Melanotaenia manibuii (male) - photo© Laurent Pouyaud

Melanotaenia manibuii

Species Summary
Melanotaenia manibuii males have the upper half of the body, nape and dorsal region brown with olive green reflections while the lower half of the body and belly is whitish. An intense and continuous black (sometimes with blue hues) midlateral line of 1 scale wide on pectoral region and 2-3 scales wide on caudal peduncle; pectoral fins translucent; anal and dorsal fins uniformly pale red; a brownish caudal fin with green hues at its base and extending to caudal peduncle; pelvic fins yellowish; a discrete blue blotch on abdomen. The colour pattern of females is paler than males. The species is named manibuii, in honour of Alfons Manibui, Bupati from Bintuni.

Distribution & Habitat
Melanotaenia manibuii is currently known only from the Tisbo River situated in the foothills of the Arfak Mountains at an elevation of about 87 metres, approximately 20 km north of Bintuni City. The Tisbo River is part of the Tembuni River system, which flows to the Bintuni Bay on the south coast of the Bird's Head Peninsula. The stream, which ranged between 5 and 10 metres in width at the type locality, was flowing through secondary forest habitat over gravel and sand substrate.

Literature
Nugraha M.F.I., Kadarusman, N. Hubert, J.C. Avarre, R.K. Hadiaty, J. Slembrouck, O. Carman, Sudarto, R. Ogistira and L. Pouyaud (2015) Eight new species of Rainbowfishes (Melanotaeniidae) from the Birds Head Region, West Papua, Indonesia. Cybium 39(2): 99-130.

Adrian R. Tappin
July, 2015