The largest Australian rainbowfish genus, Melanotaenia, derives from the ancient Greek melano (black) and taenia (banded).

Translated, it means "black-banded", and is a reference to the often striking lateral black bands that run along the bodies of those in the genus Melanotaenia.

They live in a wide range of freshwater habitats, including rivers, lakes, and swamps.

Although they spawn all year round, they lay a particularly large number of eggs at the start of the local rainy season.

In the wild, some rainbowfish populations have been severely affected by the aggressive introduced eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), tilapia cichlids, and pollution.