Source: QLD Newsletter, Volume 10 No. 2, March 1994, page 4. Author: Gerald Allen, Christensen Research Institute, 1991, 268pp. Reviewer: Bruce Hansen. View original scan (PDF)

The explosion of interest in Rainbowfish from New Guinea, both in this country and abroad has been due in no small part to the procession of new species regularly described by Dr. Allen in various scientific and popular aquarium journals. Now at last we have a current compilation from his ten trips to New Guinea superimposed on the previously available information.

This volume packs a lot of information into its small size and the 329 species are covered in family order. A key to each genus is supplied and each species is covered under Diagnosis; Distribution and Habitat; and Remarks. A small black and white distribution map follows.

Occasional line drawings and colour photos punctuate the text and at the rear are a series of 18 excellent colour plates depicting the majority of species covered. We have already seen the 4 pages of Rainbowfishes combined as a poster quite successfully.

This is a “gold mine” of information on New Guinea freshwater fishes and no serious native fish enthusiast should be without one.