Melanotaenia naramasae (male) - photo© Laurent Pouyaud

Melanotaenia naramasae

Species Summary
Melanotaenia naramasae males have an overall yellowish body colour; the nape and dorsal part of the head is brown. A dark blue midlateral line of 1-2 scales wide and not continuous, intense with 2 scales wide just behind pectoral fin base, interrupted on middle of side and faint on the caudal peduncle. The pectoral fins are translucent; with remaining fins yellow and no marginal stripe on the dorsal and anal fins. The colour pattern of the females are similar but less vivid on the fins and on the lower part of the body with the presence of a large blue blotch extending from the pectoral fin base to the middle of the anal fin. The species is named naramasae, in reference to the river name at the type locality.

Melanotaenia naramasae (female) - photo© Laurent Pouyaud

Distribution & Habitat
Melanotaenia naramasae is currently known only from the Naramasa River system. The collecting locality is situated on the upstream part of the Naramasa River system flowing westward to the Bintuni Bay. The stream, which ranged between 20 and 30 metres in width at the collecting locality, was flowing through primary forest habitat over gravel and sand substrate. Rainbowfishes were mainly concentrated along the river bank around log debris.

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