"On the status of some nominal species described by Sarah Lee Bowdich in the account ""Excursions in Madeira and Porto Santo during the autumn of 1823"""

Abstract

The status of seven nominal species of fishes described by Bowdich in 1825 during a famous trip to Madeira and Cape Verde Islands is determined. Three nominal species have been discovered to represent senior synonym of well-established taxa. They are: Dentex diplodon, Dentex unispinosus, and Tetraodon laevissimus. The Zoological Code of Nomenclature allows to maintain prevailing usage of the junior synonym by applying reversal of precedence. Therefore, a statement declaring the three Bowdich s nominal species as nomina oblita is included. The corresponding younger valid names, Pomadasys perotaei (Cuvier, 1830), Lethrinus atlanticus Valenciennes, 1830, and Sphoeroides marmoratus (Lowe, 1838) respectively, are here qualified as nomina protecta.