Home / Fishes / Silversides and rainbowfish / Celebes rainbowfish
No federal permit to keepCelebes rainbowfish
Marosatherina ladigesi
Fishes › Silversides and rainbowfish (Atheriniformes) › Telmatherinidae (Celebes rainbowfish relatives)
The Celebes rainbowfish (Marosatherina ladigesi) is a species of sailfin silverside endemic to Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes) in Indonesia.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 3.1 in / 8 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 72–82°F (range recorded for this species).
- pH: 7–8.
- Hardness: 9–19 dGH.
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 30 × 12 in (roughly 18 US gallons); space needed is rated “modest tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 72–82 °F, pH 7–8, 10–25 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament peaceful; a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more.
- Difficulty: Easy (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “This rainbowfish is ideally suited to a heavily planted setup and will show its best colours in such surroundings.”
- Diet: “An easily-fed species, it will accept most dried, frozen and live foods.”
- Tankmates: “Very peaceful and suitable for many community aquaria given its relatively small size.”
- Breeding: “As with other related species, this is not a difficult species to breed, being an egg scatterer.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Celebes rainbowfish relatives
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: These Sulawesi freshwater fishes occupy clear foothill streams and the Malili lake-and-river system, depending on species. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Marosatherina ladigesi, use at least 76 × 30 × 30 cm, approximately 68 litres or 18 US gallons.
- Plant heavily around open swimming and male display spaces; floating cover can soften illumination.
- For M. ladigesi, maintain pH 7.0–8.0 and hardness 10–25 dGH with weekly partial water changes.
- Acclimate M. ladigesi gradually when supplier water differs; rapid chemistry changes are poorly tolerated.
- Telmatherina bonti uses aquatic plants for spawning; provide planted breeding areas.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 71.6–82.4°F |
Diet
- Quality dried aquarium food for M. ladigesi.
- Varied live and frozen foods for adults.
- Infusoria, then Artemia nauplii, for M. ladigesi fry.
Social life
- For M. ladigesi, keep at least 6–8 with approximately 2–3 females per male; peaceful companions should share its water requirements. This numerical stocking advice is not validated for the three listed Telmatherina.
Health watch
- Stress and losses following abrupt water-condition changes.
- Freshwater ich affecting skin and gills.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It is the only known member of its genus.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Celebes rainbowfish” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Uses both the bottom and open water. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 72–82 °F (22–28 °C), pH 7–8, hardness 9–19 dH. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: brood hiders. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 72–82 °F.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The Celebes rainbowfish (Marosatherina ladigesi) is a species of sailfin silverside endemic to Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes) in Indonesia. It is the only known member of its genus. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | A partial spawner based on the different stages of oocyte development in the ovaries. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Males grow to 6–8 cm, and females to 5–7 cm in length. Their bodies are slender and almost fully transparent with a blue stripe along the sideline. The sexes can be easily distinguished, since males have elongated black dorsal and ventral fins, and are usually a little darker than females. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | An easy to breed species. An omnivore, egg layer and peaceful community fish which prefers the following aquarium conditions: pH=7, H=12, 25°C water temperature, vegetative cover necessary. — FishBase |
| History and naming | The name of the genus is a compound of Maros from the village near where the type was collected and Atherina, a genus of silverside while the specific name honours the German ichthyologist Werner Ladiges (1910–1984), who collected the type. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 30 × 12 in (about 18 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Marosatherina ladigesi Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- IUCN Red List: Telmatherina bonti, habitat and reproduction Peer-reviewed researchAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Miesen et al. (2016): An annotated checklist of the inland fishes of Sulawesi Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Parasitic Diseases of Fish Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.