Revised 27 Nov. 2024
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Subfamily OXYBRYCONINAE Melo, Mattox & Oliveira 2024

Oxybrycon Géry 1964 oxýs (Gr. ὀξύς), sharp or pointed, referring to its small, sharp teeth; brycon, generalized term used in generic names of many characiform fishes, derived from brýchō (Gr. βρύχω), to bite, gnash teeth or eat greedily, originally an allusion to fully toothed maxillae

Oxybrycon parvulus Géry 1964 diminutive of parvus (L.), small, i.e., very small, a “miniscule” species, up to 16.3 mm SL

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Hummingbird Characin
Subfamily TROCHILOCHARACINAE Zarske 2010

Trochilocharax Zarske 2010 Trochilus, hummingbird genus, from trokhílos (Gr. τροχίλος), a small bird mentioned by Aristotle, presumably referring to the small size of T. ornatus (up to 17.0 mm SL); Charax, typical genus of the Characiformes, from chárax (Gr. χάραξ), a pointed stake of a palisade, referring to densely packed sharp teeth, now a common root-name formation in the order

Trochilocharax ornatus Zarske 2010 Latin for adorned or decorated, referring to its attractive coloration in life

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Subfamily STYGICHTHYINAE Géry 1972

Coptobrycon Géry 1966 copto-, from koptós (Gr. κοπτός), cut or chopped small, referring to loss of adipose fin and posterior mandibular teeth, i.e., “mutilated” per Géry; brycon, generalized term used in generic names of many characiform fishes, derived from brýchō (Gr. βρύχω), to bite, gnash teeth or eat greedily, originally an allusion to fully toothed maxillae

Coptobrycon bilineatus (Ellis 1911) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; lineatus (L.), lined, referring to heavy black lateral stripe from caudal peduncle to head, and an almost straight black line from caudal fin along underside of caudal peduncle to a point just above origin of anal fin [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Deuterodon Eigenmann 1907 deúteros (Gr. δεύτερος), second; odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, referring to similarity of teeth on lower (i.e., second) jaw

Deuterodon burgerai (Zanata & Camelier 2009) in honor of Rafael Burger, a student who “enthusiastically” collected holotype

Deuterodon giton (Eigenmann 1908) from geítōn (Gr. γείτων), neighbor, presumably referring to its inferred close relationships with D. taeniatus and Astyanax brevirhinus (its presumed congener at the time) based on similarity

Deuterodon hamatilis (Camelier & Zapata 2014) Latin for “with hooks,” referring to small bony hooks on all fins of mature males, unique among Brazilian congeners then placed in Astyanax

Deuterodon hastatus (Myers 1928) Latin for armed with a spear, referring to its “hastate” (narrow triangular shape like that of a spearhead) caudal spot

Deuterodon heterostomus (Eigenmann 1911) different-mouthed, from héteros (Gr. ἕτερος), different, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to its “peculiar” outwardly projecting teeth

Deuterodon iguape Eigenmann 1907 named for Iguapé, a municipality in São Paulo, Brazil, and/or Ribeira de Iguapé River basin, both of which refer to type locality

Deuterodon intermedius (Eigenmann 1908) Latin for intermediate, described as intermediate in form between D. taeniatus and Astyanax (now Psalidodon) scabripinnis, its presumed congener at the time

Deuterodon janeiroensis (Eigenmann 1908) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, type locality

Deuterodon langei Travassos 1957 in honor of Rudolf Bruno Lange (1922–2016), curator of the zoological collection at Museu de História Capão da Imbuia (Paraná, Brazil), who collected holotype

Deuterodon longirostris (Steindachner 1907) longus (L.), long; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, proposed as a variety of Tetragonopterus (now Psalidodon) fasciatus distinguished by its blunt, conical snout, which overlaps the front end of the jaw, giving the appearance of having a slightly longer snout

Deuterodon luetkenii (Boulenger 1887) patronym not identified, probably in honor of Danish zoologist Christian Frederik Lütken (1827–1901)

Deuterodon mutator (Eigenmann 1909) Latin for changer, allusion not explained; Eigenmann later (1917) wrote that Astyanax (original genus) mutator and Hyphessobrycon proteus “furnish bridges between” their respective genera, so perhaps name alludes to the former changing into the latter

Deuterodon oyakawai (Santos & Castro 2014) in honor of marine biologist and limnologist Osvaldo T. Oyakawa, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, who collected much of the type series, for his major contributions to our knowledge of the fishes of the rio Ribeira de Iguape basin

Deuterodon parahybae Eigenmann 1908 epithet not explained, possibly of Paraíba do Sul, a river in southeast Brazil, just south of Itapemirim River, Espírito Santo, type locality [Incertae sedis in Acestrorhamphidae; likely belongs in a different genus]

