Wet Tropics Tandan, Tandanus tropicanus Welsh, Jerry & Burrows 2014


Illustration of the Wet Tropics Tandan, Tandanus tropicanus - holotype (female) - from the Tully River, Queensland (AMS I.45550-001, 356 mm SL). Source: Stuart Welsh / U.S. Geological Survey. License: All rights reserved

Summary:
An eeltail catfish found in coastal rivers and streams of the wet tropics region, Queensland - from the Daintree River to Five Mile Creek. 

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2020, Tandanus tropicanus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/5006

Wet Tropics Tandan, Tandanus tropicanus Welsh, Jerry & Burrows 2014

More Info


Distribution

Endemic to coastal rivers of the wet tropics region of northeast Queensland, including the Daintree, Mulgrave-Russell, Johnstone, Tully, and Five Mile drainage basins.

Features

Females and males differ in the shape of the urogenital papilla, which is triangular in adult females and cylindrical in adult males.

Colour

In preservative: Body and head dark brown, light brown, yellowish brown, dark grey, or slate grey on back and sides; mottled or uniform. Ventral surface of head, breast, and belly creamy white, dirty white, yellowish, or light grey. A creamy-white or dirty-white patch extends ventrolaterally just posterior of the mouth. Maxillary and nasal barbel dark from base to distal end. Inner and outer mandibular barbel with creamy-white or dirty-white base darkening toward distal end. Dorsal fin dark brown, yellowish brown, light brown, dark grey, or slate grey, often with darkest pigmentation on interradial membranes. Pectoral and pelvic fins with darkest pigmentation on interradial membranes, often mottled, ranging from dark brown, yellowish brown, dark grey, slate grey, or light grey. Caudodorsal and anal fins dark brown, yellowish brown, light brown, dark grey, or slate grey; mottled or uniform. (Welsh et al. 2014)

Similar Species

Differs from Tandanus tandanus of the eastern coastal drainages of Australia in having more rays in the continuous caudodorsal and anal fins (150–165 vs. 136–149 in T. tandanus), more gill rakers on the first arch (31–35 vs. 24–30), a narrower interorbital space (32.9–38.4% of HL vs. 40.3–47.7% of HL). For individuals greater in length than 20.5 cm SL, T. tropicanus also differs in having more posterior serrae on the pectoral-fin spine (12–19 vs. 7–11 in T. tandanus).

Differs from Tandanus bostocki in having a shorter post-orbital distance (37.4–42.7% of HL vs. 46.7–55.9% in T. bostocki), a longer snout (44.1–52.3% of HL vs. 37.6–42.1%), and a slightly larger eye diameter (14.7–18.5% of HL vs. 11.9–15.5%). The Wet Tropics Tandan also differs from T. bostocki in having more rays in the continuous caudodorsal and anal fins (150–165 vs. 139–149), more gill rakers on the first arch (31–35 vs. 18–22), and prominent (vs. reduced) posterior serrae on the pectoral-fin spine.

Differs from the undescribed "Bellinger Catfish" in having a larger eye diameter (14.7–18.5% of HL vs. 13.2–14.4%), a longer pectoral-fin spine (11.1–14.0% of SL vs. 9.8–10.7%) and fewer gill rakers on the first arch (range 31–35 vs. 35–39). (Welsh et al. 2014)

Etymology

The species is named tropicanus, in reference to the tropical region of northeastern Australia where the species is found.

Species Citation

Tandanus tropicalis Welsh, Jerry & Burrows, 2014, Copeia 2014(1); 137–142, figs 1-3. Type locality: Tully River, approx. 5 km ESE of Cardstone, QLD.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2020

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Wet Tropics Tandan, Tandanus tropicanus Welsh, Jerry & Burrows 2014

References


Brooks, S., Ebner, B. & Kennard, M. 2019. Tandanus tropicanus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T122902036A123382081. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T122902036A123382081.en. Downloaded on 10 August 2020.

Jerry, D.R. 2008. Phylogeography of the freshwater catfish Tandanus tandanus (Plotosidae): a model species to understand evolution of the eastern Australian fish fauna. Marine and Freshwater Research 59: 351–360.

Kelly, E., Gibson-Kueh, S., Ebner, B.C., Donaldson, J.A., Yang, R., Buller, N., Hair, S., Morgan, D.L., & Lymbery, A.J. 2016. Observations on the health of Tandanus tropicanus (Teleostei: Plotosidae) from an Australian river system. Australian Zoologist 38(1): 83-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2015.030

Welsh, S.A., Jerry, D.R. & Burrows, D.W. 2014. A New Species of freshwater eel-tailed catfish of the genus Tandanus (Teleostei: Plotosidae) from the wet tropics region of eastern Australia. Copeia 2014(1): 136–142 https://doi.org/10.1643/CI-13-067

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37192026

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Danger:Venomous spines

Max Size:40 cm SL

Max Size:Freshwater rivers, streams

Native:Endemic

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map