Lophyrus spinosus C. Duméril & A. Duméril, 1851, a case of mistaken identity

Abstract

Lophyrus spinosus Duméril & Duméril, 1851 has been considered synonymous with Bronchocela marmorata Gray, 1845 since its original description. The name-bearing type of Lophyrus spinosus is the specimen collected by Hombron and Jacquinot (MNHN 6896) by original designation and the holotype by monotypy of Bronchocela marmorata is the specimen deposited under NHMUK 1946.8.11.16. Accordingly, these two scientific names do not share name-bearing types. Prior to the original descriptions of Lophyrus spinosus and Bronchocela marmorata Hombron & Jacquinot (1843) published a plate depicting Lophyrus spinosus, but only naming the species in French. The nomenclatural implications of this publication are discussed. Our comparison of the holotypes reveals that these two species are not identical. Therefore we resurrect Lophyrus spinosus from its synonymy with Bronchocela marmorata and show that the specimen collected by Hombron and Jacquinot actually belongs to the genus Hypsilurus. Duméril and Duméril (1851) were the first to make the name Lophyrus (= Hypsilurus) spinosus available and the authorship has to be assigned to them. Based on evidence from original travel reports and biogeography we propose that the collection locality of Lophyrus spinosus, i.e. Hypsilurus spinosus Duméril & Duméril (1851), should be corrected to Triton Bay, Kaimana, West Papua, Indonesia.