Type locality of , Northern Territory, Darwin Harbour, Vestey's Beach Reef. Reported from Darwin, Northern Territory and from Daintree River to Moreton Bay, Queensland; 0.5-25 m. Specimens from the Northern Territory differ slightly from those found in Queensland in coloration and in scale counts but the differences noted between Australian localities may not be significant for there is also a wide range of variation in coloration and scale counts in Tomiyamichthys russus (Ref. 116701).