QUESTION re nudibranch family-level updates: Superfamily Fionidae and above

More changes, and a question down at the bottom! @kueda

As per an email from @bernardpicton today, I've spent the morning (hopefully updating iNat correctly) to reflect the latest updates on WoRMS, which are based on this paper he co-authored:

Korshunova, T.; Martynov, A.; Picton, B. (2017). Ontogeny as an important part of integrative taxonomy in tergipedid aeolidaceans (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia) with a description of a new genus and species from the Barents Sea. Zootaxa. 4324(1): 1., available online at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4324.1.1

Among other things, this update "unmerges" @jpsilva 's Taxonomic Merge 18846, which he only recently committed on 2016-12-27. In other words, this reinstates the following families under superfamily Fionoidea:

  • Tergipedidae
  • Eubrachidae
  • Calmidae
  • Fionidae
    And there are other changes as well, which hopefully I've reproduced correctly on iNat. Please tell me if I haven't!

HOWEVER!, my question for you experts is this (and please bear in mind that I am not a taxonomist, merely a volunteer!): On iNat, there is a hodge-podge of families, superfamilies and one infraorder under the Order Nudibranchia. However, on WoRMS, the structure has suborder, infraorder, and parvorder before getting down to Superfamily Fionoidea:
(http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=412646). Unfortunately iNat doesn't seen to have parvorder, so I'm stumped as to how I should connect, since we follow WoRMS, without botching things terribly. I'm willing to spend the time to update and reorganize things, but uncertain how to proceed in this case.

Thanks @bernardpicton @kueda @jpsilva (and anyone else willing to chip in!) for whatever you can suggest!

  • Robin
Posted on 03 de outubro de 2017, 06:52 PM by anudibranchmom anudibranchmom

Comentários

Painful. @loarie, do you want to support a new "parvorder" rank that sits within infraorder but contains zoosection (presumably)? Personally I think that's an excessive degree of categorization and would be happy to just ignore parvorders, but I don't feel too strongly about it. We've already caved to the splitters (zoosubsection?!?!), might as well keep caving...

Publicado por kueda mais de 6 anos antes

Ha, thanks @kueda, not intending to inflict additional agony... I'm sure WoRMS isn't perfect either. I'm happy to go with whatever you guys suggest.

Publicado por anudibranchmom mais de 6 anos antes

I'm fine with whatever but I think we should be clear about what the taxonomic reference is. According to the curator guide policies its WoRMs. If its another source, or if folks are picking and choosing among several sources would be good to make that clear. (and if the latter, I'd recommend adapting my approach to Amphibians here: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/loarie/11101-internal-reference-taxonomies-amphibian-pilot)

Publicado por loarie mais de 6 anos antes

The alternative to all these ranks is nesting clades of course, but that also has its problems.

Publicado por susanhewitt mais de 6 anos antes

@loarie It is just WoRMS, thankfully.

Publicado por anudibranchmom mais de 6 anos antes

I'm not sure if I'm understanding this right, but when I look at taxonomy for Nudibranchia (currently an Order) I get a listing of families, superfamilies, suborders and infraorders not ranked, but in alphabetical order. The families should be nested within superfamilies, then infraorders and those within suborders. I was wondering recently if it was possible to look at (or sort taxonomically) all representatives of any given higher taxon but I don't understand how to alter iNaturalist's taxonomy. In WoRMS each taxon has a parent and that accommodates however many ranks are used in any group. Of course as Susan says, Linnean rank-based classifications are hard to apply consistently especially now we have DNA trees and we taxonomists are constantly fiddling with it at the moment.

It would certainly be good to be able to separate out Dorid nudibranchs, Doridacea and Cladobranchs as most of the species are one or other of these infraorders. Unfortunately Aeolid nudibranchs, a really practical and easily recognised group, are a parvorder and there are 3 superfamilies of aeolids in the WoRMS classification. Personally I think this is not really right or justified from current DNA evidence but following WoRMS, which follows the latest publications quite sensibly, is the best way to go.

Publicado por bernardpicton mais de 6 anos antes

@anudibranchmom note the superfamily is Fionoidea not Fionidae - dae = family ending

:-)

Publicado por bernardpicton mais de 6 anos antes

@bernardpicton I've fixed this typo in the message above. It seems to be spelled correctly everywhere else.

Publicado por anudibranchmom mais de 6 anos antes

I added the parvorder rank if you want to add parvorders.

Publicado por kueda mais de 6 anos antes

@kueda Ok, I did. I think I now nested the Nudibranch taxonomy and all seems to work the way I thought it should when I ask for a life list - ie. it is in taxonomic order.. :-)

Publicado por bernardpicton mais de 6 anos antes

Ok I'll get going! Thanks everyone.

Publicado por anudibranchmom mais de 6 anos antes

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