On authorship of Chilean anemone ‘Bunodactis hermafroditica’ (Cnidaria: Actiniaria) and its generic assignment

2009·0.04 MB·

by  N. Sanamyan

ZOOSYSTEMATICA ROSSICA, 18(2): 320–322 25 DECEMBER 2009
On authorship of Chilean anemone ‘Bunodactis hermafroditica’
(Cnidaria: Actiniaria) and its generic assignment
N. SANAMYAN, K. SANAMYAN & D. SCHORIES
N. Sanamyan & K. Sanamyan, Kamchatka Branch of the Pacific Institute of Geography, Far-Eastern Branch of
the Russian Academy of Sciences, Partizanskaya Str. 6, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky 683000, Russia.
E-mail: [email protected]
D. Schories, Instituto de Biología Marina, Universidad Austral de Chile, Casilla 567, Valdivia, Chile.
E-mail: [email protected]
Authorship of the species currently known as ‘Bunodactis hermaphroditica’ should be attribut-
ed to Carlgren (1959) but not to McMurrich (1904) as commonly maintained. The species be-
longs to the genus Gyractis and should be cited as Gyractis hermafroditica (Carlgren, 1959).
Key words: sea anemone, South America, Pacific, nomenclature, taxonomy, Cnidaria, Acti-
naria, Gyractis hermafroditica, authorship
INTRODUCTION Bunodactis hermaphroditica: Yanagi & Daly,
2004: 419 (discussion).
Two small sea anemones from Chile, An-
The brief history of description and ap-
thopleura hermaphroditica (Carlgren, 1899)
plying different names to this species and
and a species commonly named ‘Bunodactis
related Anthopleura hermaphroditica is as
hermaphroditica’ have been discussed in re-
follows.
cent literature (Yanage & Daly, 2004; Scho-
1. Carlgren (1899: 23) described Bunodes
ries et al., submitted). The first species, A.
hermaphroditicus from “Chile, Talcahuano”.
hermaphroditica, is ecologically important
2. McMurrich (1904: 287) described
species inhabiting intertidal mudflats where
the specimens from Chile he thought be
it can attain an average abundance of 11000
identical with Carlgren’s species: “I have
specimens per square meter and where it al-
identified these specimens with Carlgren’s
most completely displaces other intertidal
Bunodes hermaphroditicus (1899) from Tal-
benthos (Schories et al., submitted). The
cahuano on account on their marked simi-
second species, ‘Bunodactis hermaphroditi-
larity in every particular except the number
ca’, is often mentioned in the literature as
of perfect mesenteries”. He placed the spe-
a very similar species often found together
cies to the genus Cribrina and referred it as
with Anthopleura hermaphroditica. The au-
Cribrina hermaphroditica (Carlgren, 1899).
thorship of ‘Bunodactis hermaphroditica’ is
3. Carlgren (1927) briefly discussed
commonly ascribed to McMurrich (1904)
differences between his specimens and the
(see Carlgren, 1959; Yanagi & Daly, 2004),
specimens described by McMurrich (1904)
however, as is shown in the present paper,
and explained these differences partly by
this attribution is erroneous and the taxon
different size of the specimens, and partly
should be ascribed to Carlgren (1959).
by probably incorrect data reported by Mc-
Murrich. Carlgren (1927) had no doubt
DISCUSSION about conspecificity of his and McMurrich
specimens. He found acrorhagi (“real mar-
Gyractis hermafroditica (Carlgren, 1959)
ginal spherules, not pseudo-marginal spher-
ules”) in his specimens and transferred the
Cribrina hermaphroditica (misid.) McMurrich,
1904: 287. species to the genus Anthopleura listed as A.
Bunodactis hermafroditica Carlgren, 1959: 23. hermaphroditica (Carlgren).
© 2009 Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Scienсes
N. SANAMYAN ET AL. ON AUTHORSHIP OF BUNODACTIS HERMAFRODITICA 321
4. Carlgren (1959), after examining nu- standing of the genus. Dunn et al. (1980)
merous specimens from Chile, come to a synonymized Bunodactis with Aulactinia
conclusion that the specimens described by Verrill, 1864. Then, England (1987: 255)
him in 1899 and the specimens described by transferred all species having prominent
McMurrich (1904) belong to different spe- marginal spherules from Aulactinia to Gy-
cies. He briefly described two species, for ractis Boveri, 1893. According to England
his species he used the name Anthopleura (1992), the type species of Bunodactis, B.
hermafroditica (Carlgren) and for the spe- verrucosa (Pennant, 1777), should be as-
cies described by McMurrich Bunodactis signed to Gyractis for it has marginal spher-
hermafroditica (McMurrich); spelling with ules according to existing descriptions of
f instead of ph keeps the name identical ac- the species.
cording to Art. 58 of the International Code
of Zoological Nomenclature (International ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Commission on Zoological Nomenclature,
1999) (the Code). We appreciate valuable comments of two re-
viewers on the first variant of the manuscript.
Yanagi & Daly (2004) discussed the tax-
onomy and nomenclature of both species in
details. To achieve the status and author- REFERENCES
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© 2009 Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Scienсes, Zoosystematica Rossica 18(2): 320–322
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Schories, D., Reise, K., Sanamyan, K., Sana-
myan, N., Clasing, E. & Reise, A. Submit- Received 27 October 2009 / Accepted 6 December 2009.
© 2009 Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Scienсes, Zoosystematica Rossica 18(2): 320–322