Re: Ercolania fuscovittata or Stiliger fuscovittatus ?

March 4, 2006
From: Kathe R. Jensen

Concerning message #15996:

Dear Bill, Cynthia and others,
Immediately after I answered the message about "Ercolania fuscovittata" in Florida, I was contacted by Jim Lance, and I admitted that I had just copied Kerry's generic placement without thinking. I never saw the species during the time I was in Florida, and of course, checking Jim's original description, the teeth are not sabot-shaped, and hence the species does not belong in Ercolania.

I am not sure that I agree with Cynthia about not transferring a species unless there is a published paper doing the formal transfer. Henning Lemche described Stiliger niger around 1936 (when Ercolania was still considered a junior synonym). This species clearly has sabot-shaped teeth, and I have been publishing on its biology as Ercolania nigra. However, various databases and checklists still insist on calling it Stiliger niger. If somebody can tell me where I can publish a paper just transferring one species from one genus to another without contributing any new scientific data, I will be happy to do so. But I really think it would be a waste of time. Lemche's original drawing of the radular teeth clearly shows that they are sabot-shaped, so it should be obvious that it is an Ercolania.

Best wishes,
Kathe

krjensen@snm.ku.dk

Jensen, K.R., 2006 (Mar 4) Re: Ercolania fuscovittata or Stiliger fuscovittatus ?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16016

Thanks Kathe,
And before anyone asks the change from niger to nigra is a "grammar thing", Ercolania being feminine and Stiliger masculine. As Kathe ironically comments "how appropriate for hermaphroditic animals!".
Best wishes,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Mar 4). Comment on Re: Ercolania fuscovittata or Stiliger fuscovittatus ? by Kathe R. Jensen. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16016

Factsheet

Stiliger fuscovittatus

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