); extending coastally from Cape Flattery, Hope Vale and McIvor River area in the north, through an isolated population in the lower Daintree River area, then from Cairns south to the Cardwell area as far south as Camp Creek; including Jardine river and an isolated population in the vicinity of Darwin (Northern Territory) (Ref. 44894, 121823). The area of occurrence typically consists of swamp and stream environments, ranging from small waterways, larger wetlands and dune lakes, with microhabitat typically comprising of dense cover of submerged or emergent vegetation in shallow water (<50 cm) with low turbidity and often low pH (reported values sometimes as low as 3.6). In the coastal plains south of Cairns, it occurs in swamps and associated small, low velocity feeder streams and also in artificial drains adjacent to sugar or banana crops. Commonly co-occurs with Melanotaenia splendida and is often found in association with other wetland fish species particularly Pseudomugil gertrudae and Oxyeleotris nullipora. The type locality (Barron River near Cairns), was assumed to represent a small tributary stream, anabranch or swamp associated with the lower Barron River, rather than the large rocky Barron River channel proper per se. The species apparently remained present in swamps of Cairns during the 1940s (CSIRO B 658); however, most recent reports indicate it has been extirpated following extensive agricultural and urban development and alien fish introductions. An extant site does occur in Boggy Creek to the south of Cairns, around 20 km southeast of the Barron River (NTM S.18179-001), apparently as a small remnant of what was likely an extensive population associated with the local broad coastal plain. Diet has been studied at one site (Cape Flattery dune fields), it included aquatic vegetation (diatoms) and insect larvae. Wild fish are known to reach 5.2 cm SL (6.4 cm TL: WAM P.26951.001), but are typically less than 3.5 mm SL. However, it was observed to grow considerably larger in aquaria (~100 mm TL) (Ref. 121823). Also Ref. 2847.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Allen, G.R., 1989
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Dwarf rainbowfish, McCulloch's rainbowfish, 麦氏点鳍鱼, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Atheriniformes (Silversides) > Melanotaeniidae (Rainbowfishes, blue eyes)
Etymology: Melanotaenia: Greek, melan, -anos = black + latin, taenia = stripe (Ref. 45335); maccullochi: Named for Allan Riverston McCulloch, a prominent and productive ichthyologist with the Australian Museum through the early 1900s..
More on author: Ogilby.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; benthopelagic; pH range: 7.0 - ? ; dH range: 10 - ?. Tropical; 20°C - 25°C (Ref. 1672); 6°S - 10°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Oceania: northeastern Australia.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 44894)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 6 - 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-10; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 13 - 17; Vertebrae: 32 - 35. This species with well-contrasted dark lateral body stripes, is distinguished by the following set of characters: D V-VI,I,8-10 (mode 9); A I,13-17 (mode 15); procurrent caudal rays 12-15 (mode 13); lateral line scales 30-33 (mode 32); cheek scales often 9-12; total gill rakers on first arch 13-18 (usually 14-16); vertebrae 32-35 (mode 33); body is moderately deep with greatest depth 2.8-3.7 (mean 3.3) in SL and greatest width 1.8-3.1 (mean 2.2) in HL; maxilla is relatively long 3.0-3.8 (mean 3.4) in HL; long predorsal distance 1.9-2.3 (mean 2.1) in SL. Colouration: when alive bronze to brown body lighter on ventral half with a series of dark brown lateral stripes; fins are orange to rich red especially in nuptial males, sometimes with lines of spots or a horizontal line near base but never as a thick submarginal band (Ref. 121823).

Inhabits lowland swamps and small streams, usually in clear, acidic waters with ample cover in the form of log debris or aquatic vegetation. Occurs at temperatures ranging from 24-30° C (Ref. 5259). Found in clear waters of small creeks and Pandanus swamps. pH range is 5.5-7 (Ref. 44894). Commonly co-occurs with Melanotaenia splendida and is often found in association with other wetland fish species particularly Pseudomugil gertrudae and Oxyeleotris nullipora (Ref. 121823),

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Produces 150-200 eggs. Distinct pairing (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Hammer, M.P., G.R. Allen, K.C. Martin, M. Adams and P.J. Unmack, 2019. Two new species of dwarf rainbowfishes (Atheriniformes: Melanotaeniidae) from northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Zootaxa 4701(3):201-234. (Ref. 121823)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 05 December 2019

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Aquarium: commercial

FAO(Publication : search) | FishSource |

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Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00514 - 0.02450), b=3.04 (2.87 - 3.21), in cm Total Length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 2.9 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Fec = 150).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).

Melanotaenia maccullochi Ogilby, 1915