|
History of The Genus Pterophyllum - Species Timeline |
|
Year: |
Specie: |
Author: |
Type: |
Current Name: |
|
|
|
1823 |
Zeus
scalaris |
Hinrich Martin Lichtenstein |
(type unknown; possibly ZMB 1347
is part of the type series
|
P. scalare |
Comments: |
IThe first angelfish
ever described. It was collected in "Brazil" and apparently deposited
in the Berlin Museum. *Although the type specimen is not recorded, Kullander
states it could be the same specimen recorded by Cuvier & Valenciennes |
References: |
The Species
of Angelfishes by Burgess
Guide to South
American Cichlidae by Dr. Sven O. Kullander |
|
|
|
|
1831 |
Platax
scalaris |
Cuvier & Valenciennes |
(Holotype, ZMB 1347, ca 44 mm
SL. No collecting data)
|
P. scalare |
Comments: |
ICuvier or Valenciennes
found a specimen there in the Berlin Museum labeled Zeus scalaris and
was probably unaware that Lichtenstein had already published its description.
They therefore described it as new, kept the specific name scalaris,
but decided that it was in the wrong genus, naming it Platax ? scalaris.
They apparently were not satisfied with placing it in the genus Platax
(hence the question mark) and thought that when it became better known
(the specimen was in a "mutilated" condition and only an incomplete description
could be given) a new genus could be erected for it. |
References: |
The Species
of Angelfishes by Burgess
Guide to South
American Cichlidae by Dr. Sven O. Kullander |
|
|
|
|
1840 |
Pterophyllum scalaris |
Heckel |
(type by monotypy Platax scalaris Cuvier) |
P. scalare |
Comments: |
IViennese ichthyologist
Johann Jacob Heckel was able to see additional specimens from the Rio
Negro. He called the new genus Pterophyllum (meaning fins like
leaves), which included at that time the single species Pterophyllum
scalaris. |
References: |
The Species
of Angelfishes by Burgess |
|
|
|
|
1855 |
Plataxoïdes dumerilii |
Castelnau
|
(type by monotypy Plataxoïdes dumerilii Castelnau)
|
P. scalare |
Comments: |
ICastelnau
describes a new genus and species of this same type fish, calling it Plataxoïdes
dumerilii, seemingly unaware of the fish described by Cuvier and Valenciennes.
*It is important to understand the meaning of "type fish."
Nomenclature terminology refers to this phrase as "type specimen"
meaning "any specimen of the type series. |
References: |
The Species
of Angelfishes by Burgess
Guide to South
American Cichlidae by Dr. Sven O. Kullander |
|
|
|
|
1862 |
Pterophyllum |
Günther
|
Synonymizes all the
currently described type specimens under one genus.
|
Comments: |
Günther, in his Catalogue
of the Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History), simplified
everything by synonymizing Plataxoides with Pterophyllum
and placing all the species thus far described (Platax scalaris, Pterophyllum
scalaris, and Plataxoides dumerilii, but not Zeus scalaris
of which he was probably unaware) under the slightly modified name Pterophyllum
scalare. There were then either one (P. scalare) or two (P. scalare
and P. dumerilii) species of angelfishes depending upon whether one agreed
with Günther or not. |
References: |
The Species
of Angelfishes by Burgess |
|
|
|
|
1903 |
Pterophyllum
Altum |
Pellegrin |
(type by syntypes)
|
P. altum |
Comments: |
In 1903, Pellegrin
described another new specie found from the upper Orinoco in Venezuela.
This is the largest and deepest-bodied of the angels. |
References: |
Most books
Guide to South
American Cichlidae by Dr. Sven O. Kullander |
|
|
|
|
1928 |
Pterophyllum Eimekei |
Ahl
|
(type by syntypes)
|
P. scalare |
Comments: |
About 1927, and angelfish
called Zwergscalare (dwarf scalare) appeared in Germany; this fish
had been imported from the Amazon. The importer's name was Eimeke, and
in 1928 Dr. Ahl of the Berlin Museum described the fish as a new species,
naming it Pterophyllum eimekei in honor of the importer. The P. eimekei
was based on only 5 examples from the mouth of the Rio Negro in the Amazon. |
References: |
ANGELFISH by Wilfred
Whitern published by T.F.H 1956
Aqualog IV
Guide to South
American Cichlidae by Dr. Sven O. Kullander |
|
|
|
|
1956 |
Review
|
Schultz
|
(N/A
|
P. scalare |
Comments: |
Dr Leonard P. Schultz publishes his review
of the genus, but the literature
does not record Castelnau's P. dumerilii, nor is the date of the
review listed. Schultz concludes that there are three valid species, P.
scalare, P. eimekei, and P. altum. |
References: |
ANGELFISH by Wilfred
Whitern published by T.F.H 1956 |
|
|
|
|
1963 |
Plataxoides Leopoldi |
Gosse
|
(type by Holotype) |
P. leopoldi |
Comments: |
The most recent species
described, Plataxoides leopoldi was placed in Castelnau's genus
because Gosse believed that the name Pterophyllum was preoccupied
by a genus of insects. |
References: |
Most books
Guide to South
American Cichlidae by Dr. Sven O. Kullander |
|
|
|
|
1967 |
Review |
Schultz
|
N/A |
|
Comments: |
Schultz reviewed the
genus again. This time he includes the P. dumerilii and the newly
described specie P. leopoldi. He examined the holotype of P.
dumerilii and the paratypes of P. leopoldi and concluded that
they are one and the same species. Comparisons of P. scalare specimens
with those of P. eimekei led Schultz to consider the latter species
a synonym of the former. The remaining species, P. altum, he considered
valid although casting some doubt on this decision. |
References: |
The Species
of Angelfishes by Burgess |
|
|
|
|
1976 |
Review |
Burgess
|
N/A |
|
Comments: |
Burgess compared the
meristic differences between both species (P. altum and P. scalare) and
considered the differing lengths of the fins as geographical variants of
the Rio Negro and Orinoco species. And as a result of this classification,
he synonymized P. altum and P. scalare. This result was based on Schultz's
meristic data from his 1967 paper.
Burgess concludes that there are only two valid species, P. scalare and P. dumerilii.
But P. scalare is considered here to consist of two subspecies,
P. scalare scalare from the Amazon and Guyana and P. scalare
altum from the Orinoco and Rio Negro. |
References: |
Aqualog IV The Species
of Angelfishes Burgess |
|
|
|
|
1979 |
Review |
Burgess
|
N/A |
|
Comments: |
Burgess recognizes the Orinoco-endemic fish (altum)
as a local (Orinoco) variant, and thus classified it as a
subspecies of P. scalare. |
References: |
Aqualog IV |
|
|
|
|
1986 |
Review |
Kullander
|
N/A |
|
Comments: |
The latest review of the genus was in 1986 by Dr. Sven Kullander of the
Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. Kullander concluded that
Pterophyllum eimekei and P. dumerilii were junior synonyms
of Lichtenstein's P. scalare, but that P. altum and P.
leopoldi were valid and distinct species. Species level systematics
is problematic. There may be more species than the three now considered
valid. The type locality of P. scalare (Lichtenstein) (eastern
Brazil) is imprecise, and there may be no type specimen preserved of that
species. |
References: |
Guide to South
American Cichlidae by Dr. Sven O. Kullander
Aqualog IV |
|
|