Red Rainbowfish

ANIMAL:
Red Rainbowfish Glossolepis incisus

Type of Animal:
Rainbowfish

Habitat:
Lakes, streams, heavily planted tropical waters, waters surrounding lakes, vegetated pools, creek mouths, rivers

Location(s):
Lake Sentani & tributaries in Papua

Appearance:
Males bright red w/ back becoming higher w/ age, females olive brown to olive yellow, nonbreeding males dull dusty brown to dull reddish-brown to silver, color can change depending on mood, rather slender fish, males have longer fins, large eyes, large mouth, narrow throat

Food/Diet:
Insects, bloodworms, tubifex worms, brine shrimp, water fleas, aquatic plant matter

Status in Wild:
Threatened

Conservation:
Breeding in aquariums, zoos, aquaculture, & fish farms

Lifestyle:
Schools of 6-30 w/ more females than males

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young: Fry
Group: School

Gestation:
7-10 days 

Life Span:
5-6 years

Body Length:
Male: 5.9 in
Female: 3.94-4.72 in

Tail Length:
1 in

Threatened due to water pollution, overcollection, restricted range, habitat degradation, overfishing, competition w/ introduced fish, predation by introduced fish, & fish farming.
 
Also called Salmon-Red Rainbowfish, New Guinea Rainbowfish, Salmon Rainbowfish, Irian Red Rainbowfish, New Guinea Red Rainbowfish, Irian Jaya Rainbowfish, & Lake Sentani Rainbowfish.
 
Females scatter eggs among clumps of vegetation.
 
Males display vibrant colors & flare fins in front of females. Male competition often results in better breeding.
 
These fish are very sensitive to water changes.
 
These fish have lots of energy & are very active swimmers. They can also be very skittish.
 
Females can release up to 50 eggs per day during spawning period.

Fun Fact(s):
While threatened in wild, very common in aquarium trade.
 
When kept in lower temp waters than normal, all males will turn red while in ideal conditions (70-75) many subordinate males don’t become red.
 
Started to become popular in aquarium trade in 1970s & now widely captive bred.
 
When spooked, they will jump.

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