Cryptoniscidae s.s. (Isopoda : Epicaridea) : Nomenclatural History and Recommendations

Abstract

The nomenclatural history of the parasitic isopod family Cryptoniscidac Kossmann, 1880 sensu stricto is reviewed, and irregularities are exposed and corrected. Eumetor Kossmann, 1872 and its type species E. liriopides Kossmann, 1872 are available but unrecognizable except by host. Cryptoniscus curuatus fraisse, 1877 is designated here as the type species of Danalia Giard, 1887. Danalia lobiancoi Giard & Bonnier, 1890 is a nomen nudum since it was merely mentioned in a list with its host. At least five of the 12-13 available nominal species currently assigned to Danalia are nearly unrecognizable except by host. Neither Zeuxokoma Zimmer, 1927 nor Zeuxokoma Neave, 1940 qualifies as an available replacement name for the preoccupied Zeuxo Kossmann, 1872 because of lack of reference to the earlier name and lack of a type species designation, respectively. Zeuxokoma nom. nov. is proposed here as a replacement name for Zeuxo Kossmann, and Zeuxo alplzei Kossmann, 1872 is designated here as the type species. The nominal subfamily Fabinae Danforth, 1970 (1963?) is unavailable because neither work involved was published in the sense of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. The nominal family Danaliidae Altes, 1982 includes Cryptoniscus Miiller, 1864, and is thus a junior synonym of Cryptoniscidae Kossmann, 1880.