Towards a list of available names in Zoology, partim Phylum Rotifera: an update

Many, mostly older, names of animal species are nomenclaturally problematic, either because their orthography is unstable, or they cannot be linked reliably to a taxonomic identity, due to lack of recognisable descriptions and/or types. Yet, they represent available (sensu International Code of Zoological Nomenclature; The Code) names and must be taken into account. This situation is undesirable: available senior, yet dubious names confounding nomenclature. It creates uncertainties at a time when molecular approaches are revolutionizing concepts of species diversity, and fails us when the current extinction crisis calls for efficient, accurate, and constructive approaches to document, monitor, and conserve biodiversity. The Code provides a means to address this issue by restricting availability, application, and orthography of names to those included in the List of Available Names in Zoology (LAN). As allowed by The Code (Art. 79), the international assembly of rotiferologists at the 12th Rotifera Symposium (Berlin, 2009) mandated us to propose to the Commission, a candidate part of the LAN for Phylum Rotifera. We explored this possibility for 3570 species-group names of Phylum Rotifera (of which 665 are problematic), by presenting such a candidate Rotifera part of the LAN; the list is now open for discussion on the web site of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (http://www.iczn.org). This site holds both the candidate list and a forum to facilitate discussion. The list itself also can be freely downloaded from three other Internet sites: http://fada.biodiversity.be, http://rotifer.ansp.org/LAN, and www.hausdernatur.at/rotifera. Here we provide an overview of the general approach and procedures applied in preparation of the candidate list and update the present status of the candidate part of the LAN. We further illustrate how our effort can contribute to a standard list of names for use in taxonomy, the Global Names Architecture and other biodiversity information initiatives.