Celebes Rainbowfish (Marosatherina ladigesi)

Common Name:

Celebes Rainbowfish.

Other Names:

Celebes Sailfish.

Scientific Name:

Marosatherina ladigesi.

Family:

Telmatherinidae.

Distribution:

Sulawesi (Celebes), Indonesia.

Size:

3 inches.

Diet:

Omnivores in the wild, they will eat a large range of foods in the aquarium, especially floating live and floating prepared foods.

Water Temperature:

72-82 degrees Fahrenheit (22-28 Celsius)

Water Chemistry:

It is reported that the celebes sometimes inhabits tidal streams so it is tollerant of a litte salt (.75 tsp./gallon) although its not actually neccessary and freshwater is more common.

pH:

7-8.

Life Span:

3-8 years.

Description:

These have the shape of a larger, thinner Neon Tetra but do not share the same coloration. Males are yellowish-brown with a blue-green iridescent overlay. (Females have less intense coloration but may have the same overlay.) Both sexes have a stripe from the caudal fin to the gill cover, which is of the same coloration as the iridescent overlay brilliantly shown by the male.

They have two dorsal fins. One is small enough that it may not be noticed, especially when the eye is drawn to the threads of the anal and second dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin is somewhat amber while the rest of the fins have a yellow tint to them. The first rays of the other dorsal and anal fins are black. The caudal fin is black with yellow (and a little white) around the edges.

Behaviour:

These are peaceful, active, hardy and not at all shy. They do best in groups of five or more.

Minimum Recommended Tank Size:

20-25 gallons.

Natural Conditions:

Slow-moving water in the foothills regions of its range.

Sexing:

Much like the generalized Betta splendens, males have larger, better-developed fins and more intense colour than their female counterparts.

Breeding:

Water at the lower end of the temperature range will likely induce courtship, after which, the pair breeds. They do so in the vicinity of plant leaves. They may continue to spawn for days or weeks. Eggs are laid in batches, which grow progressively smaller.

The two adults are inveterate egg-eaters, so the prompt removal of eggs is essential to having a sizeable brood. After nearly two weeks, the eggs will hatch. The fry may be raised on microencapsulated fry food, small live foods or crushed flakes. They may take well over half a year to become mature and will spend that time just below the surface of the water.

Miscellaneous:

I didn't know that M. ladigesi belonged in Marosatherina. Most relevant sources place it in Telmatherina.

They are considered both easy and difficult to breed and reports differ on whether or not they are largely captive-bred or wild-caught. Their recent proliferation in fish shops seems to indicate that, with the advent of microencapsulated fry food created to raise the newly popular rainbowfishes' fry, they have been captive-bred on a larger scale. This will probably serve to make them easier to breed.

Photo Credit:

Photo supplied courtesy and ^©Off-ice.