Nactus pelagicus (GIRARD, 1858)
Can you confirm these amateur observations of Nactus pelagicus?
Nactus pelagicus
Find more photos by Google images search: 
| Higher Taxa | Gekkonidae, Gekkota, Sauria, Squamata (lizards: geckos) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Pelagic Gecko, Rock Gecko |
| Synonym | Gymnodactylus Arnouxii DUMÉRIL 1851 Heteronota pelagica GIRARD 1858: 197 Heteronota fasciata MACLEAY 1877: 100 (non Homonota fasciatus BLYTH) Heteronota marmorata MACLEAY 1877: 100 Gymnodactylus arnouxii — BOULENGER 1885: 39 Gymnodactylus pelagicus — BOULENGER 1885: 40 Gymnodactylus pelagicus — GARMAN 1901: 1 Gymnodactylus pelagicus — DE ROOIJ 1915: 6 Gymnodactylus pelagicus — BURT & BURT 1932 Cyrtodactylus pelagicus — UNDERWOOD 1954: 475 Gymnodactylus pelagicus — TANNER 1950 Nactus arnouxii — KLUGE 1983: 469 Cyrtodactylus pelagicus — ZUG 1985 Nactus pelagicus — GREER 1989 Nactus pelagicus — RÖSLER 1995: 134 Nactus pelagicus — COGGER 2000: 253 Nactus ‘pelagicus’ — WILSON & SWAN 2010 Nactus cf. pelagicus — KOCH 2011: 189 Nactus pelagicus — ZUG 2020: 49 |
| Distribution | Papua New Guinea, Melanesia to central Pacific; Micronesia (Lukunor Atoll, Uman District Islands etc.), Akiaki, Tuamotu Archipelago, Fiji Islands, Rotuma, Western Samoa, Solomon Islands [Nactus multicarinatus; McCoy 2000], New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Vanuatu, Cook Islands (Roratonga), Tonga Islands, Guam Indonesia (Talaud archipelago, Sulawesi etc.), Australia (Queensland: Cape York Peninsula and Mornington Island), USA: Northern Mariana Islands, Guam. Type locality: Samoa (as Navigator Ils.) and Fiji, restricted to Ovalau, Fiji (Zug and Moon, 1995:88). |
| Reproduction | Nactus pelagicus is a composite of unisexual [parthenogenetic] and bisexual populations. Note however that Zug and Moon (1995) recognized Nactus pelagicus as the asexual species for the populations in southern Vanuatu and elsewhere in Oceania, and N. multicarinatus for the bisexual species from Vanuatu and the southern Solomon Islands. |
| Types | Lectotype: USNM 5626 (2 specimens) |
| Diagnosis | Definitions: Oceania: A unisexual taxon of geckos (Gekkoninae) with moderate to large adults (♀♀ 48–71 mm SVL) with keeled subcaudals, no or small postmental scales (typically ≤6), usually postmental-infralabial (≥1) contact, moderate number of dorsal tubercle rows (15–18) and moderate to high number of tubercles (19–35) in parasagittal row (TubRow), enlarged tubercles on dorsal surface of hindlimb, and no precloacal pores (the preceding description is from Zug and Moon, 1995). Manus: A unisexual taxon of geckos (Gekkoninae) with moderate to large adults (♀♀ 49–61 mm SVL) with keeled subcaudals, moderate postmental scales (8–18), no postmental-infralabial (0) contact, moderate number of dorsal tubercle rows (12–19) and moderately high number of tubercles (28–37) in parasagittal row (TubRow), enlarged tubercles on dorsal surface of hindlimb, and usually no precloacal pores (preceding from Manus Island data, sample 26, and Zug and Fisher, 2012). Bougainville: A unisexual taxon of geckos (Gekkoninae) with moderate to large adults (♀♀ 52–62 mm SVL) with keeled subcaudals, small to moderate postmental scales (usually ≤6), usually postmental-infralabial (≥1) contact, moderate number of dorsal tubercle rows (14–19) and moderately high number of tubercles (26–33) in parasagittal row (TubRow), enlarged tubercles on dorsal surface of hindlimb, and no precloacal pores (preceding from Bougainville data, sample 33) (Zug 2020) |
| Comment | Distribution: Erroneously reported from the Society Archipelago (HR 26: 159). A population on Guam was thought to be extinct but rediscovered after 50 years (Rodda & Fritts 1996). Many populations of Nactus were described as new by Zug, including those formerly included in N. pelagicus. See list of Nactus and their ranges. Synonymy: Gymnodactylus multicarinatus GÜNTHER 1872 has been removed from the synonymy of Nactus pelagicus and elevated to full species status by ZUG & MOON 1995. Heteronota eboracensis MACLEAY 1877 and Gymnodactylus cheverti BOULENGER 1885 are treated here as full species following COGGER 2000, although other authors synoymize them with N. pelagicus. Zug 2020 removed Gymnodactylus (Heteronota) arfakianus MEYER 1874: 129 and Gymnodactylus heteronotus BOULENGER 1885 from the synonymy of N. pelagicus and revalidated both species. Subspecies: Nactus pelagicus undulatus (KOPSTEIN 1926) has been elevated to full species by Zug 2020. Type species: Gymnodactylus Arnouxii DUMÉRIL 1851 is the type species of the genus Nactus KLUGE 1983: 469 |
| Etymology | The species name pelagicus derives from the Greek adjective pelagikos for “of the sea.” Etymology (genus): Nactus is Latin for "stumbled upon," which alludes to Kluge’s discovery by chance of the assemblage of species within Cyrtodactylus. |
| References |
|
| External links |