Gymnodiptychus integrigymnatus Mo

Yang, Jian, Chen, Xiaoyong & Yang, Junxing, 2008, Clarification of the nomenclatural status of Gymnodiptychus integrigymnatus (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae), Zootaxa 1897, pp. 67-68 : 67-68

Gymnodiptychus integrigymnatus Mo , in Chu & Chen, 1989

Cao et al. (1981: 125) were the first to use the name Gymnodiptychus integrigymnatus . They wrote “ G. integrigymnatus feeds mainly on fishes” and mentioned in a footnote that “…this information was provided by Mr. Huang Shunyou”. In the following sentence they stated, that “ Gymnodiptychus species obviously differ from Diptychus species in having reduced scales, especially in G. integrigymnatus , where the scales on the humeral region and lateral line are reduced.” These words do not diagnose the new species from its congeners and thus cannot be treated as a statement of characters purported to differentiate the taxon. Because of the lack of a diagnosis for G. integrigymnatus in Cao et al. (1981), the conditions for availability in this work do not satisfy those specified in Articles 13.1.1 and 13.1.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999). The name G. integrigymnatus Cao, Chen, Wu and Zhu, 1981 should therefore be treated as a nomen nudum.

While Mo (1989: 319–321, fig. 298 and 299) provided the first complete description of G. integrigymnatus , the authorship of the name was given as Huang in Cao et al. (1981). Mo (1989) listed 12 specimens (deposited in Kunming Institute of Zoology ( KIZ)), collected from the vicinity of Ruidian Town and Mingguang Town, Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, as material examined.

In their account of G. integrigymnatus, Wu & Wu (1992: 434–435, fig. 118) cite as sources “…the draft of the Schizothoracinae fishes of Yunnan” (type localities: Ruidian Town and Mingguang Town, Tengchong County, Yunnan Province) by Huang in 1980 and Mo (1989), attributing authorship of the name to Huang in the unpublished draft.

Huang in Chen & Huang (1998: 231–233, fig. 162) described G. integrigymnatus as a new species, stating in a footnote that “…this is the first formal description of the species since it was cited by Cao et al. (1981) ”. The second reference Chen & Huang (1998) cited was Mo (1989). Chen & Cao (2000: 348–349, fig. 215) subsequently gave the authorship of G. integrigymnatus as Huang (1998).

Mo (1989) attributed the authorship of G. integrigymnatus to Huang in Cao et al. (1981). According to Article 13.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( ICZN, 1999), the name G. integrigymnatus Mo , in Chu & Chen, 1989, is available and should be regarded as the first formal description of this taxon. Following Article 21.1 and Article 50.1 of the Code, the publication date of 1989 and the authorship of Mo should be adopted for G. integrigymnatus .

According to Article 72.1 of the Code ( ICZN, 1999), the 12 specimens examined by Mo (1989) and deposited in KIZ should be treated as syntypes. Some of these specimens are also listed as types by Huang in Chen & Huang (1998) in his description of G. integrigymnatus (the material from Mingguang Town, Tengchong County, Yunnan listed in Mo, 1989, is not mentioned by Huang in Chen & Huang, 1998). The indication in Chen & Huang (1998) that G. integrigymnatus was being described for the first time is therefore incorrect.

We examined the specimens of G. integrigymnatus deposited in KIZ. There are a total of 39 specimens collected before 1980, of which 27 are from Ruidian Town, Tengchong, Yunnan (23 specimens collected in February 1978 and 4 specimens collected in April 1976) and 12 are from Minguang Town, Tengchong, Yunnan (in April 1976). The standard lengths (SL) range from 27.8 to 107.3 mm. Of these 39 specimens, 13 are measured 73.0–110.0 mm SL and 89.0–133.0 mm TL respectively, which corresponds to Mo (1989). The number of specimens listed by Mo (1989) should be 13, not 12 (a counting error made by Mo, 1989). According to Articles 72.1 and 73.2 of the Code ( ICZN, 1999), the 13 specimens examined by Mo (1989) are syntypes. The type series of G. integrigymnatus are as follows: KIZ 764003–006, 4 specimens, 85.6–106.4 mm SL, April 1976, Ruidian Town, Tengchong County, Yunnan; KIZ 764178 1 specimen, 97.7 mm SL, April 1976, Mingguang Town, Tengchong County, Yunnan; KIZ 78020315–321, KIZ 78020323, 8 specimens, 74.8–107.3 mm SL, February 1978, Ruidian Town, Yunnan Province, China.