Carangoides ciliarius
Encyclopedia
Carangoides ciliarius is a dubious species
of marine
fish
in the jack and horse mackerel family, Carangidae
. The validity of the species has been questioned by a number of authors, with many concluding it is a synonym
of the similar Carangoides armatus, commonly known as the longfin trevally. However, this synonymy has not been accepted by all authorities, with Fishbase
and ITIS
both recognising it as a valid species. Like Carangoides armatus, the species is occasionally referred to as the 'longfin kingfish'.
naturalist Eduard Rüppell
in 1830, based on the holotype
specimen taken from Massawa in the Red Sea
. Rüppell named the fish Citula ciliaria, placing the species in what was at the time a valid genus of jacks. As the classification of the carangids was reviewed, Citula was synonymised with Pseudocaranx, with C. ciliaria transferred to Carangoides, and the specific name changed from ciliaria to ciliarius, leading to the currently accepted combination. There is a possibility that Peter Forsskål
described and named the species earlier, in 1775, which would make him the correct author under ICZN
rules. He named a species Sciaena armata, but the description has been too vague to make any certain conclusions, and this name is considered a nomen dubium
that cannot hold priority, and placed in synonymy with C. ciliarius.
Georges Cuvier
independently renamed the species as Caranx citula in 1833, also making reference to the name Caranx cirrhosus as a synonym of his new name. This name was apparently coined by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
, although never properly published. These two names are considered to be junior synonyms under ICZN naming rules and are no longer valid.
literature between C. ciliarius and C. armatus. Rüppell described both 'species' in the same volume, and a 1973 paper by Margret Smith concluded he merely described both a young and an old individual of the same species. She recommended that C. ciliarius be given priority due to the fact it appears first in the book. A similar mistake involving misidentification of age stages apparently occurred in a 1937 analysis of carangids by Yojiro Wakiya, who divided C. armatus into four separate species, one of them being C. ciliarius. The most recent investigation into this taxonomic problem occurred in 1980, when Williams and Venkataramani confirmed synonymy between C. armatus and C. ciliarius, but recommended the name Carangoides armatus be kept.
Most modern publications now list C. ciliarius as a synonym of C. armatus, with the last major revision of Indo-Pacific carangids also reaffirming this. Nevertheless, two major taxonomic authorities, Fishbase and ITIS, list the species as valid based on the California Academy of Sciences
Catalog of Fishes, which itself comments that it may be synonymous with Carangoides armatus. This name is occasionally used in non-scientific literature such as fishing publications, although the common name given to the fish, 'longfin kingfish', is also applied to Carangoides armatus.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
in the jack and horse mackerel family, Carangidae
Carangidae
Carangidae is a family of fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, and scads.They are marine fish found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. The validity of the species has been questioned by a number of authors, with many concluding it is a synonym
Synonym (taxonomy)
In scientific nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that is or was used for a taxon of organisms that also goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnaeus was the first to give a scientific name to the Norway spruce, which he called Pinus abies...
of the similar Carangoides armatus, commonly known as the longfin trevally. However, this synonymy has not been accepted by all authorities, with Fishbase
FishBase
FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish species . It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web...
and ITIS
Itis
Itis may refer to* Integrated Taxonomic Information System, a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species...
both recognising it as a valid species. Like Carangoides armatus, the species is occasionally referred to as the 'longfin kingfish'.
Taxonomy
The species, as it is currently recognised, was scientifically described and named by the GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
naturalist Eduard Rüppell
Eduard Rüppell
Wilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell was a German naturalist and explorer. Rüppell is occasionally transliterated to "Rueppell" for the English alphabet....
in 1830, based on the holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
specimen taken from Massawa in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. Rüppell named the fish Citula ciliaria, placing the species in what was at the time a valid genus of jacks. As the classification of the carangids was reviewed, Citula was synonymised with Pseudocaranx, with C. ciliaria transferred to Carangoides, and the specific name changed from ciliaria to ciliarius, leading to the currently accepted combination. There is a possibility that Peter Forsskål
Peter Forsskål
Peter Forsskål, sometimes spelled Pehr Forsskål, Peter Forskaol, Petrus Forskål or Pehr Forsskåhl, was a Swedish explorer, orientalist, naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.-Early life:...
described and named the species earlier, in 1775, which would make him the correct author under ICZN
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
rules. He named a species Sciaena armata, but the description has been too vague to make any certain conclusions, and this name is considered a nomen dubium
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
that cannot hold priority, and placed in synonymy with C. ciliarius.
Georges Cuvier
Georges Cuvier
Georges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
independently renamed the species as Caranx citula in 1833, also making reference to the name Caranx cirrhosus as a synonym of his new name. This name was apparently coined by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg , German naturalist, zoologist, comparative anatomist, geologist, and microscopist, was one of the most famous and productive scientists of his time.- Early collections :...
, although never properly published. These two names are considered to be junior synonyms under ICZN naming rules and are no longer valid.
Synonymy with Carangoides armatus
There has been extensive confusion in the ichthyologicalIchthyology
Ichthyology is the branch of zoology devoted to the study of fish. This includes skeletal fish , cartilaginous fish , and jawless fish...
literature between C. ciliarius and C. armatus. Rüppell described both 'species' in the same volume, and a 1973 paper by Margret Smith concluded he merely described both a young and an old individual of the same species. She recommended that C. ciliarius be given priority due to the fact it appears first in the book. A similar mistake involving misidentification of age stages apparently occurred in a 1937 analysis of carangids by Yojiro Wakiya, who divided C. armatus into four separate species, one of them being C. ciliarius. The most recent investigation into this taxonomic problem occurred in 1980, when Williams and Venkataramani confirmed synonymy between C. armatus and C. ciliarius, but recommended the name Carangoides armatus be kept.
Most modern publications now list C. ciliarius as a synonym of C. armatus, with the last major revision of Indo-Pacific carangids also reaffirming this. Nevertheless, two major taxonomic authorities, Fishbase and ITIS, list the species as valid based on the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
Catalog of Fishes, which itself comments that it may be synonymous with Carangoides armatus. This name is occasionally used in non-scientific literature such as fishing publications, although the common name given to the fish, 'longfin kingfish', is also applied to Carangoides armatus.
See also
- Longfin trevallyLongfin trevallyThe longfin trevally, Carangoides armatus , is a species of inshore marine fish in the jack family, Carangidae. The species is common in tropical to subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, ranging from South Africa in the west to Japan in the east, typically inhabiting inshore reefs and bays...
, Carangoides armatus, for a description of the species appearance and distribution