Comentaris sobre algunes causes d'errors o d'inexactituds en la nomenclatura catalana dels peixos marins

Abstract

Errors have been committed, some of them serious, both in proposing standard names and in establishing synonyms among Catalan fish names. The reasons for this are several: 1) Incorrect information from fishermen: the name peix molar associated with dofí. 2) Perpetuation of incorrect spellings: mussola gravatxa for mussola gavatxa. 3) Extension or restriction of the semantic range of a word: clavellada skate applied indiscriminately to all rays (rajades). Bastina used as a synonym for rajada 4) Misinterpretation of different scientific names as synonyms. It has been assumed that Spicara smaris and Spicara flexuosa are synonyms, and hence the equivalent names in Catalan, too. Even when the confusion over the scientific names was resolved, the Catalan names were not corrected, so the Nomenclatura Oficial Catalana (Official Catalan Nomenclature) still says that the name xucla blanca can also be applied to the gerret.