Dority's Rainbowfish (Glossolepis dorityi)

Scientific Name(s): Glossolepis dorityi

 

Common Name(s): Dority's rainbowfish, Zig-zag rainbowfish, Zigzag rainbowfish

 

Family: Melanotaeniidae

 

Species Type: Rainbowfishes

 

Maximum Size: 4 inches

 

Life Span: 7 years

 

Natural Habitat: Australian Lakes and Rivers (Grime River system of NW Papua, Lake Nenggwambu or Kali Biru Lake.

 

Minimum Tank Size: 29 gallons

 

Tank Region: Middle to top of tank.

 

Possible Tank Mates: Other peaceful community fish

 

Description: A very stunning fish. With its zig-zag patern of red stripes running through the body. No other rainbow can be confused with these patterns. A very stunning fish. With its zig-zag patern of red stripes running through the body. No other rainbow can be confused with these patterns.
Male generally greenish with silvery reflections on back, nape, and side of head; dull orange or bronze stripe between each scale row of upper half of body; red-orange stripe between each scale row of lower half of body, especially prominent during courtship activities; fins greenish to translucent, but with pinkish or red-orange hue on ventrals and basal half of anal and second dorsal. Female generally greenish with silvery reflections and lacking orange or red-orange stripes between scale rows. Males generally possess a deeper body and have elongated posterior rays on the dorsal and anal fins.

 

Temperature Range 74°F - 80°F

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pH Range 6.5 - 8

pH 5.0

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Hardness 10° - 20°

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Breeding Information: These fish breed like most all other rainbowfishes. They are easily bred, using live plants or spawning mops. Remove the mops after spawning, as the parents have been known to eat their eggs. Place in a low current tank, as the fry cannot handle much current of any kind. Feed the new born fry on the smallest of foods, like infusoria, APR, and vineger eels. The small fry cannot take even finely crushed flake, and baby brine shrimp are too large even, and they may even try to eat the fry.

 

Sexing Information: Males are silvery in color with multiple zig-zag red stripes running horizontally through their bodies. The upper half of the body being less colorful with stripes than the lower, except during courtship, when they become even more intense in color. Females are mostly silver, and lack these red colored stripes. The males also have the distinctive elongated posterior rays on the first dorsal fins, that over laps the second dorsal, while the females first dorsal does not, or just slightly touches the second dorsal fin.

 

Diet: Omnivorous - Does well with floating pellet or flake foods.

 

Temperment: Peaceful schooling fish

 

Common Diseases: None specific to species, but does require very good water quality.

 

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Dority's rainbowfish (Glossolepis dorityi)