Salmon Nomenclature

Abstract

Payne, Child and Forrest¹ have shown little regard for the rules of zoological nomenclature in proposing the subspecific names “europaeus” and “americanus” for the Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. First, the European stock, binominally named by Linnaeus, must become the nominate subspecies and, therefore, should bear the name Salmo salar salar Linnaeus, 1758² rather than S. salar europaeus. Second, a cursory examination of the literature reveals a number of older and available names for the North American stock. These include S. immaculatus Storer 1950³, S. sebago Girard 1854⁴, S. gloveri Girard 1856⁵ and S. ouananiche McCarthy 1894⁶, any of which must take precedence over S. salar americanus. Undoubtedly any British ichthyological systematist could advise the authors on correct choice of names for their subspecies. At the same time, they should consider that while designation of type-specimens in the species group is not mandatory, it is a protocol to which systematists almost invariably adhere⁷.