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Identity of the lectotype of the East Asian flatfish Pleuronichthys cornutus (Temminck and Schlegel 1846) and reinstatement of Pleuronichthys lighti Wu 1929

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Abstract

The taxonomy of two species of Pleuronichthys from East Asia was re-examined on the basis of scale characteristics. The lectotype of Pleuronichthys cornutus (Temminck and Schlegel 1846) was shown to be conspecific with Pleuronichthys japonicus Suzuki, Kawashima and Nakabo 2009, being characterized by oval scales, a greater exposed scale area and lower scale counts than a second species, formerly recognized as P. cornutus, but to which Pleuronichthys lighti Wu 1929, formerly considered a junior synonym of P. cornutus, should now be applied. Accordingly, P. japonicus is now considered a junior synonym of P. cornutus.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Drs. Hiromitsu Endo (BSKU), Koichi Hoshino (SNFR), and Yoichi Sato (TKPM) for the loan of museum specimens of Pleuronichthys species. Dr. Endo also assisted in examining specimens from HUMZ, and provided some indispensable literature and information on the lectotype series of P. cornutus. Curators of Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands, and the Kyoto University Museum, Japan, gave assistance in examining specimens in their care. Dr. Tianxiang Gao, Ocean University of China, provided some literature and Dr. Kunio Sasaki (BSKU) gave valuable advice on the composition of this paper. We also thank Dr. Graham S. Hardy, Ngunguru, New Zealand, for checking the manuscript.

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Author notes

  1. Gota Ogihara

    Present address: , 2-11-2-405 Oyama, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0205, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 13-5 Higashihama, Tadotsu-cho, Nakatado-gun, Kagawa, 764-0016, Japan

    Kōji Yokogawa

  2. The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University (The Kagoshima University Museum), 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan

    Gota Ogihara

  3. 65-10 Yakami-Kitabun, Aizumi-cho, Itano-gun, Tokushima, 771-1252, Japan

    Ken-ichi Watanabe

Authors
  1. Kōji Yokogawa
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  2. Gota Ogihara
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Correspondence to Kōji Yokogawa.

Additional information

This article was registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank) as 7FA80FDB-EA3B-4BF2-9D06-8871C04C4FF3.

This article was published as an Online First article on the online publication date shown on this page. The article should be cited by using the doi number.

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Yokogawa, K., Ogihara, G. & Watanabe, Ki. Identity of the lectotype of the East Asian flatfish Pleuronichthys cornutus (Temminck and Schlegel 1846) and reinstatement of Pleuronichthys lighti Wu 1929. Ichthyol Res 61, 385–392 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-014-0405-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10228-014-0405-z

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