Abstract
This contribution stabilises the species-level nomenclature of a very common and widespread IndoPacific species of dove snail (Columbellidae). This species has had a confused nomenclature through uncertainty over secondary homonymy. Despite bearing the same epithet, the scientific names Murex scriptus Linnaeus, 1758 and Colombella (sic) scripta Lamarck, 1822 are not, and never have been, secondary homonyms because the species they represent are located in separate genera (and subfamilies) in the Columbellidae (i.e., presently in Mitrella (Pyreninae) and Euplica (Columbellinae), respectively) and the Lamarckian epithet has never been formally or intentionally replaced on the grounds of homonymy. A case of secondary homonymy would only arise in the future if an author considered them congeneric which, given the current trend for greater generic splitting in the family to accommodate monophyletic clades, appears highly unlikely. In order to settle the nomenclature unambiguously and avoid possible future taxonomic difficulties with species related to E. scripta i.e., E. varians (G.B. Sowerby 1, 1822), E. bidentata (Menke, 1843) and E. borealis (Pilsbry, 1904), a specimen from the Philippine Islands is herein selected as neotype for both Columbella scripta and C. versicolor G.B. Sowerby 1, 1832, the most frequently used junior synonym, in the absence of any definite syntypes. In other words, the names Colombella scripta Lamarck and Columbella versicolor G.B. Sowerby 1 are henceforth objective synonyms.References
Adam, W. & Leloup, E. (1938) Résultats scientifiques du voyage aux Indes Orientales Néerlandaises de LL. AA. RR. Le Prince et La Princesse Léopold de Belgique Prosobranchia et Opisthobranchia. Mémoires du Musée Royale d’Histoire Naturelle de Belgique, 2 (19), 1–209, pls 1–8.
Allan, J.K. (1950) Australian shells with related animals living in the sea, in freshwater and on the land. Georgian House, Melbourne, xxi + 487 pp.
Cernohorsky, W.O. (1968) The Ovulidae, Pediculariidae and Triviidae of Fiji (Mollusca: Gastropoda). The Veliger, 10, 353–374, pls 50–52.
Cernohorsky, W.O. (1972) Marine shells of the Pacific volume 2. Pacific Publications, Sydney, 411 pp.
DeMaintenon, M. (1999) Phylogenetic analysis of the Columbellidae (Mollusca: Neogastropoda) and the evolution of herbivory from carnivory. Invertebrate Biology, 118, 258–288.
DeMaintenon (2004) Sexually dimorphic radular morphology in Euplica varians and E. versicolor (Neogastropoda: Columbellidae). Molluscan Research, 24, 179–185.
Deshayes, G.P. & Milne-Edwards, H. (1844) Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres présantant les charactères généraux. …deuxième édition…Tome 10 . J.B. Ballière, Paris. 638 pp.
Dharma, B. (2005) Recent and fossil Indonesian shells. Conchbooks, Hackenheim, 424 pp.
Hedley, C. (1909) The marine fauna of Queensland. Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science Presidential Address. Government Printer, Brisbane, pp. 329–371.
Hedley, C. (1917) A check-list of the marine fauna of New South Wales. Part 1. Supplement to the Journal of the Royal Society of New South Wales, 51, M1–M119.
Higo, S., Callomon, P. & Goto, Y. (1999) Catalogue and bibliography of the marine shell-bearing Mollusca of Japan. Elle Scientific Publications, Osaka, 749 pp.
Hirase, S. (1934) A collection of Japanese shells with illustrations in natural colours. 3rd edition. Matsuma Sanshodo, Tokyo, 16 + 217 pp., 130 pls.
International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1999) International code of zoological nomenclature. Ed. 4. International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature, London, xix + 306 pp.
Iredale, T. (1937) Mollusca. Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, South Pacific Ocean. The Australian Zoologist, 8, 232–261.
Johnson, R.I. (1968) Martini and Chemnitz (Kuester’s edition) Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet, 1837–1920, a complete collation. The Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History, 4, 363–367.
Kay, E.A. (1979) Hawaiian marine shells reef and shore fauna of Hawaii section 4: Mollusca. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu, 653 pp.
Kiener, L.C. (1838) Species général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes. Genre Columbella. J.B. Ballière et fils, Paris, 63 pp., 16 pls. [Dates of publication of this work follow Sherborn & Woodward (1901) and Cernohorsky (1968: 349)]
Kira, T (1962) Shells of the western Pacific in colour. Hoikusha Publishing Company, Osaka, 7 + 224 pp.
