Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793

Low, Martyn E. Y. & Ng, Peter K. L., 2012, The identities of Cancer arenarius Toreen, in Osbeck, 1765, Cancer arenarius Zimmermann, in Cavolini, 1792, Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793, and Cancer (Gammarellus) arenarius Herbst, 1793, and other names associated with the genus Ocypode Weber, 1795 (Crustacea: Amphipoda, Decapoda,, Zootaxa 3398, pp. 40-57 : 47-48

Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 , a preoccupied objective synonym of Squilla maculata Fabricius, 1793 ( Stomatopoda : Squillidae )

Herbst (1793a: 96) described “44. Die Sandsquille. Cancer (Mantis) arenarius ” and indicated that this taxon was identical to that figured in Rumphius (1705: pl. 3: figs. C, E) and described in Linnaeus (1754: 86). Rumphius (1705: 4–6) and Linnaeus (1754: 86) both used the name “ arenarius ” but both works are pre-Linnaean and unavailable (Article 3, ICZN 1999: 4). By using the name “ arenarius ”, Herbst (1793a: 96) made this name available. Linnaeus (1758: 633) also cited both Rumphius (1705: pl. 3: figs. C, E) and Linnaeus (1754: 86) in his description of Squilla mantis , which is the well-known name for a Mediterranean species (see Holthuis 1969: 221, 222).

Holthuis (1967, 1969) realised that while the name Squilla mantis ( Linnaeus, 1758) was in use for the Mediterranean species, the figure of Rumphius (1705) was that of the Indo-West Pacific, Squilla maculata Fabricius, 1793 (now Lysiosquillina maculata , see Ahyong 2001: 137). Furthermore, as noted by Holthuis (1969: 221, 222), Linnaeus’ (1758: 633) description of Squilla mantis would “fit practically any stomatopod”. To prevent “a chaotic situation”, Holthuis (1969: 222) designated a specimen from the Mediterranean as the neotype of Squilla mantis ( Linnaeus, 1758) to fix the name of the European species.

Holthuis (1967: 18) also designated the specimen figured by Rumphius (1705: pl. 3: figs. C, E) as the simultaneous lectotype of Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 , and Squilla maculata Fabricius, 1793 . This simultaneous lectotype designation makes Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 , and Squilla maculata Fabricius, 1793 , objective synonyms. However, Holthuis (1967: 18) did not comment on the relative priority of the names (both published in 1793), nor did he take First Reviser action (Article 24.2, ICZN 1999: 30).

However, Stebbing (1902: 46, 47) discussed that: “ Herbst [1793a: 96] adduces Cancer arenarius , etc., from ‘Linn. Mus. Adolph. Frid., p. 86 [i.e. Linnaeus 1754],’ a work of 1754. Linnaeus himself in 1758 [p. 633] gives the same reference for Cancer mantis , followed by a reference to ‘Rumph. Mus. t. 3, f. E., C. arenarius [i.e. Rumphius 1705: pl. 3, fig. E].’ Since this habitat includes the Asiatic, Indian, and Mediterranean Seas, the Linnean species may be taken to cover Squilla mantis as well as Lysiosquilla maculata . The specific name which Herbst [1793a: 96] adopts with proper respect to his Dutch [i.e. Rumphius 1705] predecessor has generally been set aside as of later date than that given by Fabricius [1793], but, so far as can be known, they are contemporary, for although Herbst’s second volume is dated 1796, the parts of it in which Cancer (Mantis) arenarius was published belonged to 1793. In the conflict of claims the Fabrician name maybe allowed a prescriptive preference”.

The principle of First Reviser (Article 24.2, ICZN 1999: 30) states that “[w]hen the precedence between names or nomenclatural acts cannot be objectively determined, the precedence is fixed by the action of the first author citing in a published work those names or acts and selecting from them […]”, an action that was effectively carried out by Stebbing (1902: 47). The First Reviser action of Stebbing (1902: 47), is however, unnecessary as the name Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 , is a junior primary homonym of Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765 (Articles 53.3, 57.1, 57.2, 57.4 of the Code).

The type material of Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 , is not extant (see Sakai 1999). The specimen figured by Rumphius (1705: pl. 3, figs. C, E) which is the simultaneous lectotype of Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 , and Squilla maculata Fabricius, 1793 , is also lost (see Holthuis 1967: 18). Ahyong (2001: 139) designated a male specimen from Manado (Australian Museum, Sydney, AM P58558) as the neotype of Lysiosquillina maculata ( Fabricius, 1793) . This specimen (AM P58558) is herein designated as the simultaneous neotype of Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 . This action fixes the objective synonymy (and identities) of Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793 , and Squilla maculata Fabricius, 1793 , with the latter being the available (and valid) name. The valid name for the species figured by Rumphius (1705: pl. 3, figs. C, E) remains as Lysiosquillina maculata ( Fabricius, 1793) .