F. L. de Castelnau’s Norman River fishes housed in the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney
Author
Gill, Anthony C.
Author
Russell, Barry C.
Author
Nelson, Gary
text
Zootaxa
2018
2018-08-16
4459
3
565
574
journal article
29008
10.11646/zootaxa.4459.3.9
ad9c1f20-5e3c-400f-9ca8-7a8c46347063
1175-5326
1458925
79B91BA4-C861-4EA1-85D9-7AE039D950B4
Therapon
terrae-reginae
Castelnau [=
Amniataba percoides
]
Figure 5
Therapon
terrae-reginae
;
Castelnau 1878b
: 46
(Norman River).
This is the only non-type specimen of Castelnau’s Norman River fishes in the Macleay Museum, which we include primarily as evidence that the MAMU Norman River specimens match with Castelnau’s collection.
Castelnau (1878a)
described
T. terraereginae
on the basis of a single specimen from northern
Queensland
, possibly from the Fitzroy River. He further noted that he had seen a six-inch Fitzroy River specimen of the same species in the Brisbane Museum (now
Queensland
Museum). He reported on an unspecified number of specimens from the Norman River in his 1878b paper. However, he introduced confusion by noting “The specimen on which I formed this species is not in my possession having been returned to the Brisbane Museum, so I cannot compare the specimens that I have from the Norman River with the
type
.” As can be discerned from his original description, the
Queensland
Museum specimen is not the
type
. According to
Bauchot & Desoutter (1987)
, the
holotype
is instead deposited in the MNHN (MNHN A-703).
Vari (1978)
included
T. terraereginae
in the synonymy of
Amniataba percoides
(Günther 1864)
.
MAMU F.569A includes a single
66.5 mm
SL specimen (TL not determined, owing to caudal-fin damage). The old label says “
THERAPON
TERRAE-REGINAE
NORMAN RIVER”. The index card for the specimen also says “
Therapon
terrae-reginae
[…]
1 sp.
3″ Norman River.” We believe this specimen is Castelnau’s Norman River specimen. It agrees well with
Vari’s (1978)
description of
Amniataba percoides
. We note, however, that it does not key to that species using Vari’s key, owing to an error in the first couplet (A versus AA): in contrast to the key,
A. percoides
has an exposed, serrated posttemporal (versus covered with skin and not serrate according to the key).