PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 109(4):653-663. 1996 A review of the taxonomic nomenclature and a checklist of the species of the Branchiobdellae (Annelida: Clitellata) Stuart R. Gelder Department of Science, University of Maine at Presque Isle, 181 Main Street, Presque Isle, Maine 04769-2888, U.S.A. Abstract. — The taxonomic nomenclature of the branchiobdellidans is re-viewed. This includes the higher rankings and the numerous generic names assigned during the first half of the 19th century, particularly the use of Bran-chiobdella for species of the marine leech, Branchellion. The current taxonomic situation is summarized to high light where inconsistencies and omissions exist in the data. The class Branchiobdellae consists of one order, Branchiobdellida, with five families containing a total of 21 genera and 149 species. The binomia are given with any junior synonyms, and these are followed by the citation in which the rank was reduced to junior status. In addition, the valid taxon Sin-odrilus heterorchis has been placed in incertae sedis until the entry point of the sperm ducts into the glandular atrium can be determined, two species are considered nomen inquirenda and three others nomen nudem. Branchiobdellidans are leech-like sym-bionts found mainly on astacid crayfish in the Holarctic. The taxon is monophyletic and is considered to be independent of, and equivalent in rank to, the clitellate Oligo-chaeta and Hirudinea (Holt 1989a, Gelder & Brinkhurst 1990, Brinkhurst & Gelder 1991). Currently, the Clitellata is consid-ered to be a subphylum, and so the three taxa just mentioned have the assigned rank of class. Thus, the higher taxonomic rank-ings of the branchiobdellidans are, the class Branchiobdellae Kasprzak, 1984, which consists of one order, Branchiobdellida Holt, 1965a, with five famihes (Holt 1986), Branchiobdellidae, Bdellodrilidae, Cambar-incolidae, Caridinophilidae, and Xironodril-idae. Historical review of the higher ranks. — The branchiobdellidans were raised to fam-ily rank by Grube (1851) with the name Branchiobdellea. Subsequently, Vejdovsky (1884) reduced "Branchiobdellidae aut." to a junior synonym of his proposed Discod-rilidae. Ludwig (1886:786) did not accept Vejdovsky 's recommendation, but changed the suffix used by Grube (1851) to read Branchiobdellidae. This spelling has contin-ued to be accepted as it conforms to the recommendations of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature for construct-ing a family name. The taxonomy of the branchiobdellidans has undergone a number of revisions, and this has resulted in some of the names and ranks becoming superfluous. The list below gives all of the names and their ranks as they have appeared in the literature. Higher Taxonomic Ranks and Names Proposed for Branchiobdellidans Class Branchiobdellae Kasprzak, 1984:217 Subclass Branchiobdellida Stuart, 1982:43 Branchiobdellidea Sawyer, 1986:647 Order Branchiobdellida Holt, 1965a:30 Superfamily Branchiobdelloidae Hall, 1914:190 Family Branchiobdellea Grube, 1851:114 Discodrilidae Vejdovsky, 1884:38 Branchiobdelhdae Ludwig, 1886:782 Bdellodrilidae Holt, 1986:668
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