Melanotaenia sembrae (male) - photo© Laurent Pouyaud

Melanotaenia sembrae

Species Summary
The overall body colour of Melanotaenia sembrae is olive-green. The posterior part of the lateral flanks with 6-7 narrow orange-red alternating with horizontal scale rows; a discontinuous midlateral line of 3-4 scales wide, varying from intense black to blue steel and marked on the caudal peduncle and just behind the pectoral fins; pectoral fin translucent; anal fin green-olive with orange-red hues; remaining fins olive-green with marked orange-red margin on the second dorsal fin. The overall colour of the females is paler, with an absence of orange hues on the anal fin and between the horizontal scales rows. The species is named sembrae, with reference to the type locality, the Sembra River.


Distribution & Habitat
Melanotaenia sembrae is currently known only from the Sembra River. The Sembra River is an important karst resurgence emerging from the southern side of Ayamaru Plateau, west of Teminabuan City and flowing into Teminabuan Bay. The type locality consists of a 20-25 metre wide stream with depths to about 4 metres and moderate to significance flow through second growth forest. The specimens were collected over a limestone rock bottom in clear water.


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