Synonymy of Peristedion species by other authors

Günther (1860: 219), who followed Kaup (1859) in placing Peristedion in the synonymy of Peristethus, regarded P. laticeps as a proper species, and placed P. gigas Kaup 1859 in the synonymy of P. moluccense . Günther’s short descriptions of Peristethus lasticeps and P. moluccense do not contain characters that can be used to separate these species.

De Beaufort (in De Beaufort & Briggs 1962; 121) who followed Bleeker in considering Peristedion laticeps as a junior synonym of P. moluccense, wrote that he examined the types of P moluccense and P. laticeps in the Leiden Museum. De Beaufort gives a length of 436 mm for P. moluccense . Apparently this is his measurement of the largest specimen then contained in RMNH 5793.