nomenclatural acts in on-line catalogues
Martin Villet
- Do appearances in on-line databases and catalogs qualify as 'publication' in terms of the various Codes?
- Does the nature of the nomenclatural act have to be made explicit?
 |
Martin H Villet Dept. of Zoology & Entomology Z&E: t: +27 (0)83 565 5949 Courier: Life Sciences Building | African St | Makhanda | 6139 Mail: PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4335-5667 | Scopus ID: 7004262479 | Thompson ISI ID: B-5811-2011 Scholar.google.co.za/ | www.Researchgate.net/Martin_Villet/ Disclaimer This email and any attachments to it may be confidential and are intended solely for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Rhodes University. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, you must neither take any action based upon its contents, nor copy or show it to anyone. Please contact the sender if you believe you have received this email in error. |
Alain Dubois
Dubois, A. & Frétey, T. (2025). • Problems with the nomenclatural availability and promulgation date of zoological works, nomina and nomenclatural acts published electronically online. Bionomina, 42: 10‒75. <https://doi.org/10.11646/bionomina.42.1.2>.
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Adam Cotton
I recommend that Martin Villet check the online version of the ICZN Code at
https://www.iczn.org/the-code/the-code-online/
and also the electronic publication amendment (published 4 September 2012) available from
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2012/3450.html.
Additional links can also be found at
https://www.iczn.org/the-code/electronic-publication-made-available-with-amendment-to-the-code/
I can confirm that, as Alain stated, any nomenclatural act in zoology published on a website or in an online database is not validly published according to the ICZN Code. I assume the situation is similar for the botanical code.
Adam.
Alain Dubois
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Thomas Pape
I agree with Alain and Adam that information in online databases is not compliant with the ICZN, and the same applies for ICNapf.
Another recommendable resource is this one:
--- Braby, M.F., Hsu, Y.-F. & Lamas, G. (2024) How to describe a new species in zoology and avoid mistakes. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 202(4): zlae043, https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae043
Note here that a proposed synonymy as such does not represent a nomenclatural act.
Synonymy between nominal taxa is a taxonomic opinion and is not *as such* regulated by Code legislation, although changes in synonymy may have effects requiring nomenclatural acts (e.g., new replacement names due to secondary homonymy).
Owners of online databases and other online data sources are free to decide whether they want to display taxonomic decisions, but in general I recommend referring to new synonymies by pointing to their first ‘published’ occurrence in an immutable source (e.g., a PDF/A document).
/Thomas Pape
From: tax...@googlegroups.com <tax...@googlegroups.com>
On Behalf Of Adam Cotton
Sent: 4. august 2026 12:41
To: tax...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [TAXACOM] nomenclatural acts in on-line catalogues
It is a pity that Bionomina is behind a paywall.
I recommend that Martin Villet check the online version of the ICZN Code at
https://www.iczn.org/the-code/the-code-online/
and also the electronic publication amendment (published 4 September 2012) available from
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2012/3450.html.
Additional links can also be found at
https://www.iczn.org/the-code/electronic-publication-made-available-with-amendment-to-the-code/
I can confirm that, as Alain stated, any nomenclatural act in zoology published on a website or in an online database is not validly published according to the ICZN Code. I assume the situation is similar for the botanical code.
Adam.
On 04/08/2026 16:54, Alain Dubois wrote:
Dear Colleagues,
Online databases are not available publications according to the Code. Therefore such "nomenclatural acts" are not available and should be published in Code-compliant publications to obtain a nomenclatural status.
This question was discussed in detail in the following work and several references cited therein:
Dubois, A. & Frétey, T. (2025). • Problems with the nomenclatural availability and promulgation date of zoological works, nomina and nomenclatural acts published electronically online. Bionomina, 42: 10‒75. <https://doi.org/10.11646/bionomina.42.1.2>.