Kobelt, W. (1892–1897) Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet von Martini und Chemnitz. Die Familie der Columbelliden. Bauer & Raspe, Nürnberg, 344 pp, 44 pls. [Dates of publication of this work follow Smith & England (1937) and Johnson (1968)]
Kuroda, T., Habe, T. & Oyama, K. (1971) The sea shells of Sagami Bay English and Japanese parts. Biological Laboratory, The Imperial Household, Tokyo, 512 pp., 120 pls (English part).
Lamarck, J.B.P.A. de (1822) Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertèbres présantant les charactères généraux et particuliers de ces animaux, leur distribution, leurs classes, leurs familles, leurs genres, et la citation des principales espèces qui s’y rapportent; précédée d’une introduction. …Vol. 7. “Chez l’auteur, au Jardin du Roi”, Paris, 711 pp.
Linnaeus, C. (1758) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae secundum classes, ordines, genera, species cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Tomus 1. Holmiae, Stockholm, 824 pp.
Okutani, T. (editor) (2000) Marine mollusks in Japan. Tokai University Press, Japan, xlviii + 1173 pp.
Pace, S. (1902) Contributions to the study of the Columbellidae. Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 5, 36–159.
Radwin, G.E. (1977) The family Columbellidae in the western Atlantic (Gastropoda, Prosobranchia). The Veliger, 19, 403–417.
Radwin, G.E. (1978) The family Columbellidae in the western Atlantic, Pt. IIb,óThe Pyreninae (continued). The Veliger, 20, 328–244.
Reeve, L. (1859) Monograph of the genus Columbella. Conchologia Iconica. L. Reeve, London, 37 pls.
Salvat, B. & Rives, C. (1975) Coquillages de Polynésie. Les Editions du Pacifique, Papeete, 391 pp.
Sherborn, C.D. & Woodward, B.B. (1901) Notes on the dates of publication of parts of Kiener’s “Species général et iconographie des coquilles vivantes”. Etc. (1834–80). Proceedings of the Malacological Society of London, 4, 216–219.
Short, J.W. & Potter, D.G. (1987) Shells of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef marine gastropods. Golden Press Pty Ltd, Drummoyne, New South Wales, 135 pp.
Smith, E.A. & England, H.W. (1937) Martini and Chemnitz (Kuester’s edition) Systematisches Conchylien-Cabinet, 1837–1918. The Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History, 1, 889–96.
Sowerby, G.B. (1847) Thesaurus conchyliorum, or monographs of genera of shells. Monograph of the genus Columbella. Self Published, London, pp. 109–146, figs 1–185.
Swennen, C., Moolenbeek, R.G., Ruttanadakul, N., Hobbelink, H., Dekker, H. & Hajisamae, S. (2001) The molluscs of the southern Gulf of Thailand. Thai Studies in Biodiversity, 4, 210 pp.
Taki, I. (1954) An illustrated handbook of shells in natural colours from the Japanese Islands and adjacent territory. Maruzen, Tokyo, 24 + 3 + 134 + 124 p, 134 pls.
Thiele, J. (1929) Handbook of systematic malacology, Part 1 (Loricata; Gastropoda: Prosobranchia). Bhatti, J.S. translator. Bieler, R. & Mikklesen, P.M. editors. Smithsonian Institution Libraries and The National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., 1992, 625 pp.
Tryon, G.W. (1883) Manual of conchology; structural and systematic with illustrations of the species. Vol. 5. Marginellidae, Olividae, Columbellidae. Self Published, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, 276 pp, 63 pls.
Van Gemert, L.J. (2004) A virtual subtropical beach in a garden centre. Spirula, 337, 28–29.
Wells, F.E. & Bryce, C.W. (1986) Seashells of Western Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth, 207 pp.
Willan, R.C. (2001) Description of Pyrene morrisoni sp. nov.: a bulliform dove shell (Mollusca: Columbellidae) from northern Australia. Vita Marina, 47, 185–193.
Willan, R.C. (2005) The molluscan fauna of the emergent reefs of the northernmost Sahul Shelf, Timor Sea Ashmore, Cartier and Hibernaia Reefs; biodiversity and zoogeography. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory 2005, Supplement 1, 51–81.
Wilson, B.R. (1994) Australian marine shells prosobranch gastropods part two (neogastropods). Odyssey Publishing, Kollaroo, Western Australia, 370 pp.
Wilson, B.R. (2002) A handbook to Australian seashells on seashores east to west and north to south. Reed New Holland, Sydney, 185 pp.