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Re: names

Hello,

Part of the problem and confusion in the current name-change-derby is
that "somebody" reclassifies a family of killies -- right, wrong, or
indifferent -- and many hobbyists jump on the bandwagon right away,
wanting to be "the first kid on the block" to use the new name without,
really, knowing whether the change was justified, or not. 

For that name change that "somebody" receives a notch up on his/her
academic career, and a publication (remember: publish or perish!). All
the hobbyists get is a dose of confusion. The fish, of course, couldn't
care less... :-)

A year later another person needs a lift in his/ger career and changes
that re-classification, this time based on mitochondrial DNA... and the
game continues...

Since time immemorial the taxonomists were of two kinds: The "lumpers"
and the "splitters". It seems that lately the splitters are in
ascendancy, to the detriment of the hobby, in my opinion. After all,
they all have their own priorities, and the good of the hobby is NOT one
of them!

Couldn't we just wait to change the names of the killies we keep at
least until the DNA results for any reclassification are confirmed
and/or finalized? Would it hurt the hobby if we waited and used these
"old", but established, names? Would we confuse anybody? Just the
opposite, in my opinion! After all there are examples of name changes
being rolled back!

On one hand, we always stress that we, in the AKA, are hobbyists, on the
other we act like name-change-groupies chasing the latest name-change.
WHY? 

It's obviously got so bad, that here we have a serious discussion about
using "common names" instead of the everchanging scientific ones...

Best,

George






LeeH920226 at aol_com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 1/28/01 9:59:25 AM, BizEcology at aol_com writes:
> 
> <<
> Until we have a stable naming system, killie names will only provide another
> barrier to expanding this part of the aquarium hobby.
>  >>
> 
> When is that going to happen? We recently have had Cynolebias being split to
> many new genera. The same with Pterolebias and Aphyosemion and
> Fundulopanchax. It will change again when more DNA studies are completed. I
> doubt that there will ever be a stable scientific name, but they are still
> better than ambiguous common names.
> 
> Lee Harper
> ---------------
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