Deuterodon pedri Eigenmann 1908 in honor of Dom Pedro II (1825–1891), last ruler of the Empire of Brazil (and learned amateur scientist), who collected several specimens of this fish which were not included in type series because of their poor condition [Incertae sedis in Acestrorhamphidae; likely belongs in a different genus]

Deuterodon potaroensis Eigenmann 1909 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Potaro River basin, Guyana, where type locality (Amatuk Cataract) is situated [Incertae sedis in Acestrorhamphidae; likely belongs in a different genus]

Deuterodon ribeirae (Eigenmann 1911) etymology not explained; possibly in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist-herpetologist Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro (1874–1939), whose works are frequently cited in Eigenmann’s monograph, but more likely referring to rio Ribeiro da Iguape, river basin of the type locality

Deuterodon rosae (Steindachner 1908) matronym not identified, possibly in honor of American ichthyologist Rosa Smith Eigenmann (1858–1947), wife of ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann

Deuterodon sazimai (Santos & Castro 2014) in honor of Brazilian biologist Ivan Sazima, Museu de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (São Paulo, Brazil), for contributions to our knowledge of Neotropical lepidophagous characiform fishes

Deuterodon singularis Lucena & Lucena 1992 Latin for unique or remarkable, the only member of the genus with the first dorsal-fin pterygiophore supporting four rays

Deuterodon stigmaturus (Gomes 1947) spot-tailed, from stígma (Gr. στίγμα), mark or spot, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to large and intense black spot at base of caudal fin

Deuterodon supparis Lucena & Lucena 1992 Latin for nearly equal, referring to its similarity to D. rosae

Deuterodon taeniatus (Jenyns 1842) Latin for banded, referring to bright silver lateral band, “more brilliant” than the band on Astyanax (now Psalidodon) scabripinnis, its presumed congener at the time

Myxiops Zanata & Akama 2004 mýxa (Gr. μύξα), mucus or slime; íōps (Gr. ἴωψ), a small fish, referring to the copious amount of mucous covering the body of M. aphos, which makes the fish very slippery when alive and even for some period after fixation in formalin and storage in alcohol

Myxiops aphos Zanata & Akama 2004 á– (Gr. ἄ), without; phṓs (φῶς), light, i.e., dark or obscure, referring to dark waters of the rio Lençóis, Bahia State, Brazil, type locality

Myxiops pelecus (Bertaco & Lucena 2006) pélekys (Gr. πέλεκυς), battle axe, referring to axe-shaped marking formed by junction of humeral spot and black midlateral stripe

Stygichthys Brittan & Böhlke 1965 Stýgios (Gr. Στύγιος), of the nether world, referring to its subterranean habitat; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Stygichthys typhlops Brittan & Böhlke 1965 typhlós (Gr. τυφλός), blind; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to lack of any external evidence either of eyes or of circumorbital bones (save for one short isolated segment)

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Red Tetras
Subfamily MEGALAMPHODINAE Carvalho, Lima & Melo 2024

Axelrodia Géry 1965 –ia (L. suffix), belonging to: aquarist and pet-book publisher Herbert R. Axelrod (1927-2017), who, with William Riese, collected holotype of A. riesei

Axelrodia riesei Géry 1966 in honor of tropical-fish exporter William Riese, who, with Herbert R. Axelrod, collected holotype

Axelrodia stigmatias (Fowler 1913) Latin for a branded person (e.g., a slave), referring to large and conspicuous black oval spot at base of caudal fin

Brittanichthys Géry 1965 in honor of American ichthyologist Martin R. Brittan (1922–2008), Sacramento State College (California, USA), who discovered both species; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Brittanichthys axelrodi Géry 1965 in honor of American pet-book publisher and aquarist Herbert R. Axelrod (1927–2017), whose T.F.H. Fund sponsored the expedition during which holotype was collected

Brittanichthys myersi Géry 1965 in honor of Stanford University ichthyologist George S. Myers (1905–1985), “a long-time student of South American fishes”

Makunaima Terán, Benitez & Mirande 2020 named for Makunaima (also spelled Macunaima or Makonaima), a god of creation in the mythology of several Amazonian tribes; according to legend, Makunaima created animals and a great tree from which all food plants grew

Makunaima guaporensis (Eigenmann 1911) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: rio Guaporé at Maciel, Brazil, type locality

Makunaima guianensis (Eigenmann 1909) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Warraputa, Guyana, type locality

Makunaima multidens (Eigenmann 1908) multi– (L.), many; dens (L.), tooth, referring to “large number” (5) of maxillary teeth

