Kingdom Animalia Order Atheriniformes Genus Melanotaenia Higher classification Melanotaenia | Phylum Chordata Family Melanotaeniidae Scientific name Melanotaenia eachamensis Rank Species | |
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Similar Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia, Exquisite rainbowfish, Pygmy rainbowfish, Oktedi rainbowfish | ||
The Lake Eacham rainbowfish (Melanotaenia eachamensis) is a species of fish in the Melanotaeniidae family endemic to Yidyam (Lake Eacham), Queensland, Australia.
Conservation
The species was thought to be extinct due to predation from native fishes- including the Barred Grunter (Amniataba percoides) and Mouth Almighty (Glossamia aprion)- illegally translocated to Lake Eacham in the 1980s. The species was rediscovered in the private collections of aquarists and has also been found to have a wider distribution in the Barron and Johnstone River systems.
It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and Endangered on the EPBC Act 1999.
References
Lake Eacham rainbowfish Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA