Abstract
The species Cymatopleura brunii was named by Paul Petit (Paul Charles Mirbel Petit, 1834–1913, TL-2: 199) but assumed to be first published by Jacques-Joseph Brun (1826–1908) in his article ‘Diatomées lacustres, marines ou fossiles, espèces nouvelles ou insuffisamment connues’ published in Le Diatomiste (Brun 1895: pl. XIV, fig. 24, reproduced here as Figure 5). Brun’s article is composed of only a series of plates accompanied with brief descriptions of most of the specimens illustrated. Although the four plates (XIV–XVII) were issued in sequence as part of the short-lived journal Le Diatomiste, they came with separate covers (the front cover is reproduced here as Figure 12; the end cover is plain). Brun (1895) is often cited as consisting of Pls XIV–XVII and plates XIX–XX. There are, however, just four plates: Pls XIV–XVII. Plate XVIII was never issued (see Le Diatomiste 2: 252) and plates XIX–XXIV are those illustrating Brun (1896), a different article. (A publication history of Le Diatomiste is in preparation). This series of plates included the figure of Cymatopleura brunii with the comment that “Peut etre consideree comme une variété arrondie et tres ridée de la Cym. hybernica W. Sm.” (Brun 1895: pl. XIV, fig. 24). Although without any proper written description, it can still be considered a validly published name (see Guiry in Guiry & Guiry 2020). Yet there is an earlier account, which appears to have never been cited since its publication, where Petit provided both a full description and a figure of Cymatopleura brunii (Petit in Lortet 1883: 191, pl. 23, fig. 61, description reproduced here as Figure 11, Petit’s figure is reproduced here as Figure 1). This figure appears to differ from that in Brun (1895: pl. XIV, fig. 24, reproduced here as Figure 5).