[Coral-List] coral nomenclature

[McCarty and Peters]

Dear Paul,

You have probably already heard the answer, but I did not see it on
Coral-List.   I was just checking the Integrated Taxonomic Information
System (ITIS) on the Internet and both Stephanocoenia intersepta and S.
michelini are still valid.  I thought they were synonyms and that
intersepta was preferred.

The most recent use of intersepta, according to ITIS, is reported in:

        Cairns, S.D.  1999.  Species richness of recent Scleractinia. Atoll
Research Bulletin, no. 59: 1-46.

The second edition of Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach's book changed from S.
michelinii to S. intersepts (unfortunately, a typographical error that was
not caught).  The book notes that it was "formerly classified as species
michelinii." 

I recall Nancy Budd published a paper establishing S. intersepta, but I
don't recall the specifics.  I'm hoping that she or Steve Cairns will
respond to your message and set us straight on the Coral-List!

Esther Peters