The name Delphinus melas, given by Schlegel (1841) to a Finless Porpoise from Japan, is a junior homonym of Delphinus melas Traill, 1809 (now: Globicephala melaena). The generic name Neomeris Gray, 1846 is preoccupied by Neomeris Costa, 1844; the valid nomen novum for Gray’s genus is Neophocaena Palmer, 1899. Neomeris asiaeorientalis Pilleri & Gihr, 1973 belongs to the same taxon as described by Schlegel. Therefore the correct name of the Japanese form described by Schlegel is Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis (Pilleri & Gihr, 1973).

Beaufortia

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Naturalis journals & series

van Bree, P. (1973). Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis (Pilleri & Gihr, 1973), a synonym of the preoccupied name Delphinus melas Schlegel, 1841 (Notes on Cetacea, Delphinoidea VII). Beaufortia, 21(274), 17–24.