Hi!
I'd like to get some input on a nomenclatural issue. Together with
Arne Nygren I'm currently preparing a revision of Nereimyra
(Hesionidae). The type species is Nereis rosea Fabricius, 1780,
usually regarded as a junior synonym of Nereis aphroditoides, also
Fabricius, 1780. Now when I look at the original descriptions there
is absolutely nothing that indicate that any one of these should be
close to what we today call Nereimyra (indeed there are some
statements by Fabricius that seem to contradict it). Further, his
descriptions of N. aphroditoides and N. rosea do not seem to indicate
that the two are conspecific. I then have several options:
1) Interpret Fabricius as have been done by most authors and select a
neotype that agees with todays Nereimyra aphroditoides and a separate
but conspecific one for Nereis rosea. This is then likely to
represent a misidentification of Fabricius, but would make the naming
issue easier and in agreement with previous usage.
2) Same as 1) but select the same neotype for N. aphroditoides and N.
rosea. These then become objective synonyms.
3) Conclude that Fabricius names are nomina dubia and select the
earliest unequivocal name for the group; this may be Halimede Rathke,
1843 with the type species Halimed venusta Rathke, 1843.
4) Conclude that Fabricius names are nomina dubia and apply to ICZN
to change the type species for Nereimyra.
I would tend towards option 2), it is the cleanest one and it agrees
with historical interpretations (except the original and maybe very
early ones). However, I don't think the neotype would agree with what
Fabricius called either aphroditoides or rosea. On the other hand, I
don't really care what Fabricius had in front of him (blasphemy?),
I'm interested to have one name for one taxon, and that this name
don't change (at least when the taxon doesn't).
There are even more options, but I believe these are the reasonable
ones.
Input is welcome!
Best wishes/Fredrik
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Fredrik Pleijel
Tjärnö Marine Biological Laboratory
Department of Marine Ecology
Göteborg University
SE-452 96 Strömstad
Sweden
tel +46 526 686 79
mobile +46 70 365 21 21
fax +46 526 686 07
fredrik.pleijel at tmbl.gu.se
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