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.
