The purpose of this application, under Articles 65.2.1 and 65.2.2 of the Code, is to preserve stability in the nomenclature and taxonomy of two families of marine fishes by designating Chaetodon orbis Bloch, 1787 as the type species of the genus Ephippus. It has long been overlooked that the type species of Ephippus is actually C. argus and not C. orbis. Chaetodon argus is also the type species of Scatophagus. Under current usage, Ephippus and Scatophagus are the type genera of the family-group names ephippidae and scatophagidae, respectively, two widely known families in fisheries, the pet trade, and medical and popular literature. Application of the Code would create confusion with the use of these two family-group and two genus-group names. It is proposed that C. orbis be designated as type species of the genus Ephippus to stabilise the current usage.
Ephippus Cuvier, 1816, ephippidae Gill, 1861, Scatophagus Cuvier, 1831 and scatophagidae Bleeker, 1876 (Osteichthyes): proposed conservation of current usage by designation of Chaetodon orbis Bloch, 1787 as type species of Ephippus," The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 67(4), 303-306, (1 December 2010). https://doi.org/10.21805/bzn.v67i4.a13
