Cancer arenarius Toreen

Low, Martyn E. Y. & Ng, Peter K. L., 2012, The identities of Cancer arenarius Toreen, in Osbeck, 1765, Cancer arenarius Zimmermann, in Cavolini, 1792, Cancer (Mantis) arenarius Herbst, 1793, and Cancer (Gammarellus) arenarius Herbst, 1793, and other names associated with the genus Ocypode Weber, 1795 (Crustacea: Amphipoda, Decapoda,, Zootaxa 3398, pp. 40-57 : 43-46

Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765, a subjective synonym of Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas, 1772) : reversal of precedence ( Decapoda : Brachyura: Ocypodidae )

Peter Osbeck (1723–1805) was a student of Linnaeus who sailed to China in 1750 and published a narrative of his voyage in Swedish in 1757 ( Bretschneider 1898: 58) ( Fig. 1A). Bretschneider (1898: 59) discussed that this work was translated by J.G. Georgi into German but was “revised and completed by Osbeck himself” as Osbeck (1765) ( Fig. 1B). Osbeck’s (1765) German work was later translated by John Reinhold Forster into English with further additions (as Osbeck 1771a, b) ( Fig. 1C). In the narrative of Osbeck, the correspondence between Olaf Toreen (a chaplain under the tutelage of Linnaeus aboard a ship that visited China at the same time as Osbeck) and Linnaeus was published as a separate appendix (Toreen in Osbeck 1757: 313–376) (see Bretschneider 1898: 60). Toreen’s correspondence was translated together with Osbeck’s narrative (i.e. Toreen in Osbeck 1765: 431–514; 1771: 153–266) and was also issued as a standalone French translation ( Torée 1771) ( Fig. 1D).

Osbeck’s (1757) original Swedish account is a pre-Linnaean work and the names proposed within are not available (Article 3, ICZN 1999: 4). The names in the German translation (i.e. Osbeck 1765), however, are available as they were published after 1758 and Osbeck himself played a part in revising the work, clearly indicating adoption of those names, unlike in the case of the names simply reprinted in post-1758 reissues of pre- Linnaean work which are circumscribed in Opinion 5 ( ICZN 1910a). Similarly, while the name Cancer arenarius as published in Toreen (in Osbeck 1757: 351) is unavailable, it was subsequently made available in the German translation (i.e. Toreen in Osbeck 1765: 479). Furthermore, Toreen’s (in Osbeck 1765: 479) description of Cancer arenarius fulfils Articles 12.1 and 12.2 of the Code which state that a species-group name published before 1931 that is “accompanied by a description or a definition of the taxon that it denotes, or by an indication” is available. The availability of the name Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765, has been confirmed in Opinion 262 ( ICZN 1954d: 299, 303, 304).

However, as noted in Opinion 262 ( ICZN 1954d: 304) “[t]he question whether the descriptive matter given by Toreen in respect of the species Cancer arenarius Toreen [in Osbeck] is sufficient to permit of the identification of that species is a systematic and not a nomenclatorial problem”. The name Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765, has not appeared in any publication since 1954 and its identity remains unresolved.

The relevant portion of the published correspondence of Toreen (in Osbeck 1765: 476–480) describes a visit to “ Queda in der Strasse von Malacca ” en route from “Suratte” (in the modern state of Gujarat, India) to China. This locality is the state of Kedah along the northwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia (see Richards 1876: 33). Toreen (in Osbeck 1765: 479) described Cancer arenarius as follows:

“ In dem Meere giebt es, ausser mancherley Fischen, auch verschiedene Krabbenarten. Wenn eine derselben, welche ihre Augen auf langen Stiften trug und besondere Füsse hatte ( Cancer arenarius ), indem sie Ihnen von dem Herrn Commercienrathe Lagerström übersendet worden, Schaden genommen hätte, würde ich es bedauern. In ihrem Leben funkelten ihre Augen trotz einem Katzenauge.” [In the sea there are, besides many kinds of fishes, various species of crabs. One of them ( Cancer arenarius ), has eyes on which are borne long pins and has strange feet. They were received from Mister Commercienrathe (a title denoting a merchant of commerce) Lagerström, and I would regret any damage to this specimen. In life, the eyes of this crab sparkle like those of a cat.]

