».A. NAT.. 
VOL. XVIII.. No. 4. 
THE FLUVIFAUNULAE OF AUSTRALIA. 
By Tom Iredale and G. P. Whitley. 
{Contribution from the Australian Museum^ Sydney, N.S.W.) 
Zoogeographical regions and areas have been determined 
Irom the study of mammals, birds, fishes and molluscs, and these 
generally coincide with the divisions indicated by geological and 
botanical research. 
The animals, inhabiting the rivers and lakes, are now re- 
cognised as bein.e in agreement with modification, and unfortun- 
ately the river systems are not distinctive enough to enable usage 
of their names. Consequently, a nomination is introduced similar 
to that already in use for the regions and areas. A preliminary 
Tiote has appeared in the introduction to the Basic List of the 
Land iVIollusca of Australia (Austr. Zool. Vol. VIII p.290, i\Ich. 
12 1937), and as the data there noted have been confirmed by a 
study of some freshwater fishes from New Guinea and Australia, 
it is confidently anticipated that research in other groups will 
follow on the same lines. It must be lemembeied that the 
lluvifaunulae are portions of the faunulae and subordinate there- 
to. but not exactly agreeing with the known limits of the distiibu- 
tion of the land faunulae. 
Leichhardtian Fluvifaunula. 
The LEICHHARDTIAN FLUVIFAUNULA is that inhabit- 
ing the rivers of the Northern Territory, from Port Essington east- 
wards, and Queensland, west of Torres Straits. I his exten s 
northwards to take in the river faunulae of Southern New Guinea. 
The name is given in memory of the unfortunate explorer Leici- 
hardt, who made the first crossing of these North Australian rivers 
from Queensland to Port Essingtoin The notable 
genera Scleropages (Barramundi), 1 oxotes pV ’ , 
llelanotaema (Sunfish), Acanthoperca (ChaiUa I erch), Anodon- 
tiglanis (Catfish), Glossamia (aprion) and ^ j ' 
worthy negative feature is the absence of Eels^ ^ g 
Freshwater Mussels nothing remarkable has 
but the Bullinid gastropods show the quaint U . 
lanna and Oppletora (the Fhysopsts-hks jukesit H. A. , 
while Viviparfne molluscs are here predominant. 
Greyian Fluvifaunula. . 
Westward, the GREYIAN FLUVIFAUNULA .nh.tam, 
the rivers of the Dampierian Sub-Aiea, is little kno Y . 
I 
