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Article Reference Algal Taxonomy: a road to nowhere?
The widespread view of taxonomy as an essentially retrogressive and outmoded science unable to cope with the current biodiversity crisis stimulated us to analyze the current status of cataloguing global algal diversity. Contrary to this largely pessimistic belief, species description rates of algae through time and trends in the number of active taxonomists, as revealed by the web resource AlgaeBase, show a much more positive picture. More species than ever before are being described by a large community of algal taxonomists. The lack of any decline in the rate at which new species and genera are described, however, is indicative of the large proportion of undiscovered diversity and bears heavily on any prediction of global algal species diversity and the time needed to catalogue it. The saturation of accumulation curves of higher taxa (family, order, and classes) on the other hand suggest that at these taxonomic levels most diversity has been discovered. This reasonably positive picture does not imply that algal taxonomy does not face serious challenges in the near future. The observed levels of cryptic diversity in algae, combined with the shift in methods used to characterize them, have resulted in a rampant uncertainty about the status of many older species. As a consequence, there is a tendency in phycology to move gradually away from traditional names to a more informal system whereby clade-, specimen- or strain-based identifiers are used to communicate biological information. Whether these informal names for species-level clades represent a temporary situation stimulated by the lag between species discovery and formal description, or an incipient alternative or parallel taxonomy, will be largely determined by how well we manage to integrate historical collections into modern taxonomic research. Additionally, there is a pressing need for a consensus about the organizational framework to manage the information about algal species names. An eventual strategy should preferably come out of an international working group that includes the various databases as well as the various phycological societies. In this strategy, phycologists should link up to major international initiatives that are currently being developed, such as the compulsory registration of taxonomic and nomenclatural acts and the introduction of Life Science Identifiers.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference no Name, No Game
No abstract
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference First record of the Apodid Sea Cucumber Anapta gracilis Semper, 1868 (Holothuroidea: Synaptidae) in the Gulf of Thailand.
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Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Using Sea cucumbers to illustrate the basics of zoological nomenclature
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference New Holothuria species from Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuriidae), with comments on the origin of deep and cool holothuriids.
Two aspidochirotid species, new to science, from the continental slope of southern Australia are described: Holothuria (Panningothuria) austrinabassa O’Loughlin sp. nov. and Holothuria (Halodeima) nigralutea O’Loughlin sp. nov. The first represents the southernmost documented holothuriid, and is the sister species of the northernmost holothuriid species Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali Delle Chiaje. The second is a very recent offshoot of the wide-ranging Indo- west Pacific Holothuria (Halodeima) edulis Lesson. Morphological and molecular genetic differences between these species pairs are detailed. Holothuria (Halodeima) signata Ludwig is raised out of synonymy with H. edulis.A lectotype for Holothuria (Halodeima) signata Ludwig is designated, The status of the subgenera Panningothuria Rowe and Halodeima Pearson is discussed. The occurrence of multiple madreporites in Halodeima is discussed.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inproceedings Reference One Year of Taxonomic Capacity Building by the Belgian Focal Point to the GTI
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Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Taxonomy of the heavily exploited Indo-Pacific sandfish complex (Echinodermata: Holothuriidae)
Two commercially valuable holothurians, the sandfish and golden sandfish, vary in colour and have a confused taxonomy, lending uncertainty to species identifications. A recent molecular study showed that the putative variety Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra var. versicolor Conand, 1986 (‘golden sandfish’) is a distinct species from, but could hybridize with, H. (Metriatyla) scabra Jaeger, 1833 (’sandfish’). Examination of the skeletal elements and external morphology of these species corroborates these findings. The identity of H. (M.) scabra is unambiguously defined through the erection and description of a neotype, and several synonyms have been critically re-examined. The nomenclaturally rejected taxon H. (Metriatyla) timama Lesson, 1830 and H. (M.) scabra var. versicolor (a nomen nudum) are herein recognized as conspecific and are allocated to a new species, Holothuria lessoni sp. nov., for which type specimens are described. The holotype and only known specimen of H. aculeata Semper, 1867, has been found and is redescribed. It is considered to be a valid species. Taxonomic clarification of this heavily exploited species complex should aid its conservation and permit species-specific management of their fisheries.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference The Lanternfly genus Pyrops in Vietnam: A new species from Central Vietnam, taxonomic changes, checklist, identification key (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae)
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022 OA
Article Reference A new species of Actinopyga (Holothuroidea: Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae)
Actinopyga is one of the five genera commonly recognised in the family Holothuriidae. This small genus has sixteen species currently considered valid. The present paper describes a new Indo-West Pacific species, Actinopyga caerulea, of which the most striking character is its bluish coloration. The ossicle assemblage of the new species resembles mostly that of A. bannwarthi Panning, 1944 and A. flammea Cherbonnier, 1979.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Sea Cucumbers of the Comoros Archipelago
Sea cucumbers have been harvested for centuries in the Far East. Overexploitation, coupled with increasing demand has led to local depletion of certain standing stocks. De novo investigation at Grande Comore (one of the four main islands of the Comoros Archipelago) allows reappraisal of local holothuroid biodi- versity. Comparison with neighbouring areas allows extrapolation of holothuroid species richness to the rest of the archipelago. The current exploitation of holothuroids has been documented and there are definite signs of overexploitation. Conservation measures are urgently needed if exploitation of sea cucumbers in this area is to become sustainable in the near future.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications