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AUSTRALASIAN BLUE-EYES

Pseudomugil furcatus


Pseudomugil gertrudae


Pseudomugil connieae


Pseudomugil mellis


Iriatherina werneri

 

Pseudomugil signifer

Pseudomugil gertrudae

Forktail Blue Eyes - Pseudomugil furcatus (Nichols1955) Forktail Rainbowfish.


Male P. furcatus displaying erect fins.

Description: Slender fishes with blue eyes, erectile fins, forked tail. Diagnosis: Dorsal spines (total): 4-7; Dorsal softrays (total): 7-9; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft-rays: 15-18.

Distribution: known only from parts of the lowlands of eastern Papua New Guinea.
Natural Habitat: benthopelagic (lives in full range bottom to surface of water body); freshwater; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dGH range: 5.0 - 12.0
Climate: tropical; 24 - 26°C; 8°S - 9°S. Inhabits rainforest streams with thick vegetative cover.
Conservation Status: Not in IUCN Red List.
Threats:  Over catching.
Size: 5.0 cm SL; 4.0 cm SL (female).

Water Requirements: Flowing, neutral to slightly basic, clean freshwater; pH=7.6, H=14, water temperature 25°C. Good filtration required.

Tank Habitat: Well planted tank with open swimming spaces.
Diet: omnivorous; takes small crustacea and insect larvae; will eat flake foods, blood worms and daphnia.
Sexing:  Males have brighter fin colouring.
Reproduction: egg layer
Tank Community: Peaceful, active in shoals; keep with small fish or in a species tank.
Comments:  Keep these fish in shoals of 6+ with plant cover.

Australian Blue Eyes - Pseudomugil gertrudae (Weber 1911)  
Description: Slender, active fishes with blue eyes, erectile fins. Diagnosis: Dorsal spines (total): 4-6; Dorsal softrays (total): 6-8; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft-rays: 9-12.
Distribution: Northern Australia, southern New Guinea and the Aru Islands.  Reported also from northern Australian inland Rivers and springs. 

Natural Habitat: demersal (lives in deep waters); freshwater; pH range: 6.0 - 6.0; dGH range: 5.0 - 12.0. Climate: tropical; 25 - 30°C.  Inhabits small creeks, swampy marshes, heavily shaded rainforest streams, lily lagoons, pools and backwaters adjacent to major water courses. Occurs at temperatures and pH ranging from 23°-30° C and 5.2-6.7 respectively.
Conservation Status: An Endangered species. Red-finned species is protected.
Threats:  Over catching; feral fish competition and predation; pollution.
Size: Approx. 3.0 cms.
Water Requirements: Flowing, neutral to slightly basic, clean freshwater; pH. 7 -7.5; temperature 25- 27oC.  Good filtration required.
Tank Habitat: Well planted tank with open swimming spaces.
Diet: Small crustacea and insect larvae; will eat flake foods, blood worms and daphnia
Sexing:  Males have brighter fin colouring.
Reproduction: egg scatterers
Tank Community: Peaceful, active in shoals; keep with small fish or in species tank.
Comments:  Keep these fish in shoals of 6+ with plant cover.

Pseudomugil gertrudae Pseudomugil gertrudae 2


Pacific Blue-Eye - Pseudomugil signifer (Kner 1866)


Male Pacific Blue-eyes in display attitude.


Comments:  Keep these fish in shoals of 6+ with plant cover. Peaceful, active in shoals; keep with small fish or in species tank.

Pseudomugil signifer (Kner 1866) Pacific Blue-Eye; Australian Blue-Eye, Southern Blue-Eye.
Description:  Thin, active fish, with large, iridescent blue eyes, olive-green body with a row of iridescent green and black bars along the lateral line and with an iridescent patch at the markedly narrow beginning of the caudal fin; males have distinctive high-pointed, erectile fins, yellow edged in black.
Distribution: endemic to Northern and North Eastern Australia.

Natural Habitat: Occurs in clear, cool, fast-flowing streams and also brackish mangrove estuaries; benthopelagic, freshwater, brackish; pH range: 6.5 - 7.5; dGH range: 12.0 - 15.0. Climate: tropical; 23 - 28°C.
Conservation Status: Not in IUCN Red List
Threats: Habitat degradation; over catching.
Size: 5.0 cm
Water Requirements: freshwater or brackish; pH range: 6.5 - 7.5; dGH range: 12.0 - 15.0. temperature best at 25-27°C.
Tank Habitat: riverine with plants.
Diet:
Sexing:  Dimorphism in erectile finnage; males larger and high-pointed.

