Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish

Melanotaenia parva

Also known as Sunset Dwarf Rainbowfish

FreshwaterFish

Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish (Melanotaenia parva) — Dirk Godlinski · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–79°F (22–26°C)
pH: 7.0–8.0
Adult size: 3.1 in (8 cm)
Minimum tank: 29 gal (110 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Schooling
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: New Guinea
Family: Melanotaeniidae

Overview

Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish are smaller, peaceful rainbows that do best in a group of six or more, where mature males warm up to the pink and yellow tones that earn them the sunset nickname. They swim in the middle of the tank and mix easily with other calm community fish. Their color deepens with age and a good diet, so feed varied meals of flake or small pellet with frozen bloodworms, daphnia, and brine shrimp. Give them planted edges and open water to swim. Aim for a tank around 110 liters or larger.

In the wild

This rainbowfish is found only in Lake Kurumoi and its surrounding waters in West Papua, on the western side of New Guinea. The lake is warm, clear, and hard with neutral to alkaline water, matching a pH of about 7 to 8 and a temperature between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius. Recreate it with fine substrate, wood or rock, hardy plants around the sides, and clean, gently moving water.

Good to know

Melanotaenia parva is a member of Melanotaeniidae and stays small for the family at about 8 centimeters, which is what its name, meaning small, describes. Males are more colorful and a touch deeper bodied than females. It spawns like other rainbowfish, scattering a few eggs a day onto fine plants or mops across a long period and leaving them to hatch on their own. The small fry grow slowly, so breeding is considered hard.

Did you know

The Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish is restricted to a single small lake, which leaves it exposed to changes in its only home. Falling water levels and habitat pressure have raised real concern for its future in the wild.