Classification of major invertebrate phyla and classes

I. PRINCIPLES OF TAXONOMY

A. CLASSIFICATION AND NOMENCLATURE

Taxonomy is the classification and nomenclature of organisms. The naming of animals and plants is conducted according to the respective guidelines or codes known as the International Rules of Zoological Nomenclature by the International Committee on Zoological Nomenclature and the International Rules of Botanical Nomenclature by the International Committee on Botanical Nomencalture. Problems or disagreements on interpretation of these codes are ruled on by govering committees.

All living and fossil organisms are named according to a binomial system of Latin or latinized words. This taxonomic system dates to the tenth edition of Systema Naturae by Carolus Linnaeus (1758). Accordingly:

  1. The law of priority establishes that the first valid
  2. A valid species must be accomplanied by a description
  3. A subsequent name given to the same species or genus
  4. Synonyms are different names for the same species
  5. A Homonym is the same name for more than one species
  6. Only one organism can have a specific name. If another

1. The species name.

e.g. Nitzschia weaveri Ciesielski


2. Indication of a transfer of the genus

3. Subgenera and Subspecies Names

4. Taxonomic Name Endings


B. Some Important Type Terms

1. Types of Familes

2. Types of generic Category

3. Types of Specific Categories


C. The Synonymy

A synonymy is an arranged chronology of the taxonomic history of a taxon. All published scientific names by which the species has been designated. Citings are given in chronological order with bibliographic references after each name. Generic and specific names are followed by the author of the species. The author's name is in parentheses if the species is tranferred to another genus.

Examples:

Family Spongodiscidae (Haeckel) Riedel, 1967
Genus Spongaster Ehrenberg, 1860

Spongaster tetras Ehrenberg, 1861, p. 833; 1862, p. 301; 1872, pl. VI, fig. 8;
Nigrini, 1967, p. 41, pl. 5, figs. 1a-b, 2.

Simonseniella curvirostris (Jousé) Fenner, 1991

Rhizosolenia curvirostris Jousé, 1959, p. 48, pl. 2, fig. 17.
Simonseniella curvirostris (Jousé) Fenner, 1991, p. 108

Genus Bachmannocena Locker, 1974 emend. Bukry, 1987b
Bachmannocena circulus (Ehrenberg) Locker, 1974 [Plate III, 1-3]
Dictyocha circulus Ehrenberg, 1840, 1840:208.
Mesocena circulus Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1844, 1844:65.
Mesocena circulus Ehrenberg in Ehrenberg, 1854, pl. 19, fig. 44.
Bachmannocena circulus, Locker, 1974, p. 636, pl. 2, fig. 11 ( = lectotype).
Paramesocena circulus circulus (Ehrenberg) Locker and Martini, 1986, p. 909, pl. 9, figs. 2-4, pl. 12, figs. 4-5.
Paramesocena circulus circulus Locker and Martini, 1986, p. 909, pl. 9, figs, 2-4; pl. 12, figs. 4 and 5.


D. Latin Terms and Abbreviations

Abbrev.
Word(s) Abbreviated
Meaning
aff. affinis having affinity with (related) but not identical with
cf.  confer compare
gen. nov. genus novum new genus
ibid. ibidem in the same place (reference)
loc. cit. loco citate place cited (publication and page)
non not
nom. nov. nomen novum new name
n. nov.  nomen novum new name
nomen nudum name without a description
nov. novum new
nov. sp. nova species new species
n. sp. nova species new species
op. cit. opare citato publication cited (not page reference)
partim part
q. v. quod vide which see
s. s. sensu stricto in the strict sense
s.l. sensu lato in the wide sense
sic thus (to indicate that speling or reference is just as given)
sp. species species (singular)
sp. indet. species indeterminata species indeterminate
sp. nov. species nova new species
subsp. subspecies subspecies
vide see