Hydromys chrysogaster E. Geoffroy, 1804 . Bull. Sci. Soc. Philom. Paris, 93:354.

TYPE LOCALITY: Australia, Tasmania, Bruny Isl (see Mahoney and Richardson, 1988:157) .

DISTRIBUTION: Australia: freshwater lakes and rivers as well as swamp, salt marsh, and supralittoral habitats (absent from central Australian region); also found on Tasmania and numerous smaller islands off the coast of Austalia (Friend and Thomas, 1990; Watts and Aslin, 1981:67); Kei Isis and Aru Isis; New Guinea: throughout most of the island from sea level to 1900 m (see map in Flannery, 1990b:188). Also on Obi Isl in the Moluccas (Flannery, in litt.).

SYNONYMS: beccarii, caurinus, esox, fuliginosus, fulvogaster, fulvolavatus, fulvoventer, grootensis, illuteus, lawnensis, leucogaster, longmani, lutrilla, melicertes, moae, nauticus, oriens, reginae.

COMMENTS: Considered an Australian member of Hydromyini (Baverstock, 1984). Chromosomal data presented by Baverstock et al. (1977 c, 1983b). Biochemical evidence supports weak link between H. chrysogaster and Xeromys (Baverstock et al., 1981) . Morphology of spermatozoa and male reproductive tract discussed in context of comparative study of Australian murines (Breed, 1984, 1986; Breed and Sarafis, 1978; Morrissey and Breed, 1982). References to distributional, taxonomic and biological literature cataloged by Mahoney and Richardson (1988:156). Significance of variation in body size and pelage color needs to be assessed in context of critical systematic revision of the species.