Bulletin ofZoological Nomenclature 57(3) September2000 177 OPINION 1955 Strombidion caudatuni Fromentel, 1876 (currently Strobilidium caudatum; Ciliophora, Oligotrichida): specific name placed on the Official List Keywords. Nomenclature; taxonomy; Protozoa; Ciliophora; Oligotrichida; Sirobilidium gyrans; Strobilidium caudatuni; Strombilidium kahli; Strumbilidium claparedi; Rimostrombidium caudatum; ciliates. Ruling (I) ThenamecaudatumFromentel, 1876,aspublishedinthebinomenStrombidion caudatum, is hereby placed on the Official List ofSpecific Names in Zoology. History ofCase 3011 An application for the conservation of the specific names of Strombidium gyrans Stokes, 1887 and Strobilidium caudatum Kahl, 1932 by the suppression of Strombidion caudatum Fromentel, 1876 and Strombidium claparedi Kent, 1882 was received from Dr Charles W. Heckman (Institut fur Hydrobiologie und Fischereiwissenschaft. Hamburg, Germany) on 15 January 1996. After correspon- dence the case was published in BZN 55; 6-8 (March 1998). Notice ofthe case was sent to appropriatejournals. Comments opposing the application from ProfDr Wilhelm Foissner Universitdt ( SaLburg. Institut fur Zoologie, Salzburg, Austria) and from Dr John O. Corliss (Petmsyh'cmia. U.S.A.)werepublishedin BZN55; 233-236(December 1998). A reply fromtheauthoroftheapplication was published in BZN 56; 48-49(March 1999). A further comment from ProfFoissner was published in BZN 56: 142 (June 1999). Decision ofthe Commission On 1 March 2000 the members of the Commission were invited to vote on the proposals published in BZN 55; 7. At the close ofthe voting period on 1 June 2000 the votes were as fol—lows; Affirmative vote—s 5; Eschmeyer, Kraus, Martins de Souza, Savage, Schuster Negative votes 17; Bock, Bouchet, Brothers, Cocks, Cogger, Dupuis, Heppell, Kerzhner, Macpherson, Mahnert, Mawatari, Minelli, Papp, Patterson, Ride, Song and Stys. No vote was received from Nielsen. Lehtinen was on leave ofabsence. Dupuiscommented: '11eutetesouhaitablededisposerdeplusprecisionsquantaux descriptions, figureset typesdesespecesencause. Desinformations, memenegatives, quantaux typesdegenresconsidereseussent, de meme, eteutiles. Neanmoins,jesuis convaincuparTexcellenteargumentation nomenclatorialedeCorlisssurlespratiques decevantesdecertainsciliatologistes(BZN55; 233-236). Jesuisen outretressensible a la remarque taxinomique de Foissner (BZN 56: 142) sur les recherches qu'exige encore une comparaison serieuse des especes europeenne et nord-americaine. En consequence,jevotecontrelapropositiondeHeckman". Heppellcommented: 'There 178 Builclm ol"Zoological Nomenclalure 57(3)September201)0 aretwo issues in thiscase. As well as theopposingviewsabout priorityversususage, there is a furtherquestion (on which Foissner touches briefly in his second comment on BZN 56: 142). namely the very subjective synonymy of two nominal species, Sirohilidium caudatiim (Fromentel. 1876) and S. gyrcins (Stokes, 1887), both orig- inally poorly described and from widely-separated localities. If both these are essentially nomina dubia. neither priority nor usage has any special merit unless, in the absence oftype material or an adequate original description, it is stated how the names are to be interpreted. I am, therefore, in favour ofretaining the oldest name, Strobilidium caudatum (Fromentel, 1876), at least in the sense of the European populations(ignoringthe totally insufficient descriptions ofMiiller's three species of Trichoda mentioned on BZN 56: 49). Strobilidium gyrans (Stokes, 1887) would remain available for the North American populations ifthey should eventually be recognized as not conspecific with 5. caudatum. Rather than compromise sound taxonomy by placing an avowed nomen dubium on the Official List, I suggest that the name be interpreted with reference to the description and illustrations provided by Foissner (1991), as the designation ofa neotype seems less appropriate for a ciliate taxon'. Kerzhner commented: 'Since both the names Strobilidium caudatum (Fromentel, 1876) and 5. gyrans (Stokes, 1887) are in use, priority should be applied". Patterson commented: 'The situation raised in this case is widespread amongprotists, both "zoological" and "botanical". Theidentitiesofmanytaxa rely on very inadequate early descriptions, there is no associated type material, and no further records. There are different strategies to deal with these taxa: (a) to treat the organisms as unidentifiable and evade linking these uncertain identities and their names to taxa currently recognized, or (b) to prevent the continued existence ofold names that relate to taxa with uncertain identities. I personally favour (b), and achieve the objective by finding all possible synonyms, giving precedence on the basis of priority and then adding a contemporary interpretation ofthe identity of that taxon. This is what Foissner has done, so I have empathy with his view. In this case we have an additional dimension in that a user of names (an ecologist) is in dispute with taxonomists. This has arisen because the taxonomists have not solved the identity problems fast enough to provide ecologists with the tools they need. There isnow a resolution to this particular problem, but it came very late(i.e. after ecologists had started to use a junior name). In this case there was a choice between actions aimed at eliminating instability and those aimed at eliminating ambiguity, and I favourthesecondalternative. Inmyview. Heckman'sdesirewasfor 'stability now", but Foissnerhas removed ambiguity and thiswillgive "stability inthe future". Since there was a majority against the use of the plenary power to set aside the provisions ofthe Code, the specific name o(Strombidion caudatum Fromentel, 1876 (currently known as Strobilidium caudatum). which relates to a European freshwater oligotrichous species, is placed on the Official List. The name Strobilidium caudatum Kahl, 1932, which refers to a European brack- ish water oligotrich, is a junior secondary homonym of Strobilidium caudatunt (Fromentel, 1876) and the replacement name S. kuhli Petz & Foissner, 1992 is valid for the taxon ifplaced in Strobilidium Schewiakoflf, 1892. Ifthe species is placed in Rimostrombidium Jankowski, 1978 (BZN 56: 48, 142), the specific name caudatum Kahl is reinstated (Article 59.4 ofthe Code). Bullelin ofZoological Nomenclature 57(3)September2000 179 Original reference The following is the original reference to the name placed on an Official List by the ruling given in the present Opinion: caudalum. Slronibiiliim Fromentel. 1876. Etudes vi/rlesinicrozoaircs on infusoirespropremcM clili compienani de noiivelks rechenhes siir leur ur^anisiilion. leur cictssificcilion el la licscripiioii des cspecesnoiircllesonpeu coimues. p. 264, pi. 24. figs. 7-8.