Mallacoota chandaniae Lowry & Springthorpe 2005

Mallacoota chandaniae Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005

Mallacoota chandaniae Lowry & Springthorpe, 2005: 257, figs 17–19. — Lowry & Hughes, 2009: 677–680, figs 19, 20.

Type locality. Lucinda, Queensland (18°31'S 146°19'E).

Material examined. Queensland. Holotype male, AM P.59021, end of sugar loading jetty 5 km long, Lucinda, (18°31'S 146°19'E), 7 m, pylon scrapping, August 1999, coll. F. Hoedt. Western Australia. 1 male, NTM Cr 16974, North-west Shelf (19º35’30”S 119º 5’42”E), 35m, 4 May 1982, coll. R. Edwards, CSIRO FRV Sprightly (SP4 /82); 1 specimen, AM P.83780, Shenton Bluff, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago, Western Australia (16°28'38"S 123°02'38"E), 5.1 m, coarse sand with shell and rubble, 22 May 2010, coll. J.K. Lowry (MI WA 1078); 4 specimens, AM P.83781, Shenton Bluff, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'38"S 123°02'38"E), 5.1 m, mixed small green algae Halimeda sp. and Caulerpa sp., 22 May 2010, coll. K.B. Attwood (MI WA 1079); 7 specimens, AM P.83779, Shenton Bluff, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'38"S 123°02'38"E), 5.1 m, brown algae Sargassum sp. on rubble, 22 May 2010, coll. K.B. Attwood (MI WA 1080); 4 specimens, AM P.83783, Shenton Bluff, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'38"S 123°02'38"E), 5.1 m, mixed large rubble, 22 May 2010, coll. J.K. Lowry (MI WA 1084); 12 specimens, AM P.83782, Shenton Bluff, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'38"S 123°02'38"E), 5.1 m, dead coral rubble with brown algae Sargassum sp. and Padina sp., 22 May 2010, coll. J.K. Lowry (MI WA 1085); 10+ specimens, AM P.80973, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'39"S 123°02'46"E), 3 m, off pearl shell in panel, 10 April 2008, coll. J. Jelbart (MI WA 1069); 10+ specimens, AM P.80974, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'26"S 123°01'42"E), 3 m, off pearl shell in panel, 11 April 2008, coll. J. Jelbart (MI WA 1070); 5 specimens, AM P.80975, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'40"S 123°02'06"E), 2 m, off floating rope line, 10 April 2008, coll. J. Jelbart (MI WA 1068); 10+ specimens, AM P.83907, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm outside lines, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°28'50"S 123°02'16"E), 2 m, epiphytic growth from pearl shell panels, 23 May 2010, coll. J.K. Lowry and K.B. Attwood (MI WA 1094); 10+ specimens, AM P.83906, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm outside lines, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°29'44"S 123°01'46"E), 2 m, epiphytic growth from pearl shell panels, 23 May 2010, coll. J.K. Lowry and K.B. Attwood (MI WA 1095); 10+ specimens, AM P.83778, Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm outside lines, Cygnet Bay, Cape Leveque, Buccaneer Archipelago (16°29'44"S 123°01'46"E), 2 m, epiphytic growth from pearl shell panels, 26 May 2010, coll. L.E. Hughes (MI WA 1139); 1 specimen, AM P.83501, between Enderby Island and West Lewis Island, Dampier Archipelago (20°35'07"S 116°35'37"E), 17 m, sponges, 2 September 1999, coll. M. Hewitt (WA 702); 5 specimens, AM P.79297, Cathedral Rocks, Rottnest Island (32°01'30"S 115°27'E), 6 m, under limestone rock overhangs, mixed algae, 21 December 1983, coll. R. Springthorpe (WA 251); 1 specimen, AM P.79300, Cathedral Rocks, Rottnest Island (32°01'30"S 115°27'E), 0 m, under drift kelp on sand above water line, 21 December 1983, coll. H.E. Stoddart (WA 255); 2 males, 2 juveniles, AM P.85213, Joseph Bonaparte Gulf (11°42’43”S 129°50’26”E), 65 m, Smith-McIntyre Grab, 14 September 2009, coll. Geosciences Australia, (SOL 4934, 38 GR69)

Northern Territory. 5 males, AM P.79175, Area C East, Arafura Sea (9°22'59"S 134°9'47"E), 108 m, several large rocks, bioclastic gravel and sand, Smith-McIntyre Grab, 11 May 2005, coll. G.D.F. Wilson, RV Southern Surveyor (SS05 /2005/019/ GR033).

Remarks. This is a widely distributed species of Mallacoota. Currently its known range extends from Lucinda on the Australian east coast, across the top of tropical Australia to Rottnest Island on the south-western coast of Australia. The distribution as far south as Rottnest Island is not considered unusual given the presence of coral reef habitat supported by the warm northern Leeuwin Current.

Distribution. Queensland: Lucinda; Weipa; Lizard Island (Lowry & Springthorpe 2005; Lowry & Hughes 2009). Northern Territory: Darwin; Beagle Gulf; Gove Harbour; Bynoe Harbour; Shell Islands (Lowry & Hughes 2009). Western Australia: Buccaneer Archipelago; Dampier Archipelago; Rottnest Island (current study).