What does 'sp.' and 'cf.' mean?

[ShadowBass]

In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal system of naming species. The system is also called binominal nomenclature (particularly in zoological circles), binary nomenclature (particularly in botanical circles), or the binomial classification system. The essence of it is that each species name is in (modern scientific) Latin and has two parts, so that it is also sometimes popularly known as the "Latin name" of the species, although this terminology is frowned upon by biologists and philologists, who prefer the phrase scientific name. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binomial_nomenclature




It relates the "modern" scientific name with the "Latin" name for a species. "CF" means, in English, the fish has two names, one Latin, one modern....Confer

This is from your own link:

The abbreviation "cf." is used when the identification is not confirmed.
For example Corvus cf. splendens indicates "a bird similar to the House Crow but not certainly identified as this species".

And if you click on the link for "cf.", you get this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cf.

In the system of binomial nomenclature, the use of "cf." is similarly used to indicate that the species need be seen in context of its comparison to another, but by definition is not confirmed as the same. For example Corvus cf. splendens indicates "a bird similar to the House Crow but not certainly identified as this species". For this reason many mistakenly believe that "cf" is an abbreviated form of "confirmed" or "inconfirmatus" or the like.

 

[ShadowBass]

EX: Geophagus cf. brasiliensis


I was just curious but this is a type of geo that Jeff Rapps just got in. Correct me if I'm wrong but 'brasiliensis' is one of the scientific names meaning either latin or modern.

Say it is the latin name, the modern name would be an updated, different name??
OR would it be like one guy named it this in 1865 and another guy named it this in 1934. Make sense?

Jamie

The fish appears to be Geophagus brasiliensis, or is similar, but not confirmed as that species.

 

[ShadowBass]

http://rfbolland.com/okislugs/misc_abb.html

This definition is a lot less confusing:

cf.
cf. is an abbreviation from a Latin word (confer) and means 'refer to' or 'compare with'. So when, as an example, Discodoris cf. palma is used it means the writer is not certain what it is but it could possibly be Discodoris palma or perhaps something closely related, or at least similar in appearance. This has no taxonomic status and is just a convenient way of temporarily naming an animal until its true identity can be resolved.

Sorry for the 3 posts in a row, I'm just trying to make this a lot less complicated. Too many people are posting things that aren't related to the original question.

Hopefully this helps.

 

[bigspizz]

http://rfbolland.com/okislugs/misc_abb.html

This definition is a lot less confusing:




Sorry for the 3 posts in a row, I'm just trying to make this a lot less complicated. Too many people are posting things that aren't related to the original question.

Hopefully this helps.

When used buy fish "sellers" It is what I explained earlier. "cf" stands for a thousand thing not limited to cystic fibrosis, catch frase,,,Etc.... The answer to the O.p's question is This>>

It relates the "modern" scientific name with the "Latin" name for a species. "CF" means, in English, the fish has two names, one Latin, one modern....Confer