Johannes Graf IMPORTED Part 1: New Fishes from Australia n 2015 I had the opportunity to make in northern Australia, found only in alka- two ishing trips, one to West Papua line water. Very beautiful, but needs special Iand another to Australia. Both trips attention and is better kept in a species were very successful and now there will be tank. However, in such a tank it is an eye- a lood of new rainbowishes available for catcher! the hobby. A selection (not all) of the Australian Iriatherina werneri “Ankabadbirri” species and forms will be presented here. I am very happy having obtained three dif- Not all ish have been photographed, and ferent forms of Australian threadin rain- some photos are not optimal, either. bowishes. Most of the Iriatherina werneri In all cases only small quantities of ish in the European hobby are from aquarium were imported as breeding stock. Several strains of New Guinean origin and un- of them have been distributed to some known source. Now we have offspring other breeders. From most species, irst fry from wild caught ishes, with known loca- have already been obtained. For those who tions. “Ankabadbirri” is an aboriginal are interested in some young ish, it will be settlement at the Cadell River in western worth looking at the advertisings for the Arnhemland. We already had those years annual IRG convention 2016. ago, but as far as I know they have been The species from the Taritatu catchment lost. (New Guinea) will be presented within the next issue of the “Regenbogenisch”. Iriatherina werneri “Gulbuwangay River” Craterocephalus stercusmuscarum Gulbuwangay River is one of the rivers This is an Australian hardyhead with a feeding the Arafura Swamp, a known loca- metallic green-golden color and many small tion of I. werneri. This swamp is in eastern dots (hence the name Flyspeckled Hardy- Arnhemland. The extended ins of this head). Long and slender body, makes a form are black, but the basis is yellow. The great combination with rainbowishes. irst dorsal is red and yellow. Craterocephalus stramineus Iriatherina werneri “Myall Creek” The “famous” Blackmast or Strawman, is This form was discovered just a short time a hardyhead that has an outstanding posi- ago. To my knowledge it is the irst time tion in its genus. Very limited distribution that it is available in Europe. Until now it © IRG – Internationale Gesellschaft für Regenbogenfische e.V. www.irg-online.de/rfe 31 ▲ Iriatherina werneri “Ankabadbirri” ▲ Iriatherina werneri “Gulbuwangay River” ▲ Iriatherina werneri “ Myall Creek” (Photo: Dave Wilson) (Photo: Dave Wilson) (Photo: Neil Armstrong) is the Iriatherina werneri variety with the with red lines between the scale rows. The part of the continental shelf (i.e. the top of highest amount of yellow in its ins. The yellow sides of the body are a distinctive a submerged mountain) and not of coral- collecting place is on Cape York, in the trait of this variety and set it apart from line origin. It was a lucky chance that an Embley River drainage near the city of any other Melanotaenia duboulayi that we Australian who has relatives on Moa Island Weipa. know. brought back some rainbowish specimens to the mainland a few years ago. Those Melanotaenia australis “Kambolgie Melanotaenia exquisita “Bindoola” were bred and offspring was distributed Creek” This is for the specialty keepers. Most by ANGFA members. Looks a bit like Fishes kept under this name in the European likely an undescribed species from the those from “Skull Creek”, but becomes aquarium hobby are not from Kambolgie Northern Territory, as DNA analysis indi- bigger. Creek. These falsely named ish are an aquar- cates that it is signiicantly different from ium strain of unknown origin and have the other Melanotaenia exquisita va- Melanotaenia maccullochi “Skull nothing to do with the true variety. Kambol- rieties. Bindoola Creek is a small tributary Creek” gie Creek is part of the Alligator River in the of the Pentecost River. A small and attrac- We have only a few of those left in the IRG Northern Territory. It has a tributary called tive species, but better suited for a single- and breeding rates are declining, therefore Ferny Creek. This is the only known loca- species tank. this is a chance for new blood. It is one of tion of the “real” ish. They grow big and the most beautiful M. maccullochi va- become huge, impressive animals with Melanotaenia gracilis rieties. blood-red tail ins and a rhomboid body New blood for the few breeders of this shape. small and slender rainbowish in the IRG. Melanotaenia spec.