A new species of freshwater eel-tailed catfish of the genus tandanus (Teleostei: Plotosidae) from the wet tropics region of Eastern Australia

Abstract

Tandanus tropicanus, new species, is described based on specimens from streams in the wet tropics region of northeast Queensland. Previously, two species were recognized in the genus Tandanus: T. tandanus of eastern Australia and T. bostocki of Western Australia. A combination of meristic and morphometric characters distinguishes the new species from all congeners. Further, taxonomic distinctness based on morphologic differences between the new species and all congeners is corroborated by genetic analyses. © 2014 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.