COMMERSON, 1803 69 



LVIII. COMMERSON, Lacepede, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons, II, 

 1798; III, 1800; IV, V, 1803. 



Philibert Commerson. 



Commerson was an active and accurate naturalist-explorer who col- 

 lected mainly in the South Seas. His specimens were accompanied by 

 manuscript names, polynomial in form. The author had a full grasp 

 of the meaning of "genus," as he spoke sometimes of a "genus novissi- 

 mum," Xyster, for example. Many of his generic names were adopted 

 by Lacepede and have found their way into the system. The others are 

 here enumerated. These have been formally accepted as ehgible by the 

 International Commission (Opinions 27, and 24 as to Antennarius and 

 Aspro). We think that this decision might well be reconsidered as 

 Commerson was not "binomial" and his names were not adopted by the 

 author who first printed them as synonyms. 



The names of Commerson may be ineligible as not binomial as to 

 species and not accepted by the author who published them. Accepted 

 provisionally by the International Commission. 



Antennarius Commerson, I, 327, 1798, footnote; type Antennarius 



BIVERTEX TOTUS ATER PUNCTO MEDIORUM, LATERUM ALBO Commer- 



son (in foot-note) = Lophius commersonianus Lacepede. 

 Equivalent to Chironectes Cuvier and Antennarius Cuvier. Regarded as 

 eligible, in Opinion 24, International Commission. 



Alticus Commerson, II, 458, 1800, footnote under Blennius; type ''^M.^ 



Alticus saltatorius pinna spuria in capite vertice, Blennius =^'#^Xyf > 

 SALiENS Lacepede. "^ 



Accepted by Jordan & Seale, Fishes Samoa, 421, 1806. Equivalent to Rupis- 

 CARTES Swainson. Cuv. & Val., XI, 337, 1836, adopted the name Salarias alticus 

 for the Blennius saliens, "un petit Salarias qui nous parait etre celui-la meme 

 pour lequel Commerson a etabli son genre, Alticus." 



Sciaenus Commerson, III, footnote under Caranxomorus ; type ScIvENus 

 EX Fusco c^RULESCENS: Caranxomorus sacrestinus Lacepcdc, 

 Labrus furcatus Lacepede. 

 Identical with Aphareus Cuv. & Val., the name apparently a variant of Sci- 



^na. Apparently ineligible. 



Naseus Commerson, III, 105, under Naso ; type Naseus fronticornis 

 Fuscus Commerson (Ch^todon fronticornis L.). 

 Equivalent to Naso Lacepede, Naseus Cuv. & Val. 



