Patronyms and toponyms in Indonesian coral taxonomy, with notes on selected sponge taxa
Article Sidebar
Abstract Views: 10
File Views: 0
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract. Luthfi OM, Wiadnya DGR, Luthfi MAB, Isdianto A, Yamindago A. 2026. Patronyms and toponyms in Indonesian coral taxonomy, with notes on selected sponge taxa. Biodiversitas 27 (4): d270444. https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d270444. Indonesia is located at the center of the Coral Triangle and has contributed substantially to the discovery and naming of reef-associated taxa. This study aimed to document and analyze patronyms, toponyms, and descriptive epithets in the scientific names of selected scleractinian corals and demosponges associated with Indonesian waters. A focused nomenclatural synthesis was conducted using primary taxonomic literature and biodiversity databases, including WoRMS, GBIF, ZooBank, and the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Twenty-four taxa were analyzed, comprising 16 Acroporidae, five other scleractinian corals, and three Demospongiae. Toponyms were the most frequent epithet type, representing 10 taxa (41.7%), followed by patronyms with eight taxa (33.3%) and descriptive epithets with six taxa (25.0%). Patronyms occurred mainly in Acroporidae, whereas toponyms were more common among other scleractinian corals and demosponges. Several names were associated with Indonesian localities such as Halmahera, Derawan, Bali, Cenderawasih Bay, Bangka, and Maluku, while patronyms recorded the contributions of scientists, collectors, and collaborators involved in Indonesian marine biodiversity studies. These findings show that species names are not only taxonomic labels but also compact records of biogeographic origin, scientific contribution, and taxonomic history. This study highlights Indonesia’s importance as a source of type material and as a major setting in coral and sponge taxonomy.
Article Details
Issue
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Aksholakova A. 2014. Proper name as a clue symbol of identity. Procedia Soc Behav Sci 112: 465-471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.1190.
Best MB, Hoeksema BW. 1987. New observations on scleractinian corals from Indonesia: 1. Free-living species belonging to the Faviina. Zool Meded Leiden 61: 387-403.
Calcinai B, Bastari A, Bavestrello G, Bertolino M, Horcajadas SB, Pansini M, Cerrano C. 2017a. Demosponge diversity from North Sulawesi, with the description of six new species. ZooKeys 680: 105-136. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.680.12135.
Calcinai B, Bastari A, Makapedua DM, Cerrano C. 2017b. Mangrove sponges from Bangka Island, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, with the description of a new species. J Mar Biol Assoc UK 97: 1417-1422. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315416000710.
Chow S, Chen C, Tsai D, Mezaki T, Kubota S, Hsieh H, Keshavmurthy S, Chen C. 2025. A clear distinction and presence of Acropora aff. divaricata within Acropora cf. solitaryensis species complex along their biogeographic distribution in East Asia. Sci Rep 15 (1): 9739. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-90051-x.
Crosbie AJ, Bridge TCL, Mera H, Rasmussen SH, Cabaitan PC, Cowman PF, Gress E. 2026. A nomenclature for the extant hermatypic scleractinian corals including type locations and taxonomic status for 2,338 nominal species. Mem Qld Mus 67: 1. https://doi.org/10.17082/hwmu8830.
De Voogd NJ. 2004. Callyspongia (Euplacella) biru spec. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) from Indonesia. Zool Meded Leiden 78: 477-483.
De Voogd NJ, Van Soest RW. 2007. Acanthotetilla celebensis sp. nov., a new species from North Sulawesi, Indonesia (Porifera: Demospongiae: Spirophorida: Tetillidae). Zootaxa 1397: 25-28. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1397.1.3.
Hoeksema BW. 2009. Attached mushroom corals (Scleractinia: Fungiidae) in sediment-stressed reef conditions at Singapore, including a new species and a new record. Raffles Bull Zool Suppl 22: 81-90.
Linnaeus C. 1758. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae. 10th eds. Laurentius Salvius, Stockholm.
Montilla LM, Ascanio A, Verde A, Croquer A. 2019. Systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 years of coral disease research visualized through the scope of network theory. PeerJ 7: e7041. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7041.
Quek ZBR, Jain SS, Richards ZT, Arrigoni R, Benzoni F, Hoeksema BW, Carvajal JI, Wilson NG, Baird AH, Kitahara MV, Seiblitz IGL, Vaga CF, Huang D. 2023. A hybrid-capture approach to reconstruct the phylogeny of Scleractinia (Cnidaria: Hexacorallia). Mol Phylogenet Evol 186: 107867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107867.
Rasmussen S, Cowman PF, Baird AH, Crosbie A, Quattrini AM, Bonito V, Sinniger F, Harii S, Cabaitan P, Fadli N, Tan C, Hung J, Rongo T, Huang D, Halafihi T, Bridge TCL. 2025. The tables have turned: Taxonomy, systematics and biogeography of the Acropora hyacinthus (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) complex. Invertebr Syst 39 (8): IS24049. https://doi.org/10.1071/IS24049.
Rehberg H. 1892. Neue Korallenarten aus dem Indischen Ozean. Zool Anz 15: 97-101. [Germany]
Santodomingo N, Wallace CC, Johnson KG. 2015. Fossils reveal a high diversity of the staghorn coral genera Acropora and Isopora (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) in the Neogene of Indonesia. Zool J Linn Soc 175: 677-763. https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12295.
Turak E, DeVantier L, Erdmann M. 2012. Euphyllia baliensis sp. nov. from Indonesia. Zootaxa 3422: 52-61. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3422.1.3.
Van der Horst CJ. 1921. The Madreporaria of the Siboga Expedition: 2. Madreporaria Fungida. Siboga-Expeditie XVIb. E.J. Brill, Leiden.
Veron JEN. 2000. Corals of the World. Vol. 1-3. Australian Institute of Marine Science and CRR, Queensland, Australia. https://www. marinespecies.org/scleractinia/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=16551. [7 March 2026].
Veron JEN, Stafford-Smith MG, DeVantier LM, Turak E. 2025. Review of coral taxonomy, evolution and diversity. Diversity 17 (12): 823. https://doi.org/10.3390/d17120823.
Wallace CC. 1997. New species and records of the genus Acropora. Australian Institute of Marine Science Monograph Series, Townsville.
Wallace CC, Chen CA, Fukami H, Muir PR. 2007. Recognition of separate genera within Acropora based on new morphological, reproductive and genetic evidence from Acropora togianensis, and elevation of the subgenus Isopora Studer, 1878 to genus (Scleractinia: Astrocoeniidae; Acroporidae). Coral Reefs 26: 231-239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-007-0210-5.
Wallace CC, Turak E, DeVantier L. 2011. Astreopora (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) from the Indo-Pacific, including the description of three new species. Zootaxa 2730: 1-22. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2730.1.1.
Wallace CC, Willis BL. 1994. Systematics of the coral genus Acropora: implications of new biological findings for species concepts. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 25: 237-262. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.25.110194.001321.
Wallace CC, Wolstenholme J. 1998. Revision of the coral genus Acropora (Scleractinia: Astrocoeniina: Acroporidae) in Indonesia. Zool J Linn Soc 123: 199-384. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1998.tb01302.x.