All fish / Melanotaeniidae

Exquisite rainbowfish

Melanotaenia exquisita

Also known as exquisite rainbow, exquisita rainbowfish, exquisite rainbow fish, edith falls rainbowfish, melanotaenia exquisitus, メラノタエニア・エクスクイジータ, 精美彩虹鱼

A slender, small rainbowfish with a silvery body, a dark midlateral stripe and fins edged in red, yellow or white depending on the population. It is kept for its lively shoaling behaviour and the bright fin colours males show when displaying.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 8 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and micro pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Northern Australia: Northern Territory and Kimberley, Western Australia (escarpment streams)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays adhesive eggs among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops over several days. Eggs hatch in about a week and the fry need infusoria at first, so it is fairly straightforward but less prolific than larger rainbowfish.

Good to know

Comes from clear, fast-flowing, soft-water streams, so it needs good water quality, oxygenation and current. Several regional forms exist and should not be mixed if pure lines are wanted.