All fish / Melanotaeniidae

Lake Tebera rainbowfish

Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi

Also known as lake tebera rainbow, herbert axelrod's rainbowfish, axelrod's rainbowfish, yellow rainbowfish, tebera rainbowfish, メラノタエニア・ハーバートアクセルロッディ, pelangi tebera, 黄金彩虹鱼, 阿氏虹银汉鱼

A sturdy, deep-bodied rainbowfish with a golden yellow body, a dark band running along the flank and yellow-edged fins, with mature males growing a higher back and brighter colour. It is kept for its lively schooling behaviour, hardiness and the warm colour it adds to large planted community tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

21 to 26 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Shoal of 6 or more, ideally with more females than males

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and small pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia, plus some vegetable matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Tebera and nearby streams, Purari River basin, Papua New Guinea

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays adhesive eggs among fine plants or spawning mops over several days, with no parental care. It breeds readily in captivity; eggs hatch in about a week and the tiny fry need infusoria before moving on to baby brine shrimp.

Good to know

An active swimmer that needs a long tank with open space and stable, slightly hard alkaline water. Keep strains pure by not mixing it with other Melanotaenia species, as they hybridise easily; wild populations are listed as threatened by the IUCN.