Mysteries surrounding the Hector’s Dolphin holotype Electra hectori P.-J. Van Beneden, 1881

ABSTRACT

For more than 140 years, the type locality of the Hector’s dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori [Van Beneden 1881] and the whereabouts of the holotype have been in question. The species was based on a specimen from New Zealand, sent to Otto Finsch in Germany. Finsch forwarded the specimen to Pierre-Joseph Van Beneden in Belgium who described it as Electra hectori, without specifying whether its location was the NE coast of the South or the North Island. Of the six persons who may have shipped out the holotype, von Haast, Hutton, or Travers are the most likely; Potts, Hector and Buller are less plausible. The connections between NZ and European museums were analysed. Based on our review and the rarity of records from the NE coast of the North Island, we believe that the NE coast of the South Island should be considered the type locality, consistent with the nomenclature of the two subspecies C. h. hectori and C. h. maui. The holotype was partially destroyed at Leuven Museum during WWII, while remaining bones, transferred to the national museum in Brussels, possibly in 1964, were lost. Finally, we propose to change the species name to Aotearoa dolphin, to distinguish from the true Hector’s dolphin, the nominate subspecies C. hectori hectori.

KEYWORDS:

• Cephalorhynchus hectori
• Finsch
• Hector’s dolphin
• Holotype
• Hector
• New Zealand
• Van Beneden

Acknowledgements

We gratefully thank Luc Brendock, Olivier Lambert, and Rudy Herman for miscellaneous tips and photographs that helped to consolidate the absence of the holotype in four Belgian museums and to elucidate the likely succession of events that led to its loss. Olivier Lambert (KBIN, Brussels) is thanked also for providing a photo of the original KBIN register of C. hectori and for his insightful review. We are much indebted also to Randall R. Reeves for his review, especially his emphasising the incongruence of current vernacular nomenclature of Hector’s dolphin. We thank Felix G. Marx, Curator Vertebrates, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa for informing us on the status of various specimens under his care. Molly Hagemann, Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, Honolulu kindly provided details on a specimen they purchased from Travers. In addition, we received valuable comments on some of the early New Zealand scientists from Hilary Howes, Colin Miskelly, and from Paul Star and Scott Baker on genetics.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Born as Pieter Jozef Van Beneden on 19 December 1809 in Mechelen, Flanders, Belgium (De Smet 1995), his evident Flemish family name and roots were often erroneously ‘translated’ as Van Bénéden, to accommodate the then prevailing French language prerogatives of Belgian academic circles. The pressure was such that he published under his equivalent (French) Pierre-Joseph given name.