Types of types

Type specimens are the name bearing specimens upon which scientific names are based.

Type	Definition
Allotype	A term designating a specimen of opposite sex to the holotype.
Cotype	A term no longer used. Formerly used for either a syntype or paratype.
Holotype	The single specimen on which the taxon was based or the single specimen designated as the name-bearing (or primary) specimen.
Lectotype	A syntype later designated as the one name-bearing type specimen.
Neotype	The specimen designated as the name-bearing type of a nominal species or subspecies for which no holotype, or lectotype, or syntype, or prior neotype is believed to exist.
Paralectotype	The type specimens remaining after a lectotype is designated.
Paratype	Specimens of the type series other than the holotype.
Primary types	Holotypes, Syntypes, Lectotypes and Neotypes
Secondary types	Non-primary types such as paratypes and paralectotypes
Syntype	Each specimen of a type series (of equal rank) when no holotype or lectotype has been named.
Type	A term used alone or as part of a compound term used for a kind of specimen or taxon.
Type series	The original name-bearing specimens used to define a species-group taxon.
Type species	The (nominal) species that is the name-bearing type of a genus or subgenus.
"Non-Types"
Chirotype	This term is sometimes used to refer to type specimens before the manuscript is published. When the paper describing the species is published, the specimens are no longer chirotypes but become true type specimens (see above).
Genotype	This term has been used incorrectly for the type species of a genus.
Plesiotype	This term has been used for a specimen illustrated in a publication. These are not type specimens. Plesiotype was sometimes used by G.P. Whitley, one of the most famous of Australian ichthyologists. Whitley worked in the Australian Museum Fish Section from 1922 till 1964.
Topotype	This term has been used for specimens collected from the type locality after the original description of the species.

Most of these definitions are from Eschmeyer (1998), and are used with the permission of Dr W.N. Eschmeyer.

Reference:

Eschmeyer, W.N. (Ed). 1998. Catalog of fishes. Special Publication, California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. 3 vols. Pp. 2905.

Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated: 26 July 2012

Tags fishes, ichthyology, types of types, holotype, paratye, paratype, syntype, lectotype, paralectotype, neotype,