Best wishes,
Alain
____________________________________
____________________________________
Professeur retraité Alain Dubois
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB) - UMR 7205
75005 Paris
France
E-mail: <sap...@gmail.com>
Phone: (33).6.62.52.04.21
____________________________________
“La culture ce n’est pas avoir le cerveau farci de dates, de noms ou de chiffres, c’est la qualité du jugement, l’exigence logique, l’appétit de la preuve, la notion de la complexité des choses et de l’arduité des problèmes. C’est l’habitude du doute, le discernement dans la méfiance, la modestie d’opinion, la patience d’ignorer, la certitude qu’on n’a jamais tout le vrai en partage; c’est avoir l’esprit ferme sans l’avoir rigide, c’est être armé contre le flou et aussi contre la fausse précision, c’est refuser tous les fanatismes et jusqu’à ceux qui s’autorisent de la raison; c’est suspecter les dogmatismes officiels mais sans profit pour les charlatans, c’est révérer le génie mais sans en faire une idole, c’est toujours préférer ce qui est à ce qu’on préférerait qui fût.” (Jean Rostand, Le droit d'être naturaliste, 1963).___________________________________
Le mar. 4 août 2026, à 11 h 36, 'Martin Villet' via Taxacom <tax...@googlegroups.com> a écrit :
Dear Taxacom community,
I have seen homonyms and synonyms corrected in on-line databases (e.g. Eschmeyer's Catalogue of Fishes or any of the Species FIle databases) where the correction is the original instance (and so qualifies as an original nomenclatural act) but the act is not made explicit by stating that it is a nom. nov. or n. syn.
My question is whether these qualify as valid nomenclatural acts.
- Do appearances in on-line databases and catalogs qualify as 'publication' in terms of the various Codes?
- Does the nature of the nomenclatural act have to be made explicit?
Best wishes,
Martin H Villet
Dept. of Zoology & Entomology
Z&E: t: +27 (0)83 565 5949
Courier: Life Sciences Building | African St | Makhanda | 6139
Mail: PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4335-5667 | Scopus ID: 7004262479 | Thompson ISI ID: B-5811-2011
Scholar.google.co.za/ | www.Researchgate.net/Martin_Villet/
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Francisco Welter-Schultes
As Alain and Adam already explained, nomenclatural acts cannot be
published online, they require regular publications in the sense of the
ICZN Code.
This applies to new replacement names. Proposing a new replacement name
for a junior homonym (nom. nov.) is a nomenclatural act, it constitutes
the description of a new name and requires being published in a Code
compliant form.
Proposing a new synonymy (n. syn.) is not a nomenclatural act, such
actions are not regulated by the Code, so such a statement can be
published online without problems. Taxonomists may subsequently accept
these statements or not.
The same applies to new combinations (n. comb.).
However such an entry only makes sense if the entry in the internet
resource is equipped with a date. Otherwise the meaning of "new" cannot
be understood. Users would need to know at which date the proposal was new.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes records only published content, I have not
seen intentional proposals there.
If this helps.
Best wishes
Francisco
Am 04.08.2026 um 11:35 schrieb 'Martin Villet' via Taxacom:
> Dear Taxacom community,
>
> I have seen homonyms and synonyms corrected in on-line databases (e.g.
> Eschmeyer's Catalogue of Fishes or any of the Species FIle databases) where
> the correction is the original instance (and so qualifies as an original
> nomenclatural act) but the act is not made explicit by stating that it is a
> nom. nov. or n. syn.
>
> My question is whether these qualify as valid nomenclatural acts.
>
>
> Best wishes,
>
>
> *Martin H Villet *Dept. of Zoology & Entomology
> Courier: Life Sciences Building | African St | Makhanda | 6139
> Mail: PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
> Scopus ID: 7004262479
> <http://www.scopus.com/inward/authorDetails.url?authorID=7004262479&partnerID=MN8TOARS>
> | Thompson ISI ID: B-5811-2011 <http://www.researcherid.com/rid/B-5811-2011>
> Scholar.google.co.za/
> <http://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=bEEOT6EAAAAJ&hl=en> |
> www.Researchgate.net/Martin_Villet/
> <http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Martin_Villet/>
Richard Pyle
My original reaction to Martin's post was to wonder whether any of the specific instances he alludes to actually represented "nomenclatural acts" (which I define as assertions affecting nomenclature that are regulated by the ICZN Code). As Francisco noted, assertions about subjective synonymy, and classification (including combining species-group names with genus-group names other than the original combination) -- both of which are common within Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes -- are not Code-governed nomenclatural acts. Neither is the assertion that a name is a homonym, or acknowledging an existing name that would otherwise have been treated as a junior synonym of a homonym is the "correct" name to use in place of the homonym. Proposing a new replacement name (typically noted by "nom. nov.") would be a Code-governed Nomenclatural Act, but I am unaware of any such proposals within the online Catalog of Fishes.
