Taxonomic Status of the Controversial Genera and Species of Parrotfishes with a Descriptive List (Family Scaridae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, Number 17.

摘要

One of the most perplexing problems in parrotfish taxonomy is the identification of species described by early authors; for example, Forskal (1775), Bloch (1786-1791), Ruppell (1828, 1835), and Cuvier and Valenciennes (1839). Most of the earlier descriptions lack details of color pattern and diagnostic anatomical features at the generic and specific levels. In addition, some types still in museums have lost most of their essential characteristics of color pattern or are otherwise so poorly preserved that verification of their identity is rendered doubtful. Certain species illustrated by published color plates are inaccurate and do not show the important details of the species they were intended to represent; nevertheless, the identification of taxonomically important type-species and holotypes should be given careful consideration before they are rejected as unidentifiable. The purposes of this study are: (1) to present information on certain difficult-to-identify species, (2) to correlate Dr. J. L. B. Smith's (1956, 1959) conclusions with those of Schultz (1958) concerning taxonomically controversial genera and species, and (3) to give a descriptive list of genera and species currently recognized.