“Fletcher Creek” This rainbowish is a new discovery from Melanotaenia duboulayi “Oyster Melanotaenia maccullochi “Moa Australia with a very limited distribution Creek” Island” near Rockhampton. Looks a bit like the Over the years we had several Melanotaenia Not many people know that the islands of “Running River” rainbow, but the basic duboulayi varieties in the hobby, but so far the Torres Strait (a group of islands be- color is an iridescent green. It is something none of them lasted for long – maybe this tween Australia and New Guinea) host really different, very attractive and easy to one can. The basic color is a metallic green rainbowish species, provided the island is keep. 32 © IRG – Internationale Gesellschaft für Regenbogenfische e.V. www.irg-online.de/rfe ▲ Iriatherina werneri “Gulbuwangay River” ▲ Iriatherina werneri “ Myall Creek” ▲ Melanotaenia australis “Kambolgie Creek” (Photo: Dave Wilson) (Photo: Neil Armstrong) (Photo: Gunther Schmida) is the Iriatherina werneri variety with the with red lines between the scale rows. The part of the continental shelf (i.e. the top of highest amount of yellow in its ins. The yellow sides of the body are a distinctive a submerged mountain) and not of coral- collecting place is on Cape York, in the trait of this variety and set it apart from line origin. It was a lucky chance that an Embley River drainage near the city of any other Melanotaenia duboulayi that we Australian who has relatives on Moa Island Weipa. know. brought back some rainbowish specimens to the mainland a few years ago. Those Melanotaenia australis “Kambolgie Melanotaenia exquisita “Bindoola” were bred and offspring was distributed Creek” This is for the specialty keepers. Most by ANGFA members. Looks a bit like Fishes kept under this name in the European likely an undescribed species from the those from “Skull Creek”, but becomes aquarium hobby are not from Kambolgie Northern Territory, as DNA analysis indi- bigger. Creek. These falsely named ish are an aquar- cates that it is signiicantly different from Melanotaenia maccullochi “Skull ium strain of unknown origin and have the other Melanotaenia exquisita va- ▲ Melanotaenia duboulayi “ Oyster Creek” nothing to do with the true variety. Kambol- rieties. Bindoola Creek is a small tributary Creek” (Photo: Gunther Schmida) gie Creek is part of the Alligator River in the of the Pentecost River. A small and attrac- We have only a few of those left in the IRG Northern Territory. It has a tributary called tive species, but better suited for a single- and breeding rates are declining, therefore Ferny Creek. This is the only known loca- species tank. this is a chance for new blood. It is one of tion of the “real” ish. They grow big and the most beautiful M. maccullochi va- become huge, impressive animals with Melanotaenia gracilis rieties. blood-red tail ins and a rhomboid body New blood for the few breeders of this shape. small and slender rainbowish in the IRG. Melanotaenia spec.“Fletcher Creek” This rainbowish is a new discovery from Melanotaenia duboulayi “Oyster Melanotaenia maccullochi “Moa Australia with a very limited distribution Creek” Island” near Rockhampton. Looks a bit like the Over the years we had several Melanotaenia Not many people know that the islands of “Running River” rainbow, but the basic duboulayi varieties in the hobby, but so far the Torres Strait (a group of islands be- color is an iridescent green. It is something really different, very attractive and easy to none of them lasted for long – maybe this tween Australia and New Guinea) host ▲ Melanotaenia spec.“Fletcher Creek” one can. The basic color is a metallic green rainbowish species, provided the island is keep. (Photo: Gunther Schmida) © IRG – Internationale Gesellschaft für Regenbogenfische e.V. www.irg-online.de/rfe 33 ▲ Melanotaenia spec.“Miskin Creek” ▲ Melanotaenia spec. “Running River” ▲ Melanotaenia spec. “Wallace Road” (Photo: Gunther Schmida) (Photo: Neil Armstrong) (Photo: Johannes Graf) Melanotaenia spec.“Miskin Creek” Melanotaenia spec. “Wallace Road” Melanotaenia splendida splendida This slender, mid-sized rainbowish comes At the ANGFA conference 2015, Keith “Mount Poverty” from Australia, from the Miskin Creek in Martin mentioned in his presentation on Among the varieties of Melanotaenia Pseudomugil gertrudae “Lockhart the South Johnstone River drainage close the rainbowishes of the Wet Tropics a new splendida splendida, this one is an outstand- River tributary” to the town of Malanda. It is not known ish he discovered in the Atherton Table- ing one. So far we thought that “Wallaby Two collectors of waterplants collecting in yet if it is an undescribed species. The basic lands. He called it “Platy Rainbowish” be- Creek” and “Deepwater Creek” were the the Lockhard River area (Cape York) saw color is a light blue, displaying or mating cause it has a kind of a similarity to the splendidas showing the most red. That is a few small ishes darting away in a tiny, males become darker. It is a very nice ish, well-known livebearer. In any case: small wrong. This new variety has dark red ins overgrown small creek. They managed to and gives good companions to Melanotaenia and red, that is always interesting.