Species and subspecies treated as synonyms in the Catalogue of Life
Source: IUCN Red List 2026-1 vs Catalogue of Life COL26.7 XR (2026-07-17) · 11,664 rows
The table below lists IUCN species, subspecies, and varieties whose scientific name the Catalogue of Life records as a synonym of a different accepted name. That accepted name is shown in the CoL accepted name column. Rows where IUCN in turn lists the CoL accepted name as its own synonym are on Name pairs where IUCN and the Catalogue of Life differ on which name is accepted instead.
Why it matters
Where CoL has moved a name into synonymy, the IUCN name may be an earlier combination of the same species, or a taxon that has since been merged into another. Databases that follow the Catalogue of Life file the taxon under the accepted name, not the IUCN one.
Suggestion
Compare each IUCN name with the CoL accepted name and confirm which reflects current taxonomy.
The Catalogue of Life crosscheck
Every assessed name is checked against the Catalogue of Life; each difference found is listed on exactly one of the pages below.
| Page | Names | What it lists |
|---|---|---|
| Names not found in the Catalogue of Life | 745 | The name is absent from CoL: no near spelling, and no other name for the taxon either. |
| Names with a close Catalogue of Life match | 799 | The name is absent from CoL; a near spelling exists in the same genus or epithet. |
| Names absent from the Catalogue of Life where another name for the taxon is present | 134 | The name is absent from CoL; another IUCN-listed name for the taxon is there as a synonym. |
| Species and subspecies treated as synonyms in the Catalogue of Life this page | 11,664 | CoL treats the name as a synonym of an accepted name IUCN does not list. |
| Higher-rank names treated as synonyms in the Catalogue of Life | 717 | A genus or higher name CoL records only as a synonym. |
| Higher-rank placement differences that look like spelling variants | 94 | A higher taxon whose CoL parent name looks like a spelling variant of IUCN's. |
| Minor naming authority differences | 9,343 | Exact name match; the author is spelled differently. |
| Name pairs where IUCN and the Catalogue of Life differ on which name is accepted | 2,742 | Both catalogues hold both names and disagree only on which is accepted. |
| Higher-rank names placed differently in the Catalogue of Life | 1,663 | A higher taxon placed under a genuinely different CoL parent. |
By rank
Every row is in the CSV download.
| Rank | Count |
|---|---|
| species | 11,031 |
| subspecies | 429 |
| variety | 204 |
By class
197,008 assessments compared. Top classes shown; every row is in the CSV download.
| Class | Count |
|---|---|
| MAGNOLIOPSIDA | 4,335 |
| INSECTA | 1,871 |
| ACTINOPTERYGII | 1,021 |
| LILIOPSIDA | 727 |
| AVES | 715 |
| GASTROPODA | 681 |
| MALACOSTRACA | 401 |
| MAMMALIA | 375 |
| AMPHIBIA | 324 |
| BIVALVIA | 210 |
| BRYOPSIDA | 151 |
| REPTILIA | 143 |
| HOLOTHUROIDEA | 121 |
| CEPHALOPODA | 117 |
| POLYPODIOPSIDA | 114 |
Preview
| IUCN name | Rank | IUCN status | IUCN year | CoL accepted name | CoL authority | CoL year | CoL entry | CoL name in IUCN synonyms | Class | Family | Taxon id | Red List | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pterothrissus belloci | species | DD | 2012 | Nemoossis belloci | (Cadenat, 1937) | 1937 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | ALBULIDAE | 194305 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Nemoossis belloci. |
| Thalassenchelys foliaceus | species | DD | 2010 | Congriscus maldivensis | (Norman, 1939) | 1939 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | CHLOPSIDAE | 154642 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Congriscus maldivensis. |
| Ariosoma howensis | species | LC | 2019 | Ariosoma howense | (McCulloch & Waite, 1916) | 1916 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | CONGRIDAE | 199356 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Ariosoma howense. |
| Ariosoma major | species | LC | 2019 | Ariosoma majus | (Asano, 1958) | 1958 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | CONGRIDAE | 199094 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Ariosoma majus. |
| Congriscus megastomus | species | LC | 2019 | Congriscus megastoma | (Günther, 1877) | 1877 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | CONGRIDAE | 199035 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Congriscus megastoma. |
| Leptocephalus congroides | species | DD | 2019 | Heteroconger congroides | (D'Ancona, 1928) | 1928 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | CONGRIDAE | 199412 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Heteroconger congroides. |
| Pseudophichthys macroporis | species | DD | 2019 | Bathycongrus macroporis | (Kotthaus, 1968) | 1968 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | CONGRIDAE | 103707407 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Bathycongrus macroporis. |
| Uropterygius alboguttatus | species | LC | 2022 | Uropterygius xanthopterus | Bleeker, 1859 | 1859 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | MURAENIDAE | 103707975 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Uropterygius xanthopterus. |
| Facciolella karreri | species | LC | 2010 | Facciolella karrerae | Klausewitz, 1995 | 1995 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | NETTASTOMATIDAE | 154860 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Facciolella karrerae. |
| Facciolella oxyrhyncha | species | DD | 2011 | Facciolella oxyrhynchus | (Bellotti, 1883) | 1883 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | NETTASTOMATIDAE | 194976 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Facciolella oxyrhynchus. |
| Facciolella oxyrhyncha | species | DD | 2015 | Facciolella oxyrhynchus | (Bellotti, 1883) | 1883 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | NETTASTOMATIDAE | 194976 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Facciolella oxyrhynchus. |
| Facciolella oxyrhyncha | species | LC | 2023 | Facciolella oxyrhynchus | (Bellotti, 1883) | 1883 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | NETTASTOMATIDAE | 194976 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Facciolella oxyrhynchus. |
| Lamnostoma orientalis | species | LC | 2012 | Lamnostoma orientale | (McClelland, 1844) | 1844 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | OPHICHTHIDAE | 196426 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Lamnostoma orientale. |
| Lamnostoma polyophthalma | species | LC | 2012 | Lamnostoma polyophthalmus | (Bleeker, 1853) | 1853 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | OPHICHTHIDAE | 196427 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Lamnostoma polyophthalmus. |
| Muraenichthys hattae | species | DD | 2022 | Muraenichthys gymnopterus | (Bleeker, 1853) | 1853 | view | no | ACTINOPTERYGII | OPHICHTHIDAE | 103693544 | view | Catalogue of Life treats this name as a synonym of Muraenichthys gymnopterus. |
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