Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Lake Eacham rainbowfish (Melanotaenia eachamensis), recorded as Endangered
Lake Eacham rainbowfish (Melanotaenia eachamensis). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Lake Eacham rainbowfish

Melanotaenia eachamensis

Lake Eacham rainbowfish was once believed to be endemic to Yidyam (Lake Eacham), Queensland, Australia, but has since been proven to have a wider range.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Melanotaenia eachamensis
Taxonomy
Atheriniformes · Melanotaeniidae · Melanotaenia

The rainbowfish

Lake Eacham rainbowfish is a rainbowfish in the family Melanotaeniidae (order Atheriniformes) — Melanotaenia eachamensis.

Range and habitat

It was once believed to be endemic to Yidyam (Lake Eacham), Queensland, Australia, but has since been proven to have a wider range.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Habits

Silversides and rainbowfishes need clear water and a place to school. A lake form does not commute to the next basin.

In crisis

The species was initially thought to be extinct due to predation by native fishes—among them the Barred Grunter (Amniataba percoides) and Mouth Almighty (Glossamia aprion)—illegally translocated to Lake Eacham in the 1980s. It is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and on the EPBC Act 1999.

Lake Eacham rainbowfish is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Lake Eacham rainbowfish, Wikidata item Q3319619. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish (Melanotaenia parva), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Lake Kurumoi rainbowfish

Melanotaenia parva
Photograph of Kokas Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia kokasensis), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Kokas Rainbowfish

Melanotaenia kokasensis
Photograph of Bosemani Rainbow (Melanotaenia boesemani), recorded as EndangeredEN

Bosemani Rainbow

Melanotaenia boesemani
Photograph of Fly River rainbowfish (Melanotaenia sexlineata), recorded as EndangeredEN

Fly River rainbowfish

Melanotaenia sexlineata

Quick answers

What is Lake Eacham rainbowfish?
It was once believed to be endemic to Yidyam (Lake Eacham), Queensland, Australia, but has since been proven to have a wider range.
What is the conservation status of Lake Eacham rainbowfish?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Melanotaenia eachamensis. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Lake Eacham rainbowfish live?
It was once believed to be endemic to Yidyam (Lake Eacham), Queensland, Australia, but has since been proven to have a wider range.
Why is Lake Eacham rainbowfish in crisis?
The species was initially thought to be extinct due to predation by native fishes—among them the Barred Grunter (Amniataba percoides) and Mouth Almighty (Glossamia aprion)—illegally translocated to Lake Eacham in the 1980s.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Melanotaenia eachamensis?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Lake Eacham rainbowfish a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.