Guide to the Nemenzo Species

Nemenzo described over 375 species of corals from specimens collected mostly from Mindoro, Palawan, and Cebu. Of these, he proposed that 94 were new species and 5 were new varieties – it is these which we refer to as “Nemenzo species.” Just over 40 of these species are considered valid, while the rest have been synonymized.

Given the extreme diversity of Philippine corals, of which there are an estimated 505 species 1 , and the relatively low circulation and poor print quality of Nemenzo’s original publications, it is worth revisiting this esteemed taxonomist’s identifications for their potential significance in defining Philippine coral diversity.

Nemenzo’s original specimens are scattered in four repositories across the country: the Marine Science Institute and Institute of Biology at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, Silliman University in Dumaguete, and the University of San Carlos in Cebu. This poses a considerable challenge to scientists seeking to validate Nemenzo’s work.
 

This website provides, for the first time, convenient public access to a large collection of high-quality photos of Nemenzo’s specimens. These are accompanied by Nemenzo’s own original descriptions and the taxonomic source and material for each, along with updated information on the taxonomic status of each Nemenzo species and the current physical location of each specimen.