The red rainbowfish, like the Boeseman’s rainbowfish, has a football-shaped oblong to slender body. The males are bright red and grow a higher back with age, while the females are olive brown in color.

Like other species in the Melanotaeniidae (Rainbowfish) family, they tend to stay in groups and spend time near the surface of the water for food. Red Rainbowfish are endemic to Lake Sentani and its tributaries near Jayapura in Papua, Indonesia.