Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Red rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus), recorded as Endangered
Red rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Red rainbowfish

Glossolepis incisus

Red rainbowfish is a rainbowfish in the family Melanotaeniidae (order Atheriniformes) — Glossolepis incisus, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Glossolepis incisus
Taxonomy
Atheriniformes · Melanotaeniidae · Glossolepis

Appearance

The females are olive brown in colour. Their colours change depending on their mood, but subordinate males do not display bright colours.

Range and habitat

This species is endemic to Lake Sentani and its tributaries near Jayapura in Papua, Indonesia (a range it shares with the related Chilatherina sentaniensis). The red rainbowfish or salmon-red rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisa) is a rainbowfish from Lake Sentani in Irian Jaya, Indonesia. It is threatened in its native range, but easily bred in captivity and common in the aquarium trade.

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 IUCN Red List classifies Glossolepis incisa as endangered. This is because of the rapidly increasing human population around this fish's only natural habitat and introduced species such as tilapia.

Red 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 Red rainbowfish, Wikidata item Q59066. 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 Glossolepis dorityi (Glossolepis dorityi), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Glossolepis dorityi

Glossolepis dorityi
Photograph of Lake Wanam rainbowfish (Glossolepis wanamensis), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Lake Wanam rainbowfish

Glossolepis wanamensis
Photograph of Spotted rainbowfish (Glossolepis maculosus), recorded as EndangeredEN

Spotted rainbowfish

Glossolepis maculosus
Photograph of Vaquita (Phocoena sinus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Vaquita

Phocoena sinus

Quick answers

What is Red rainbowfish?
Red rainbowfish is a rainbowfish in the family Melanotaeniidae (order Atheriniformes) — Glossolepis incisus.
What is the conservation status of Red rainbowfish?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Glossolepis incisus. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Red rainbowfish live?
This species is endemic to Lake Sentani and its tributaries near Jayapura in Papua, Indonesia (a range it shares with the related Chilatherina sentaniensis).
Why is Red rainbowfish in crisis?
This is because of the rapidly increasing human population around this fish's only natural habitat and introduced species such as tilapia.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Glossolepis incisus?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Red rainbowfish a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.