Scientific nomenclature and classification

Abstract

For every described species of fish, there is only one valid scientific name. The scientific name comprises two Latin (or Latinised) words, which together make a unique species name that can be used only for that particular species. The species Epinephelus guaza, our common yellowbelly rockcod (Family Serranidae), was described and named by the famous Swedish biologist Carl von Linne (Linnaeus) in 1758. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature stipulates that the starting point for zoological names is the tenth edition of Linnaeus’s catalogue of animals, called Systema Naturae, which is assigned the publication date of January 1, 1758. Names published before 1758 are not allowed, unless they have been published in a valid description after 1758. Some species have been given two or more scientific names, in which event the oldest name is usually considered the valid name, and the later (more recently published) name (or names) are regarded as junior synonyms.