Melanotaeniidae, T.N.Gill, 1894

LARSON, HELEN K., WILLIAMS, REX S. & HAMMER, MICHAEL P., 2013, <strong> An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia </ strong>, Zootaxa 3696 (1), pp. 1-293 : 59-61

Melanotaeniidae

(rainbowfish)

Iriatherina werneri Meinken, 1974 Threadfin Rainbowfish Iriatherina werneri Meinken, 1974: 9 (Merauke) .— Allen et al. 2002: 144 (Arafura Swamp, Goyder River); Hoese et al. 2006: 690 (NT; N coastal, Goyder River system).

Billabong at Mann River; Cadell River billabongs.

Melanotaenia australis ( Castelnau, 1875)

Western Rainbowfish

Neoatherina australis Castelnau, 1875: 32 (Swan River Colony, WA).

Melanotaenia solata Taylor, 1964: 129–131 (Emerald River, Groote Eylandt; Yirrkalla). Allen et al. 2002: 156 ([in part] Arnhem Land; Moyle River).

Melanotaenia splendida australis — Allen and Cross 1982: 56 (Adelaide River; upper South Alligator River; Yirrkala ; Groote Eylandt; Bickerton Island); Merrick and Schmida 1984: 167 (Groote Eylandt; Bickerton Island); Larson 1987: 147 (Kakadu Stages 1 and 2); Paxton et al. 1989: 351 (Cape Arnhem; Groote Eylandt; Bickerton Island, NT); Larson 1998: 32 (Takamprimili Creek, Melville Island); Larson 1999a: 20 (Cockatoo Lagoon and West Gorge, Keep River).

Melanotaenia sp. — Midgley 1981: 56 (Police Hole [Keep River]).

Melanotaenia australis — Midgley 1980: Appendix B (King River; Katherine River; Brandy Bottle Creek; Birrimba Hole; Dry–King River junction; Daly River; Fergusson River; Flora River; Fish River; Douglas River); Allen et al. 2002: 145–146 (Victoria River; Adelaide River near Darwin; Alligator River); Wilson and Brooks 2004: 11 (Moyle River; Anopheles Creek; Tom Turner Creek; Daly/Katherine Rivers; King River; Bradshaw Creek); Hoese et al. 2006: 690 (NT; N coastal, Adelaide River).

Melanotaenia exquisita Allen, 1978

Exquisite Rainbowfish

Melanotaenia exquisita Allen, 1978: 97 (Edith River, NT) .— Allen and Cross 1982: 49 (Edith River Gorge; Lake Malkyullumbo, Edith Falls National Park); Merrick and Schmida 1984: 163 (Edith River and Lake Malkyullumbo within the Daly River system); Paxton et al. 1989: 350 (Edith River Gorge, headwater tributaries of Mary and South Alligator Rivers, NT); Allen et al. 2002: 149 (Katherine, Edith, Mary, South Alligator and Fergusson rivers); Wilson and Brooks 2004: 11 (Daly/Katherine Rivers; Dook Creek); Hoese et al. 2006: 691 (NT; N coastal, Edith River Gorge, headwater tributaries of Mary and South Alligator Rivers).

Melanotaenia maccullochi Ogilby, 1915 McCulloch’s Rainbowfish Melanotaenia maccullochi Ogilby, 1915a: 118 (Barron River, Qld) .— Larson and Martin 1990: 82 (Burton's Ck,

Finniss River); Allen et al. 2002: 152 (vicinity of Darwin).

Sandy Creek, Reynolds River.

Melanotaenia nigrans (Richardson, 1843)

Black-banded Rainbowfish

Atherina nigrans Richardson, 1843a: 180 (King River, Port Essington, NT).

Zantecla pusilla Castelnau, 1873: 88 (Port Darwin, NT).

Melanotaenia nigrans — Rendahl 1922: 177 (Port Darwin; Daly River; Southern Alligator River; McKinley River); McCulloch 1929: 112–113 (Northern Territory); Taylor 1964: 123 (Delissaville; Little Lagoon; Emerald River, Groote Eylandt; Oenpelli); Pollard 1974: 24–25 (Alligator Rivers); Allen and Cross 1982: 53 (Daly River eastward to Arnhem Land; Groote Eylandt); Merrick and Schmida 1984: 165 (Daly River River system eastwards to Arnhem Land); Larson 1987: 147 (Kakadu Stages 1 and 2); Paxton et al. 1989: 350 (Daly River across Arnhem Land to Groote Eylandt, NT); Larson 1998: 32 (Melville Island); Larson 1999a: 20 (Emerald Spring, Sandy Creek, Keep River system); Wilson and Brooks 2004: 11 (Anopheles Creek; Tom Turner Creek; Daly/Katherine Rivers; Giddy River; Cato River; Richard River; Habgood River; Buckingham River); Hoese et al. 2006: 692 (NT; N coastal, Daly River, Arnhem Land, Groote Eylandt); Fisher and Calaby 2009: 32 (King’s River, near Victoria, Port Essington).

