All fish / Melanotaeniidae

Parkinson's rainbowfish

Melanotaenia parkinsoni

Also known as parkinson's rainbow, parkinson rainbowfish, parkinsoni rainbowfish, parkinsoni, orange rainbowfish, kemp welch rainbowfish, メラノタエニア・パーキンソニー, 帕金森彩虹鱼

A large, deep-bodied rainbowfish with a silvery blue body and irregular orange to yellow blotches across the rear half, which grow brighter in mature males. Keepers like it for its active schooling behaviour, hardiness and the colourful displays males put on for each other in a long, planted tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

11 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

6.5 to 8

Smallest tank

240 litres

Keep as

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

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

South-eastern Papua New Guinea (Kemp Welch and Milne Bay area rivers)

Breeding

An egg scatterer that lays sticky eggs among fine-leaved plants or spawning mops over several days. It breeds readily in captivity; eggs hatch in about a week and the fry need infusoria at first, then baby brine shrimp.

Good to know

Adults get fairly large and very active, so they need a long tank with plenty of swimming room and a tight lid. Keep it apart from other Melanotaenia species, because they hybridise easily.