My question to Martin is: could you provide some examples of assertions included in online Catalog of Fishes that may constitute nomenclatural acts (as governed by the Code), so we can clarify whether or not they actually do represent Code-governed nomenclatural acts?
Aloha,
Rich
Richard L. Pyle, PhD
Interim Director of Natural Sciences
Director of EXCORE | Senior Curator of Ichthyology | Database Coordinator for Natural Sciences
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817-2704
Office: (808) 848-4115; Fax: (808) 847-8252
eMail: deep...@bishopmuseum.org
BishopMuseum.org
Our Mission: Bishop Museum inspires our community and visitors through the exploration and celebration of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: tax...@googlegroups.com <tax...@googlegroups.com> On
> Behalf Of Francisco Welter-Schultes
> Sent: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 1:46 AM
> To: tax...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [TAXACOM] nomenclatural acts in on-line catalogues
>
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
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> To view this discussion visit
> c4e96c4670be%40gwdg.de.
Martin Villet
"My question to Martin is: could you provide some examples of assertions included in online Catalog of Fishes that may constitute nomenclatural acts (as governed by the Code), so we can clarify whether or not they actually do represent Code-governed nomenclatural acts?"
|
Martin H Villet |
| Dept. of Zoology & Entomology Z&E: t: +27 (0)83 565 5949 Courier: Life Sciences Building | African St | Makhanda | 6139 Mail: PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa |
| ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4335-5667 | Scopus ID: 7004262479 | Thompson ISI ID: B-5811-2011 Scholar.google.co.za/ | |
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Richard Pyle
Thanks, Martin!
I’m actually familiar with this particular case. Back in 2016, when my colleagues and I were describing a new species in the genus Tosanoides, I was uncertain which spelling to use for the subfamily. I had a series of email exchanges with fellow fish-nerds (including Ron Fricke, who was managing the Catalog of fishes at the time), and also with fellow ICZN Commissioners (I was also a Commissioner at the time). There was mixed opinion among Commissioners whether an action/formal Opinion from the Commission was necessary, or whether this was a case where the stem “Anthiad-“ could simply be adopted from Poey’s “Anthiadides” without action by the Commission. The email discussion went back and forth on this, and for a while there was discussion about submitting a Case to the ICZN to render a formal opinion.
At the time, we wrote in our new-species description (https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.641.11500):
=============
The fish subfamily Anthiinae (Anthiadides Poey, 1861, type genus Anthias Bloch, 1792, stem Anthi-), is a homonym of the beetle subfamily Anthiinae (Anthies Bonelli, 1813, type genus Anthia Weber, 1801, stem Anthi-). According to Article 55.3 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999), homonymous family-group names in current use based on similar (but not identical) genus-group names must be referred to the Commission for a ruling to remove homonymy. A case is currently in preparation to formally resolve this homonymy through application to the ICZN. Until an Opinion is issued, we follow van der Laan et al. (2014, 2016) and Carvalho-Filho (2016) in using the spelling “Anthiadinae” to represent the subfamily for this new species, instead of the more commonly used (but homonymous) spelling “Anthiinae”.
=============
As far as I know, the case was never submitted to the Commission (I defer to ICZN Commissioners on this list to refute or confirm). But the question still remains: does there need to be action by the Commission to resolve this, or is it OK to just adopt the stem “Anthiad-” without the need for action by the Commission? My sense from the email discussion back in 2016 is “Probably, yes.”
In either case, there has been no nomenclatural act per se (certainly not within the online Catalog of Fishes or any other website), and after a quick review of the 2016 email exchange, it doesn’t appear that a “nomenclatural act” outside of a ruling by the Commission is even appropriate in this case.