Reproduction: dioecism; fertilization is external; egg scatterers  in open water or on substrate; non-guarders.
Tank Community: Males show territorial aggression and display flared fins, but do not nip other fishes.
Comments: Can be kept with small Tanganyikan cichlids such as Lemon Cichlids and Julies.

Pseudomugil connieae (Allen 1981)
Description: An attractive, small fish with iridescent blue lateral stripe;
Distribution: occurs within a 50 km radius of Popondetta, eastern Papua New Guinea. Generally found in clear, moderate to fairly rapid flowing streams in both shaded rainforest or sunlit, exposed sections. The altitudinal range is from about 30-300 m.
Natural Habitat: pelagic (lives at or near the surface); freshwater; pH range: 7.7 - 7.9; dGH range: 10.0.
Conservation Status: Not in IUCN Red List.
Threats: Habitat destruction, pollution, over catching for aquarium trade.
Size: Max. size: 5.0 cm SL; 4.0 cm SL (female)
Water Requirements: aquarium conditions: pH=7.7, H=14, 28°C water temperature
Tank Habitat: tropical, riverine, with some water movement, open swimming spaces and plant cover.
Diet: An omnivore
Sexing: finnage of males is a give-away!
Reproduction: egg laying: no details available.
Tank Community: peaceful community fish.
Incompatible Species: larger fish.
Comments:  "Connies" need room to swim.

Pseudomugil mellis (Allen & Ivantsoff 1982) The Honey Blue-eye.
Description:Pseudomugil mellis is a species related to P. signifer.

Distribution Southern Queensland around the vicinity of Brisbane, Australia, and  300 km northward along the coast to the Bundaberg area.

Natural Habitat: benthopelagic; freshwater; brackish; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dGH range: 5.0 - 12.0.  Climate: tropical; 24 - 28°C; 26°S - 27°S. Inhabits ponds and small streams near the sea; water typically dark (tea-like) with sand or mud bottom (pH=4.5-5.8, upper limit of water temperature 27.5°-32.5°C).
Conservation Status: Unknown.

Threats:  Unknown

Size: Max. size: 2.5 cm SL


Digital Painting

Water Requirements: adaptable to freshwater or brackish water, as above.
Tank Habitat: open swimming spaces with vegetation or log and branch retreats.
Diet: Omnivorous.
Sexing:  Males have elongated fins.
Reproduction:  egg layer.
Tank Community: peaceful.  Easy to keep.
Incompatible Species: large Archer Fish, Arowana, fin nippers.
Comments:  Needs weed cover and shelter provided by plants or branches. 
 

Threadfin Rainbowfish - Iriatherina werneri (? taxonomy)

Description: An active, small, laterally compressed and narrow fish, with two dorsal fins, one of which is sail-likeand the other has long thread-like extensions of the rays.   Similar extensions are on the anal, ventral and caudal fins.  Colouring is an iridescent blue, darker above, silvery below.

Distribution: Australasia: New Guinea and Cape York Peninsula Australia; eastern Australia.

Natural Habitat: pelagic; freshwater;  variable conditions, pH range 7.0+; dGH range: 10.0+.
Conservation Status: Unknown.
Threats: habitat destruction.
Size: Max. size: 5.0 cm SL; 3.5 cm SL (female)
Water Requirements: aquarium conditions: pH=7.1 -7.7, dH=18 - 20, water temperature 25-27°C; frequent water changes, fortnightly, at 25% is recommended.

Tank Habitat: tropical, riverine, with open swimming spaces and some vegetative cover.


Threadfin Rainbowfish

Diet: An omnivore.
Sexing: finnage of males is a give-away!
Reproduction: egg laying: usually attached to plants in open water.
Tank Community: a peaceful community fish; compatible with other Rainbowfish.
Incompatible Species: Fin nippers; Archer Fish.
Comments: Not an easy fish to keep; susceptible to water acidification or sudden pH drop; maintaining good water quality, with frequent water changes is essential.


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