Description

SINGLE PAPER

Volume 20, Issue 1 – 15 January 2014

Gerald R. Allen, Renny K. Hadiaty and Peter J. Unmack: Melanotaenia flavipinnis, a new species of Rainbowfish (Melanotaeniidae) from Misool Island, West Papua Province, Indonesia, pp. 35-52

Abstract
A new species of melanotaeniid rainbowfish, Melanotaenia flavipinnis, is described from Misool Island in the Birds Head region of western New Guinea (West Papua Province, Indonesia). The new taxon is described from 20 specimens, 38.5-77.2 mm SL, collected from two creeks on southeastern Misool. It is the second rainbowfish known from this island, which lies about 67 km south of the New Guinea mainland. It is distinguished from congeners, and especially from M. misoolensis, by a combination of features that include a distinctive colour pattern with yellow dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins, usually 18-19 rakers on the first gill arch, 11-16 cheek scales, 12-13 circumpeduncular scales, first dorsal fin situated well behind anal fin origin, presence of both vomerine and palatine teeth, conspicuously rounded anal fin with relatively elongate rays on the anterior half, and relatively slender body in both sexes (greatest depth usually less than 35% SL).