Butis leucurus, Jordan & Seale, 1905

Keith, Philippe & Mennesson, Marion I., 2023, Review of Butis (Teleostei: Butidae) from Indo-Pacific islands with description of three new species, Cybium 47 (4), pp. 431-466 : 440

Butis leucurus Jordan & Seale, 1905

Material examined

According to Fricke et al. (2022), the holotype might be in RMNH 4801. Nevertheless, this lot includes many specimens (n = 13) without any specific label. One specimen is surrounded by a string but it does not correspond to Bleeker’s description based on several criteria, particularly in terms of the length of the maxilla. Indeed, Bleeker (1853) indicated ‘ maxilla sub oculi limbo anteriore desinente ’ (i.e., jaw ending below the front edge of the eye) but for this specimen the jaw ends below the middle of the eye, as five other specimens from this lot; it is not the holotype. The other seven specimens are identical in terms of morphomeristic, with a jaw ending below the front edge of the eye, and are nearly of similar size. As the type of this species is not clearly identifiable ( ICZN, 1999: art. 75.3.4), the name B. amboinensis can only be linked to a known taxon by a neotype designation ( ICZN, 1999: art. 75.3.1).

For these reasons, to avoid confusion, we designate here the specimen RMNH. PISC.85037 extracted from RMNH 4801 as neotype of Butis amboinensis ( Bleeker, 1853) ( Fig. 4A ), which comes from Ambon, the original type locality ( ICZN, 1999: art. 75.3.6). The RMNH is a recognized scientific institution that maintains a research collection, with proper facilities for preserving name-bearing types, and that makes them accessible for study ( ICZN, 1999: art. 75.3.7). Data and diagnostic characters differentiating from other taxa are given below (in the description and comparison paragraphs) to ensure recognition of the specimen designated ( ICZN, 1999: art. 75.3.2 and 75.3.3) and the neotype here is consistent with the poor original description ( ICZN, 1999: art. 75.3.5).

RMNH. PISC.85037, neotype (female, 77.5 mm SL; Fig. 4A ), Indonesia, Ambon; extracted from RMNH 4801 .

Figures

Figure 4. – A: Butis amboinensis, neotype, RMNH.PISC.85037 (77.5 mm SL), Indonesia (Photo F. Loggen, RMNH); B: Butis amboinensis, in MNHN 2005-1897 (74,4 mm SL), Vanuatu (Photo P. Keith); C: Butis amboinensis, MNHN 2022-0237 (67 mm SL), New Caledonia, tag RTNC_053 (Photo N. Charpin); D: Butis amboinensis, Kolobangara, Solomon (Photo C. Lord).