Lake Wanam Rainbowfish was scientifically described by Allen & Kailola in 1979. Its scientific name is Glossolepis wanamensis. Live specimens were collected by Allen and Crockford in 1978.

Description
Lake Wanam Rainbowfish can reach a length of roughly 13 cm (5.1 inches). The anterior half of the adult male is of a dusky orange shade, and this colour will gradually turn into blue or green towards the posterior. The back usually sports a metallic green colour. Dorsal and anal fins are long and their exact colour varies from specimen to specimen; turquoise shades are common but the fins can also be almost completely black.

Geographical distribution, habitat and conservation
The Lake Wanam Rainbowfish lives in eastern Papua New Guinea. It has only been found in Lake Wanam, a rather minute lake located on a small plateau roughly 150 meters (492 feet) above the Markham River Valley. In Lake Wanam, the Lake Wanam Rainbowfish has been encountered in shallow waters with rich aquatic vegetations. The water in this lake is clear and receives a lot of sunlight.

The Lake Wanam Rainbowfish is listed as “Critically Endangered” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Keeping Lake Wanam Rainbowfish in aquariums
You should be ready to nurse your Lake Wanam Rainbowfish back to health after handling and transport. Even when it has been restored to its former strength, it is will be comparatively sensitive to sudden changes in the aquarium. It is very important to keep both water temperature and water chemistry stable.

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Lake Wanam Rainbowfish should be kept in groups consisting of at least 2-3 females for each male. Keep the aquarium densely planted and make surer that there are a lot of hiding spots for the fish to seek shelter in. This fish should ideally not kept in aquariums smaller than 100 L (26 gallons). Keep the water alkaline, from pH 7.5 to 7.8. The water should be fairly warm, around 27 degrees C (82 degrees F).

The Lake Wanam Rainbowfish is an omnivorous species that needs both vegetable based food and meaty food in its diet to stay healthy. You can for instance use dry prepared foods as a base and combine them with live meaty foods such as brine shrimp and insect larvae.

Breeding Lake Wanam Rainbowfish
When provided with a nutritious and protein-rich diet, Lake Wanam Rainbowfish can attain sexually maturity at an age of 8 months. At this stage, the fish will normally be roughly 6 cm long (2.4 inches).

If you want to breed Lake Wanam Rainbowfish in the aquarium, start by proving your rainbowfishes with a suitable spawning medium, such as densely grown java moss or spawning mops. The adult fish might eat eggs and fry and it is therefore safer to move the spawning medium with the fertilized eggs to a separate container. The incubating period is fairly long and can last over 14 days. Feed the fry infusoria and egg yolk until they are big enough to devour newly hatched brine shrimp and nibble at flake food. Don’t be nervous if the growth rate is slow at first, it will increase once the fry has attained a length of 1 cm (0.4 inch). It is important not to keep the fry in a crowded container.

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