This description of Cancer arenarius – eyes that “sparkle like those of a cat” and “on which are borne long pins” can only be what is now known at present as Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas, 1772) , a common intertidal ocypodid species widespread in the Indo-West Pacific (see Lanchester 1902; Tweedie 1937; Sakai 1976; Sakai & Türkay 1977; Dai et al. 1985; Huang et al. 1998; Poore 2004; Türkay et al. 1996). While there are several species of Ocypode with stylophthalmous processes on the eye, only one species is known from Peninsular Malaysia, having been reported from “Port Swettenham, Selangor ” ( Tweedie 1937: 141) and Phuket, Thailand ( Ng & Davie 2002: 378; Yong et al. 2011: 752), respectively, south and north of Kedah (“ Queda ”). The species has also been observed and collected in northwestern Peninsular Malaysia and western Thailand in many localities (unpublished data).

We thus confidently identify Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck 1765, with Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas, 1772) . Identifying Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765, with Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas, 1772) causes the former to become a senior subjective synonym of the latter. This subjective synonymy of Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck 1765, and Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas 1772) , is not in the interest of nomenclatural stability as the Principle of Priority (Article 23 of the Code) requires that the oldest available name for a taxon must be used (i.e. Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765).

The name Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas 1772) is in current and widespread use for an important indicator species in ecological (e.g., Lucrezi et al. 2009; Yong & Lim 2009) as well as physiological studies (e.g., Bhat et al. 2010; Perry et al. 2009). Furthermore, the name Cancer arenarius has a confused history and has been frequently used as the valid name for Ocypode quadrata ( Fabricius, 1787) (see ICZN 1910b: 22, 23) and replacing the name of another species Ocypode Weber, 1795 , with Cancer arenarius will only cause confusion.

Fortunately, the Principle of Priority is mediated by Article 23.9.1 of the Code that requires a reversal of precedence of a junior synonym when the senior synonym has not been used as a valid name after 1899 (Article 23.9.1.1) and the junior synonym “has been used for a particular taxon, as its presumed valid name, in at least 25 works, published by at least 10 authors in the immediately preceding 50 years and encompassing a span of not less than 10 years” (Article 23.9.1.2).

Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765, has not been used as a valid name since it description, and all uses of the name can be attributed to the third edition of Catesby (1771), thus fulfilling Article 23.9.1.1. The name Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas, 1772) , has been used as a valid name in at least 30 papers written by 56 different authors over the past 48 years (viz. Barnes 1968: 183, 184; Bhat et al. 2010: 106; Burrows & Hoyle 1973: 327, 328, 335, 348; Castro 2011: 123, 124; Chan et al. 2006: 43–45, 48, 49; Dai et al. 1985: 373–375; Davie 2002: 357; Garassino et al. 2010: 139; George 1980: 185–193; Green 1964: 407–409, 412; Huang et al. 1998: 950; Jackson et al. 1991: 280–285; Jamieson et al. 1995: 268, 269; Jones 1988: 33, 35, 36; Juncker & Poupin 2009: 14, 75; Lewinsohn 1977: 48, 50–53; Lim et al. 2011: 59–65; Lucrezi et al. 2009: 416, 422, 423; Manuel et al. 1991: 63, 82; Ng 1998: 1152, 1153; Ng & Davie 2002: 378; Ng et al. 2008: 21, 240, 242; Paulay et al. 2003: 459; Poore 2004: 492, 494, 496; Sakai 1976: 600; Sakai & Türkay 1977: 178; Türkay et al. 1996: 99, 109, 112, 113, 114; Yong et al. 2009: 1579, 1581, 1587, 1588, 1590–1596; 2011: 749–752, 754–760; Yousuf et al. 2007: 107–109, 111), thereby fulfilling Article 23.9.1.2.

As both requirements of Article 23.9.1 are met, and in accordance with Article 23.9.2 of the Code, Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas, 1772) is here regarded as a valid name and takes precedence over Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765, whenever the two species are regarded as synonymous. Ocypode ceratophthalmus ( Pallas, 1772) , now becomes a nomen protectum, and Cancer arenarius Toreen , in Osbeck, 1765, a nomen oblitum.