Rainbowfish belong to the family Melanotaeniidae and the closely
related blue-eyes to the family Pseudomugilidae. These
families are found in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya (Indonesia)
and are the major interest of the Rainbowfish Study Group of North America.
In the wild, many species are endangered because of human activity and the resulting destruction of habitat. This problem is especially serious for the species from New Guinea. In captivity, rainbowfish readily interbreed, and many of the specimens available in petstores are hybrids or are of poor quality. The aim of the Rainbowfish Study Group is to maintain species in captivity and to promote understanding of and appreciation for these beautiful fish.