Kryptolebias, a substitute name for Cryptolebias Costa, 2004 and Kryptolebiatinae, a substitute name for Cryptolebiatinae Costa, 2004 (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)

SCIENTIFIC NOTE

Kryptolebias, a substitute name for Cryptolebias Costa, 2004 and Kryptolebiatinae, a substitute name for Cryptolebiatinae Costa, 2004 (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)

Wilson J. E. M. Costa

Laboratório de Ictiologia Geral e Aplicada, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68049, 21944-970 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. e-mail: [e-mail]

ABSTRACT

Kryptolebias, new name, is proposed to replace Cryptolebias Costa, 2004, preoccupied by Cryptolebias Gaudant, 1978, a monotypic genus of European fossil fish. As a consequence, Kryptolebiatinae is erected, substituting Cryptolebiatinae Costa.

Key words: Zoological nomenclature, systematics, taxonomy.

RESUMO

Kryptolebias, nome novo, é proposto em substituição à Cryptolebias Costa, 2004, preocupado por Cryptolebias Gaudant, 1978, um gênero monotípico de peixe fossil europeu. Em consequência, Kryptolebiatinae é proposto, em substituição à Cryptolebiatinae Costa.

Cryptolebias Costa, 2004 was recently erected to include an assemblage of species previously placed in Rivulus Poey, 1960. This assemblage was hypothesized to be the sister group of the clade including all other rivulids, receiving subfamily status, and consequently Cryptolebias was formally designated as the type-genus of the Cryptolebiatinae (Costa, 2004). However, Cryptolebias is preoccupied. The name was first published for a monotypic genus of fossil cyprinodontoid fish from Europe by Gaudant (1978).

Herein, it is proposed the name Kryptolebias as a substitute generic name for Cryptolebias Costa, 2004, with Fundulus brasiliensis Valenciennes, 1821 as the type-species. Consequentely, it is proposed the new subfamily name Kryptolebiatinae for the family level taxon containing Kryptolebias, as the type-genus.

Included species. Kryptolebias brasiliensis (Valenciennes), K. campelloi (Costa), K. caudomarginatus (Seegers), K. ocellatus (Hensel). Species often considered synonyms of K. ocellatus, but possibly valid, are also herein included: K. bonairensis (Hoedeman), K. garciai (De la Cruz & Dubitsky), K. heyei (Nichols), K. marmoratus (Poey).

Etymology. From the Greek, kryptós (hidden), and lebias, a nominal cyprinodontid genus often used to compose generic names of cyprinodontiform families; referring to the fact that all species of the new genus had their generic identity not correctly evaluated for more than 100 years, being hidden among the numerous species of the diverse and widespread genus Rivulus. Gender masculine.

Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Jean Huber for calling my attention to the preoccupied generic name and for all suggestions provided. This study was supported by CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - Ministério de Ciência e Tecnologia) and FAPERJ (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro).

Literature cited

Received July 2004

Accepted July 2004

• Costa, W. J. E. M. 2004. Relationships and redescription of Fundulus brasiliensis (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae), with description of a new genus and notes on the classification of the Aplocheiloidei. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, 15: 105-120.
• Gaudant, J. 1978. L'ichthyofaune des marnes messiniennes des environs de Senigallia (Marche, Italie): signification paleoecologique et peleogeographique. Geobios, 11: 913-919.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  02 Jan 2008
• Date of issue
  June 2004

History

• Received
  July 2004
• Accepted
  July 2004