WoRMS name details
Lycoris pulsatoria Savigny, 1822
328964 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:328964)
unaccepted (superseded original combination)
Species
Lycoris Lamarck, 1818 accepted as Nereis Linnaeus, 1758
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
Savigny, Jules-César. (1822). Système des annélides, principalement de celles des côtes de l'Égypte et de la Syrie, offrant les caractères tant distinctifs que naturels des Ordres, Familles et Genres, avec la Description des Espèces. <em>Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des Observations et des Recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'Expédition de l'Armée Française, publié par les Ordres de sa Majesté l'Empereur Napoléon le Grand, Histoire Naturelle, Paris.</em> 1(3):1–128., available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41329897
page(s): 33 [details]
page(s): 33 [details]
Note Locality unknown. Savigny writes "Espèce des...
From editor or global species database
Type locality Locality unknown. Savigny writes "Espèce des mers d'Europe, communiqùée par MM. Leach et de Lamarck." He also mentions "Nereis pulsatoria. Montagu et Leach, Collect." [details]
Nomenclature Usages of the name are confused (see also note for Nereis pulsatoria). Savigny evidently got the name 'pulsatoria' from...
Nomenclature Usages of the name are confused (see also note for Nereis pulsatoria). Savigny evidently got the name 'pulsatoria' from prior usage in works of Montagu and Leach, but probably based his description on Paris museum specimens (of unknown origin). This prior usage is confirmed by information in McIntosh (1910: 280 on N. pelagica) that "This is probably the species figured by Montagu (MS. Drawings, Linn. Soc, Plate VIII, fig. 2, 1808) as Nereis pulsatoria". However, it is not known if the name was listed by Leach in a publication. It is not in the edition of Leach's 'Annulosa' that is available digitized. It seems unlikely it appeared in a Montagu publication.
Sherborn in Index Animalium p.5243 places Lycoris pulsatoria Lamarck 1818 as a nomen nudum, but for unknown reasons also tags Lycoris pulsatoria Savigny 1822 as a nomen nudum. Sherborn wrongly lists Nereis pulsatoria Audouin & Edwards 1829: 201 as a validly authored name. Audouin & Edwards don't mention Nereis pulsatoria in 1929, but they do in 1834 and clearly track the history as starting with Montagu. Any suggestion that Audouin & Edwards authored the species is completely wrong. However, Gravina et al (2015) have a confused commentary which includes this text: "N. pulsatoria Audoin and Milne Edwards, 1834 is reported as an unaccepted taxon and considered to be synonymous with N. zonata (Read and Fauchald, 2014)." However, as this is impossible on priority, it is not how WoRMS reported the status (nor the authorship). They also state that "Viéitez et al.(2004) considered N. pulsatoria Savigny, 1822 as [senior] synonym of N. zonata" [not in the main text, but in the appendix, page 514 ] and themselves appear to include it in the synonymy of N. zonata (impossible as already stated). [details]
Sherborn in Index Animalium p.5243 places Lycoris pulsatoria Lamarck 1818 as a nomen nudum, but for unknown reasons also tags Lycoris pulsatoria Savigny 1822 as a nomen nudum. Sherborn wrongly lists Nereis pulsatoria Audouin & Edwards 1829: 201 as a validly authored name. Audouin & Edwards don't mention Nereis pulsatoria in 1929, but they do in 1834 and clearly track the history as starting with Montagu. Any suggestion that Audouin & Edwards authored the species is completely wrong. However, Gravina et al (2015) have a confused commentary which includes this text: "N. pulsatoria Audoin and Milne Edwards, 1834 is reported as an unaccepted taxon and considered to be synonymous with N. zonata (Read and Fauchald, 2014)." However, as this is impossible on priority, it is not how WoRMS reported the status (nor the authorship). They also state that "Viéitez et al.(2004) considered N. pulsatoria Savigny, 1822 as [senior] synonym of N. zonata" [not in the main text, but in the appendix, page 514 ] and themselves appear to include it in the synonymy of N. zonata (impossible as already stated). [details]
Read, G.; Fauchald, K. (Ed.) (2025). World Polychaeta Database. Lycoris pulsatoria Savigny, 1822. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=328964 on 2025-09-11
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Nomenclature
original description
Savigny, Jules-César. (1822). Système des annélides, principalement de celles des côtes de l'Égypte et de la Syrie, offrant les caractères tant distinctifs que naturels des Ordres, Familles et Genres, avec la Description des Espèces. <em>Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des Observations et des Recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'Expédition de l'Armée Française, publié par les Ordres de sa Majesté l'Empereur Napoléon le Grand, Histoire Naturelle, Paris.</em> 1(3):1–128., available online at http://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41329897
page(s): 33 [details]
page(s): 33 [details]
Taxonomy
status source
Vieitez, J.M.; M.A.; Alós, C.; Parapar, J.; Besteiro, C.; Moreira, J.; Nunez, J.; Laborda, J.; and San Martin, G. (2004). Annelida Polychaeta I. Fauna Iberica. Ramos, M.A. et al (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Vol. 25:1-530 [sections separate authorship not recognised here].