Again, I’ll defer to the Commissioners on this list to render an opinion of whether a Case is needed to be presented for ruling by the Commission, or if this circumstance is resolvable without a ruling.
I Hope that helps! If you like, I can provide more details, but it’s past my bedtime here in Hawaii, so I’ll leave it there for now.
Aloha,
Rich
P.S.
Laan et al. (2014): https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1
Laan et al. (2016): http://www.calacademy.org:8080/sites/default/files/assets/ibss/departments/ichthyology/addendum_family-group_names_2016-12.pdf
Carvalho-Filho (2016): https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4139.4.10
Richard L. Pyle, PhD
Interim Director of Natural Sciences
Director of EXCORE | Senior Curator of Ichthyology | Database Coordinator for Natural Sciences
Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817-2704
Office: (808) 848-4115; Fax: (808) 847-8252
eMail: deep...@bishopmuseum.org
BishopMuseum.org
Our Mission: Bishop Museum inspires our community and visitors through the exploration and celebration of the extraordinary history, culture, and environment of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific.
Francisco Welter-Schultes
I am not aware of a Case involving Anthiinae.
Van der Laan et al. 2014: 92 used the spelling Anthiinae.
Antiadinae could perhaps count as an unjustified emendation, and could
have been used as a substitute name. Given that no junior synonym would
interfere.
Best wishes
Francisco
> Dept. of Zoology & Entomology
> Z&E: t: +27 (0)83 565 5949
> Courier: Life Sciences Building | African St | Makhanda | 6139
> Mail: PO Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
> Disclaimer
> This email and any attachments to it may be confidential and are intended solely for the use
> of the individual to whom it is addressed. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those
> of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Rhodes University. If you are not the
> intended recipient of this email, you must neither take any action based upon its contents,
> nor copy or show it to anyone. Please contact the sender if you believe you have received
> this email in error.
>
>
> On Tue, 4 Aug 2026 at 21:12, 'Richard Pyle' via Taxacom <tax...@googlegroups.com<mailto:tax...@googlegroups.com>> wrote:
> Just a quick follow-up on this. Echoing Francisco, I have never seen an instance within the online Catalog of Fishes where a Code-governed nomenclatural act has been asserted. Eschmeyer was himself an ICZN Commissioner, and he understood the Code very well.
>
> My original reaction to Martin's post was to wonder whether any of the specific instances he alludes to actually represented "nomenclatural acts" (which I define as assertions affecting nomenclature that are regulated by the ICZN Code). As Francisco noted, assertions about subjective synonymy, and classification (including combining species-group names with genus-group names other than the original combination) -- both of which are common within Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes -- are not Code-governed nomenclatural acts. Neither is the assertion that a name is a homonym, or acknowledging an existing name that would otherwise have been treated as a junior synonym of a homonym is the "correct" name to use in place of the homonym. Proposing a new replacement name (typically noted by "nom. nov.") would be a Code-governed Nomenclatural Act, but I am unaware of any such proposals within the online Catalog of Fishes.
>
> My question to Martin is: could you provide some examples of assertions included in online Catalog of Fishes that may constitute nomenclatural acts (as governed by the Code), so we can clarify whether or not they actually do represent Code-governed nomenclatural acts?
>
> Aloha,
> Rich
>
> Richard L. Pyle, PhD
> Interim Director of Natural Sciences
> Director of EXCORE | Senior Curator of Ichthyology | Database Coordinator for Natural Sciences
> Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum
> 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu, HI 96817-2704
> Office: (808) 848-4115; Fax: (808) 847-8252
>>> <http://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=bEEOT6EAAAAJ&hl=en> |
>>> www.Researchgate.net/Martin_Villet/<http://www.Researchgate.net/Martin_Villet/>
>>> Disclaimer
>>> This email and any attachments to it may be confidential and are
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>>> not necessarily represent those of Rhodes University.
>>> If you are not the
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>>> based upon its contents, nor copy or show it to anyone. Please contact
>>> the sender if you believe you have received this email in error.
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