Type Specimens. — Holotype: QM J81785, adult female collected by Duncan Limpus on 24 October 2004 from the plunge pool at the downstream side of the Ned Churchwood Weir, Burnett River, Queensland, Australia (25°30'S, 152°50'E) (Fig. 2). Allotype: QM 28449, adult male from Nogoa River, Fitzroy River Drainage, Queensland (23°10'S, 148°10'E) (Fig. 3). Paratypes: QM 37933, adult male from Dawson River Crossing at Baroondah Station, Fitzroy River Drainage, Queensland (25°10'S, 149°30'E); QM 36041, 36044, two juveniles from Coondoo Creek, Tin Can Bay Road, Mary River Drainage, Queensland (25°90'S, 152°50'E). See Tables 2 and 3 for comparative measurements.

Referred Specimens. — QM 2966, 4501, 4505, 36036, 36039, 36042, 36045–7, 38533, 47987, 47998, 48002, 48010, 48012, 48026–27, 48029, 48039, 48046, 48052, 59269–71; UC 0305–6; UU 17086–102, 17274, 17874–903, 18514.

Diagnosis. — The largest extant species of Elseya, reaching carapace lengths of 420 mm. Belongs to the E. dentata generic group, and as such can be distinguished from all members of the E. latisternum generic group by the following combination of characters: parietal arch narrow, much narrower than the otic chamber; head shield does not extend from the dorsal surface of the skull down the parietal arch toward the tympanum; alveolar ridge present on the triturating surfaces of the mouth; intergular scute narrow, maximum width less than that of the gulars.

      Elseya albagula can be distinguished from species within the E. dentata generic group by the following combination of characters: skull robust but narrows acutely across the pterygoids behind the processus pterygoideus externus (Fig. 4); head shield deeply furrowed to the extent that osteologically there are also deep furrows in the dorsal surface of the skull of large adults; alveolar ridge on the triturating surfaces and underlying bone of the upper jaw very prominent, forming a complex with the equally prominent lingual ridge (Fig. 4). This complex corresponds with prominent ridges and cavities in the lower jaw to form shearing surfaces; lingual ridge of maxilla expanded such that, in older specimens, it obscures the foramen praepalatinum in ventral view.

Anterior carapace blunt, with the first and second marginal scutes approximately equal in their anterior extent in large individuals (Fig. 5); carapace with serrated margin, most prominent in juveniles where serrations begin at the posterior edge of marginal 1 (Fig. 5); serrated margin persists into early adulthood; cervical scute absent (Fig. 5), except as a rare variant; anterior plastron broad, not oval in outline; posterior bridge strut articulates with the carapace posterior to the midline of pleural 5 or on the junction of pleurals 5 and 6, rarely on pleural 6 alone.

Distribution. — The major drainage basins of the Fitzroy, Burnett, and Mary rivers of southeast Queensland, Australia (Fig. 3), with records also from the minor Raglan, Kolan, and Gregory-Burrum drainages. Occurs in sympatry with Elseya latisternum, Chelodina longicollis, C. expansa, and Emydura macquarii krefftii in all three drainages that comprise its range; also with Elusor macrurus in the Mary River and Rheodytes leukops in the Fitzroy drainage.

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