This is a member of the Melanotaeniidae family. It mainly originates from the Mamberamo River in Irian Jaya, Indonesia, where it was discovered in 1922 by Dutch naturalists in its tributaries. The color of these fish becomes visible when they move. Melanotaenia praecox live in flowing, clean, medium-depth waters, with a temperature of 23-28 °C and a pH of 6.5–8.0. Breeding the fish can be easily achieved in an aquarium. Their final length reaches 6-7 cm in both sexes.