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Weber 1907
Patoti's Rainbowfish
Species Summary
Melanotaenia patoti males are greenish brown on the top of the head, nape and anterior back; lower half of head silvery white; 4-5 alternating greenish-brown and orange-red stripes on upper half of the sides, darker stripes covering about one-half of each horizontal scale row with slightly narrower reddish stripes between, stripe pattern most conspicuous on rear half of body; lower half of body silvery white with hint of pale orange stripes between horizontal scale rows; dorsal fins greyish with narrow white outer margin on second dorsal; anal fin white to orange basally, grading to greyish on outer half; caudal fin semitranslucent grey; pelvic fins greyish brown; pectoral fins translucent. Freshly collected live fish photographed in an aquarium with similar pattern except overall pale bluish with orange-red stripes on side between each horizontal scale row.
Melanotaenia patoti was named patoti in recognition of its first collector W.F. Tissot van Patot who visited the Aru Islands in 1907.
Distribution & Habitat
Melanotaenia patoti is currently known only from the vicinity of the type locality on Trangan Island, the southernmost large island in the main Aru Group. The type specimens were collected from a small creek close to the coast. Recent specimens were collected by G.R. Allen and M.V. Erdmann in January 2013 from within 5 km of the type locality. The habitat consisted of a creek adjacent to a foot-bridge crossing, about 0.25 km from a small village. The stream was slow flowing with a soft, muddy bottom with abundant aquatic vegetation and leaf and log litter. There was also considerable trash in the creek, owing to its proximity to the village. Nevertheless, M. patoti was relatively abundant, as was another rainbowfish, M. senckenbergianus. Values for pH, conductivity, and temperature of 8.0, 98 µS, and 28.1°C respectively were recorded.
Literature
Allen G.R., R.K. Hadiaty, P.J. Unmack and M.V. Erdmann (2015) Rainbowfishes (Melanotaenia: Melanotaeniidae) of the Aru Islands, Indonesia with descriptions of five new species and redescription of M. patoti Weber and M. senckenbergianus Weber. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology 21(2): 66-108.
Weber M. (1907) Eine zoogeographische Prophezeiung. Zoologischer Anzeiger 32(14): 401-404.
Adrian R. Tappin
June, 2015
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