Type locality from holotype Melanotaenia wilsoni, Sandy Creek, Reynolds River system, Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory. Native to tropical northern Australia, south of Darwin in the Northern Territory and the known range is highly restricted, extent of occurrence is 26 km2, and recorded in three small streams draining west off the Tabletop Range, namely Burton Creek (Finniss River system) and Tolmer and Sandy creeks (Reynolds River system). Very low in abundance with adults being found scattered along stream margins and sometimes concentrated in small permanent side pools, and the juveniles in seasonally flooded areas (Ref. 121823).