New Guinea Blue-eye - Pseudomugil novaeguineae

The New Guinea Blue-eye was scientifically described by Weber in 1902. Its scientific name is Pseudomugil novaeguineae. The species was first collected for scientific purposes by Lorentz during the Dutch Expedition to New Guinea in 1907.

Description
The New Guinea Blue-eye can reach a length of 4.5 cm (1.8 inches). The body is semi-translucent and decorated with dark scale outlines and a narrow brown mid-lateral stripe.

The adult males have a red first dorsal spine and the outer margin of the first dorsal fin is also red. The second dorsal and anal fins, as well as the lower lobe of the caudal fin have white or yellow margins. The colour can change rapidly back and forth between white and yellow. The adult male can also be recognized on the blackish anterior edge of his dorsal fin and the black streaks that adorns both the upper and the lower edge of the caudal fin. 

Geographical distribution, habitat and conservation
The New Guinea Blue-eye lives in the south-central part of New Guinea. It can be found from Fly River in Papua New Guinea to Etna Bay in Western New Guinea. It has also been encountered on the Aru Islands, a group of low-lying islands located in the Maluku province of eastern Indonesia.

The typical New Guinea Blue-eye habitat is streams located in flat rainforest. The species has only been found at elevations below 100 m (328 feet). Since these streams flow through the densely grown rainforest of New Guinea, the New Guinea Blue-eye is used to a shaded environment with only occasional patches of full sunlight. These streams are clear and shallow and the temperature is around 25 degrees C (77 degrees F). A test carried out in a tributary of the Ok Smak River showed that the water had a pH-value of 7.8.  

The New Guinea Blue-eye is not included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Keeping New Guinea Blue-eye in aquariums
The New-Guinea Blue-eye is not a very common aquarium species and little is therefore known about its exact requirements. Try to find out as much as possible about the native environment of your fishes and mimic such conditions in the aquarium. It can be kept in a fairly small aquarium, but only if you know how to keep the water quality up. Never allow the levels of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate to rise, since this will harm the fish. The recommended pH-range is 6.5-8.0.

Breeding New Guinea Blue-eye
If you want to breed New Guinea Blue-eye, start by keeping them in a suitable environment and provide them with a varied and nutritious diet. Include a suitable spawning medium such as java moss or spawning mops. The fry can be fed infusoria and finely powdered flake food until they are large enough to eat brine shrimp and whole flake food.

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