Melanotaenia splendida inornata ( Castelnau, 1875)

Chequered Rainbowfish

Aida inornata Castelnau, 1875: 10 (Gulf of Carpentaria drainage).

Amneris rubrostriata — Whitley 1956a: 44 (Howard Creek, Koolpinyah); Whitley 1954: 27 (Yam Creek; Howard Creek; Mataranka).

Melanotaenia rubrostriata — Taylor 1964: 123 (Roper River; Oenpelli; Red Lily Lagoon).

Nematocentrus maculata — Midgley 1973: 2, 4, 8 (Red Lily Lagoon, Cannon Hill; Cooper Creek; Nourlangie Creek; Deaf Adder Creek); Midgley 1975: Appendix A (Toogangini Creek; Eight-mile Hole; Weirk Springs; Caranbirini Creek; Leila Creek; Kilgour River; Frog Lagoon; McArthur River).

Nematocentrus sp. — Midgley 1973: 7–10 (Magela Creek, Mudginbarry Station; Saw Cut Creek; Jim Jim Falls).

Nematocentris maculata — Pollard 1974: 26–27 (Magela Creek).

Melanotaenia splendida inornata — Allen and Cross 1982: 60 (east of the Mary River); Merrick and Schmida 1984: 171 (Mary River system); Dixon and Huxley 1985: 180 (Katji Lagoon [Goyder River area]; Glyde River area); Larson 1987: 147 (Kakadu Stages 1 and 2); Paxton et al. 1989: 351 (Arafura drainage E of Mary River); Allen et al. 2002: 157–158 (Oenpelli); Hoese et al. 2006: 693 (NT; N coastal, N Gulf, east of Mary River); Dally and Larson 2008: 16 (Roper River, Elsey/Moroak Stations).

Melanotaenia solata — Allen et al. 2002: 156 ([in part] Arnhem Land; Groote Eylandt; Bickerton Island); Hoese et al. 2006: 693 (NT; N coastal, N Gulf, Arnhem Land between the South Alligator and Walker Rivers and Groote Eylandt and Bickerton Island).

Melanotaenia splendida — Wilson and Brooks 2004: 11 (Daly/Katherine Rivers; Mainoru River; Krabukuk Creek; Jasper Creek; Wilton River; Goyder River; Rock Bottom Creek; Dook Creek; Maiwok Creek; Barmguerikba Creek; Chambers River; Bradshaw Creek; Giddy River; Wonga Creek; Cato River; Richard River; Habgood River; Buckingham River).

Melanotaenia splendida tatei ( Zietz, 1896)

Desert Rainbowfish

Nematocentris tatei Zietz, 1896: 178 (Finke River, NT) .

Nematocentris winneckei Zietz, 1896: 179 (Finke River, NT) .

Melanotaenia tatei — Glover 1979: 58 (Ellery Creek Gorge, Palm Valley, Finke Gorge; Todd River).

Melanotaenia splendida — Glover 1982: 243 (Finke River drainage; Todd River).

Melanotaenia splendida tatei — Allen and Cross 1982: 60 (Finke River; Barkly Tableland; Lake Woods); Bishop and Larson 1983: 7 (Frew River; Whistleduck Creek); Paxton et al. 1989: 351 (Finke River; Barkly Tableland; Lake Wood); Glover 1990: 190 (Finke River); Unmack 2001: 668 (Finke River); Allen et al. 2002: 158 (Two Mile Creek; Lake Woods; Barkly Tableland); Hoese et al. 2006: 694 (NT; Lake Eyre basin, Finke River, Barkly Tableland, Lake Wood).

Melanotaenia sp. — Midgley 1994: 3 (Finke River).

Melanotaenia trifasciata ( Rendahl, 1922)

Banded Rainbowfish

Rhombosoma trifasciata Rendahl, 1922: 182 (Mary River, NT) .

Melanotaenia trifasciata — Taylor 1964: 126 ( Yirrkala ); Allen and Cross 1982: 61 (Mary River; Goyder and Giddy Rivers; Gove Peninsula at Yirrkala ); Merrick and Schmida 1984: 173 (Mary River; Goyder River; Giddy River); Larson 1987: 147 (Kakadu Stages 1 and 2); Paxton et al. 1989: 352 (Mary, Goyder, and Giddy Rivers, Yirrkala, NT ); Larson 1998: 32 (Taracumbi Falls, Mirikau-yunga Creek, Pulampuli Creek, Kiluimpini Creek, Maxwell Creek, Melville Island); Allen et al. 2002: 159–161 (Crystal Springs; Goyder River; Giddy River; Cato River; Yirrkala ; Wonga Creek; Groote Eylandt; Melville Island); Wilson and Brooks 2004: 11 (Daly/Katherine River; Goyder River, Giddy River; Wonga Creek; Cato River; Richard River; Habgood River); Hoese et al. 2006: 694 (NT; N coastal, N Gulf, Mary River, Goyder River, Giddy River, Yirrkala ).

Gove Peninsula, creek entering Port Bradshaw (AMS material).