Re: Nembrotha kubaryana or Nembrotha nigerrima?

February 29, 2008
From: Bill Rudman

Concerning message #21404:

In the course of preparing a new Fact Sheet for N. nigerimma I was reading Pola, Cervera & Gosliner (2008) on synonymising Nembrotha kubaryana and N. nigerrima and was puzzled by their argument that Yonow had no grounds for discarding N. nigerrima as the senior synonym. My understanding was that as both names were published simultaneously. neither was senior to the other. On reflection I think we should continue to use N. kubaryana.

Firstly we all agree that both names refer to the same species, and we all agree that Nathalie Yonow (1991) formally synonymised the two names (if very briefly) and in her act of synonymy gave priority to N. kubaryana. Usually deciding which of two names has priority is simple because under the International Rules the earliest available name has precedence. However in this case both names were in the same publication, N. nigerrima on pages 451-454 and N. kubaryana on page 454. Although Bergh's description of N. kubaryana was poor, he certainly differentiated it from N. nigerrima. So which name has seniority? Under Article 24 of the International Code [see ICZN website for online copy] in cases where names 'are published on the same date in the same or different works, the precedence of the names or acts is fixed by the First Reviser'. In this case Yonow (1991) is the 'first reviser' and she decided to use N. kubaryana. I don't think we have any grounds under the International Rules to reject that decision.

O'Donoghue's earlier decision (1924) to designate N. nigerrima as the type of Nembrotha does not give the name any 'higher' or 'protected' status over N. kubaryana. He certainly was not making a decision about the status of the two species names. Junior synonyms often end up as types of genera but that doesn't matter as long as we are able to identify them.

I would be interested to know what others think of this matter? Am I missing something?  Please don't leave me with a deafening silence.

  • O'Donoghue, C. H. (1924) Report on Opisthobranchiata from the Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia, with description of a new parasitic copepod. Journal of the Linnean Society, London 35: 521-579, Pls.27-30.
  • Pola, M., Cervera, J.L. and Gosliner, T.M. 2008. Revision of the Indo-Pacific genus Nembrotha (Nudibranchia: Dorididae: Polyceridae), with description of two new species. Scientia Marina 72(1): 145-183.
  • Yonow, N. & Hayward, P.J. (1991) Opisthobranches de l'Ile Maurice, avec la description de deux especes nouvelles (Mollusca: Opisthobranchia). Revue francaise d'aquariologie, 18(1): 1-30, Figs 1-13.

Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2008 (Feb 29) Re: Nembrotha kubaryana or Nembrotha nigerrima?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/21407

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Nembrotha kubaryana

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