page(s): 385, 514; note: as Nereis pulsatoria, with subjective synonyms Nereis zonata Malmgren, 1867, Nereis cylindrata Ehlers, 1868 [details]
page(s): 385, 514; note: as Nereis pulsatoria, with subjective synonyms Nereis zonata Malmgren, 1867, Nereis cylindrata Ehlers, 1868 [details]
Other
additional source
Salazar-Vallejo, Sergio; Gillet, Patrick; Surugiu, Victor. (2017). How false is Nereis falsa (Annelida, Phyllodocida, Nereididae)?. <em>Revista de Biologia Tropical.</em> 65(3): 847-857., available online at https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/article/view/26635
note: comments on Lycoris pulsatoria nomenclature [details] Available for editors
[request]
additional source Gravina, Maria Flavia; Lezzi, Marco; Bonifazi, Andrea; Giangrande, Adriana. (2015). The genus Nereis L., 1758 (Polychaeta, Nereididae); state of the art for identification of Mediterranean species. <em>Atti della Società Toscana di Scienze Naturali, Memorie.</em> (serie B) 122, 147- 164., available online at https://doi.org/10.2424/ASTSN.M.2015.13
note: misleading commentary of the history of N pulsatoria. The authors misunderstand and misrepresent the past usages. [details] Available for editors [request]
additional source Rathke, H. (1836). Zur Fauna der Krym. [On the Fauna of Crimea]. <em>Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint Pétersbourg.</em> 3(3-4): 291-454, pls. 1-10 [imprint 1837; preprint dated 1836]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/11609#/summary
page(s): 412; note: Description of specimen from Bay of Balaklava, Crimea, Black Sea, assigned to 'Lycoris pulsatoria?' [details]
additional source Fauvel, P. (1923). Polychètes errantes. Faune de France. <em>Librairie de la Faculte des Sciences. Paris.</em> 5: 1-488., available online at http://www.faunedefrance.org/ [details]
note: comments on Lycoris pulsatoria nomenclature [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Gravina, Maria Flavia; Lezzi, Marco; Bonifazi, Andrea; Giangrande, Adriana. (2015). The genus Nereis L., 1758 (Polychaeta, Nereididae); state of the art for identification of Mediterranean species. <em>Atti della Società Toscana di Scienze Naturali, Memorie.</em> (serie B) 122, 147- 164., available online at https://doi.org/10.2424/ASTSN.M.2015.13
note: misleading commentary of the history of N pulsatoria. The authors misunderstand and misrepresent the past usages. [details] Available for editors
[request]additional source Rathke, H. (1836). Zur Fauna der Krym. [On the Fauna of Crimea]. <em>Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de Saint Pétersbourg.</em> 3(3-4): 291-454, pls. 1-10 [imprint 1837; preprint dated 1836]., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/11609#/summary
page(s): 412; note: Description of specimen from Bay of Balaklava, Crimea, Black Sea, assigned to 'Lycoris pulsatoria?' [details]
additional source Fauvel, P. (1923). Polychètes errantes. Faune de France. <em>Librairie de la Faculte des Sciences. Paris.</em> 5: 1-488., available online at http://www.faunedefrance.org/ [details]
From editor or global species database
Authority The name 'Nereis pulsatoria' clearly came from Montagu and was adopted by Savigny, but probably Montagu's name was an unpublished manuscript name. However, many subsequent authors (eg Johnston 1865: 158) indicated Montagu as the author. [details]Nomenclature Usages of the name are confused (see also note for Nereis pulsatoria). Savigny evidently got the name 'pulsatoria' from prior usage in works of Montagu and Leach, but probably based his description on Paris museum specimens (of unknown origin). This prior usage is confirmed by information in McIntosh (1910: 280 on N. pelagica) that "This is probably the species figured by Montagu (MS. Drawings, Linn. Soc, Plate VIII, fig. 2, 1808) as Nereis pulsatoria". However, it is not known if the name was listed by Leach in a publication. It is not in the edition of Leach's 'Annulosa' that is available digitized. It seems unlikely it appeared in a Montagu publication.
Sherborn in Index Animalium p.5243 places Lycoris pulsatoria Lamarck 1818 as a nomen nudum, but for unknown reasons also tags Lycoris pulsatoria Savigny 1822 as a nomen nudum. Sherborn wrongly lists Nereis pulsatoria Audouin & Edwards 1829: 201 as a validly authored name. Audouin & Edwards don't mention Nereis pulsatoria in 1929, but they do in 1834 and clearly track the history as starting with Montagu. Any suggestion that Audouin & Edwards authored the species is completely wrong. However, Gravina et al (2015) have a confused commentary which includes this text: "N. pulsatoria Audoin and Milne Edwards, 1834 is reported as an unaccepted taxon and considered to be synonymous with N. zonata (Read and Fauchald, 2014)." However, as this is impossible on priority, it is not how WoRMS reported the status (nor the authorship). They also state that "Viéitez et al.(2004) considered N. pulsatoria Savigny, 1822 as [senior] synonym of N. zonata" [not in the main text, but in the appendix, page 514 ] and themselves appear to include it in the synonymy of N. zonata (impossible as already stated). [details]
Type locality Locality unknown. Savigny writes "Espèce des mers d'Europe, communiqùée par MM. Leach et de Lamarck." He also mentions "Nereis pulsatoria. Montagu et Leach, Collect." [details]
