WoRMS taxon details
Ophryotrocha scutellus Wiklund, Glover & Dahlgren, 2009
598915 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:598915)
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Nomenclature
Taxonomy
page(s): 67, figure 11-12; note: new records for off Morocco. There is no comment on the epithet spelling, here reverted to original 'scutellus' [details] Available for editors
[request]Other
page(s): 5; note: Seek to change the latinisation from 'scutellus' to 'scutella' [details]
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Spelling The 'scutellus' spelling modification from 'scutella' cannot have been for a mistaken need for gender agreement as Ophryotrocha is treated as feminine. This appears to be an incorrect latinisation of a noun in apposition, so remains spelt as published, although Ravara et al, 2015 sought to correct the species name to the correct 'scutella' on the grounds that 'scutella' was 'indeclinable'. Original names consisting of a Latin noun with a modified ending are to be treated as nouns in apposition. They are not rendered adjectival by the changed ending, and the original spelling is to be retained, with gender ending unchanged (after comments in David & Gosselin, 2002).
Ravara et al (2015) change the spelling to 'scutella' but were aware 'scutellus' was evidently a noun in apposition rather than an adjective [an interpretation of the statement of Ravara et al that: "... the original species name derives from a Latin noun (scutella) that should be treated as indeclinable, the species name is [by Ravara et al] corrected from O. scutellus to O. scutella."). However, the original spelling should be maintained (Art 32.5.1 and taking account of Art 34.2 which might otherwise have been claimed in an erratum situation), even though it appears to be an 'incorrect' latinisation using the ending 'us' that may not exist in past Latin usages of the noun. Unfortunately Ravara et al do not invoke a code article they considered for their proposed spelling change. [details]
Type locality Coastal Skagerrak, Sweden, 58.885, 11.1067 (58° 53.1’ N; 11° 06.4’ E) from experimental implanted minke whale carcass [details]
