Subspecies Chelonia mydas japonica (Thunberg, 1787)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Testudo japonica Thunberg, C.P. 1787. Beskrifning pa Trenne Skóld-paddor. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Academiens Nya Handlingar, Stockholm 2 8: 178-180 [178, pl. 7 fig. 1].

  Type data:

   Status unknown, NHRM ?, Japan.

 

Introduction

Note that the arrangement recognised here, following Wilson & Swan (2003) and Clayton et al. 2006: 17), conflicts with Fritz & Havas' (2007: 167) statement that '[t]raditionally, two subspecies are distinguished, Chelonia mydas mydas (Linnaeus, 1758), occurring in the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean, and Ch. m. agassizii (Boucourt, 1868), distributed in the Pacific and Indian Oceans'.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones

IMCRA

Timor Transition (1), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northwest Province (4), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41), Central Western Transition (5)

Original AFD Distribution Data

Australian Region

• Australia
  • 200 m bathymetric: Bass Strait, Central E coast, Central W coast, Great Barrier Reef, Gulf of Carp., Lower E coast, N coast, NE coast, NW coast, S Gulfs coast, Tas. Coast

Ecological Descriptors

Aquatic, continental shelf, coral reef, migratory, noctidiurnal, oceanic, oviparous.

 

General References

Clayton, M., Wombey, J.C., Mason, I.J., Chesser, R.T. & Wells, A. 2006. CSIRO List of Australian Vertebrates: A Reference with Conservation Status. Melbourne : CSIRO Publishing iv 162 pp. [17]

Fritz, U. & Havas, P. 2007. Checklist of Chelonians of the World. Vertebrate Zoology 57(2): 149-368

Wilson, S. & Swan, G. 2003. A Complete Guide to Reptiles of Australia. Australia : Holland 448 pp.

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
08-Mar-2011		08-Mar-2011	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)