Anton August Heinrich Lichtenstein’s (1794) Catalogus Rerum Naturalium Rarissimarum, pars secunda. Facsimile edition and annotated translation
Author
Geiger, Daniel L.
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-04-14
5127
1
1
126
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5127.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5127.1.1
1175-5326
6460645
215155F7-C692-4AAC-ADC8-2665BC18C27D
Conus nobilis
var.
vincoomnes
Lichtenstein, 1794
Conus nobilis
Linnaeus, 1758
, is a well-known species from the Indian Ocean. The description of
C. nobilis vincoomnes
Lichtenstein, 1794
, fits exactly
C. nobilis victor
Broderip, 1842
(e.g.,
Abbott & Dance, 1983: 247
;
Röckel
et al
. 1995
: pl. 36, fig. 8), characterized by the two areas with multiple bands consisting of tightly spaced dark brown markings. Both,
Lichtenstein (1794)
and
Broderip (1842)
compare their species to
C. nobilis
and
C. ammiralis
, further strengthening the identity of the two specific names, although no dimensions were given by Lichtenstein. Lichtenstein noted that this species is extremely rare with the three exclamation marks;
C. nobilis victor
is still today a rare shell from
Indonesia
. The name
vincoomnes
had never been used in the literature, hence, was designated by
Geiger (2003)
a
nomen oblitum
, and
C. nobilis victor
is a
nomen protectum
. The subspecies is currently accepted as valid in WoRMS.
Note the similarity in the species names (
victor
= the winner;
vincoomnes
= I win all), which may prompt some speculation as to the origin of Broderip’s material.
Broderip (1842)
had
two specimens
at hand, one from H. Cuming, the other from the Reverend A. Harford, whereas Lichtenstein based his description on a single specimen. The two Broderip specimens had equal standing as
syntypes
.
Finet & Caillez (1993)
inadvertently designated a
lectotype
by labelling the specimen shown in their fig. 5 as “
Holotype
BMNH 1992085”; the wherabouts of the second specimen is not known. The name given by
Broderip (1842)
may also be seen in the context of naming a small, rare, and finely patterned species akin to
C. cedonulli
Linnaeus, 1758
. The latter species epithet signifies “I cede to none” or, as
Dance (1966)
phrased it, “second to none”. Accordingly,
C. victor
and
C. vincoomnes
could have been named independently in that tradition, though there is no indication to such an intent in either of the original descriptions.