Makunaima pittieri (Eigenmann 1920) patronym not identified, probably in honor of Swiss-born geographer-botanist Henri François Pittier (1857–1950), who lived in Venezuela and collected some specimens for Eigenmann

Megalamphodus Eigenmann 1915 megalámphodos (Gr. μεγαλάμϕοδος), with spacious ways, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “very large” fontanels, the anterior fontanel (frontal bones) “entirely separate” (i.e., with a space between) from the posterior (parietal bones)

Megalamphodus bentosi (Durbin 1908) in memory of Colonel Bentos (no other information available), a volunteer on the Thayer Expedition to Brazil (1865–1866), during which holotype was collected

Megalamphodus copelandi (Durbin 1908) in memory of Herbert Copeland, a Boston volunteer on the Thayer Expedition to Brazil (1865–1866), during which type was collected (other accounts cite the name as Edward Copeland, presumably the same person; see Hypomasticus copelandii in Anostomidae)

Megalamphodus epicharis (Weitzman & Palmer 1997) epícharis (Gr. ἐπίχαρις), pleasing, agreeable or charming, referring to its beautiful color and form

Megalamphodus eques (Steindachner 1882) Latin for horseman or rider, allusion not explained, probably referring to oblique saddle-like marking on sides (Steindachner used this name for other fishes with saddle-like markings, including the characiforms Nannostomus eques and Abramites eques)

Megalamphodus erythrostigma (Fowler 1943) erythrós (Gr. ἐρυθρός), red; stígma (Gr. στίγμα), mark or spot, referring to “brilliant round vermilion” spot on side

Megalamphodus haraldschultzi (Travassos 1960) in honor of Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector Harald Schultz (1909–1966), who collected holotype

Megalamphodus khardinae (Zarske 2008) in honor of Uzbek photographer Natasha Khardina (b. 1979), who collected holotype with her husband, German explorer and ornamental fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944)

Megalamphodus megalopterus Eigenmann 1915 large-finned, from mégas (Gr. μέγας), big, and pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, probably referring to its high dorsal fin

Megalamphodus micropterus Eigenmann 1915 small-finned, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small, and pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, probably referring to its smaller dorsal fin compared with M. megalopterus

Megalamphodus rosaceus (Durbin 1909) Latin for made of roses (i.e., rosy), referring to rose-tinged scales above anal and ventral fins and base of caudal-fin lobes

Megalamphodus socolofi (Weitzman 1977) in honor of Ross Socolof (1925–2009), American aquarium-fish exporter, breeder and wholesaler, “who in a variety of ways has come to the aid of various ichthyologists and fisheries biologists,” including securing holotype of this species through his contacts in Brazil

Megalamphodus sweglesi Géry 1961 in honor of tropical fish distributor Kyle Swegles (Rainbow Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA), who collected holotype

Paracheirodon Géry 1960 para– (Gr. παρά), near, referring to resemblance of P. innesi to Cheirodon (now Paracheirodon) axelrodi, due to a “remarkable evolutive convergency or, more probably, by real phylogenetic affinity”

Paracheirodon axelrodi (Schultz 1956) in honor of American pet-book publisher and aquarist Herbert R. Axelrod (1927–2017), who sent two specimens (provided by Sol Kessler, The Fish Bowl, Irvington, N.J., USA) to Schultz and the U.S. National Museum for study and “permanent preservation”

Paracheirodon innesi (Myers 1936) in honor of American aquarist and publisher William T. Innes (1874–1969), who sent specimens of this “gorgeous little fish” to Myers “with a request for its identification”

Paracheirodon simulans (Géry 1963) Latin for imitative, referring to how its color pattern “gives almost exactly the impression of the true Neon Tetra” (P. innesi)

Petitella Géry & Boutière 1964 –ella, Latin diminutive connoting endearment: in honor of French zoologist-anatomist Georges Petit (1892–1973), Directeur du Laboratoire Arago (Observatoire océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer, France)

Petitella bleheri (Géry & Mahnert 1986) in honor of German explorer and ornamental fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944), who collected topotype specimens

Petitella georgiae Géry & Boutière 1964 in honor of Géry’s wife, Georgie, or Georgette

Petitella rhodostoma (Ahl 1924) rose-mouthed, from rhódon (Gr. ῥόδον), rose, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to red nose and mouth area [often misspelled rhodostomus]

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Subfamily STICHONODONTINAE Eigenmann 1910

Hasemania Ellis 1911 –ia (L. suffix), belonging to: American zoologist John D. Haseman (1882–1969), field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, “who collected all of the specimens of this genus thus far known” [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras; placed in Tetragonopterinae by some workers]

Hasemania crenuchoides Zarske & Géry 1999 -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: referring to “thick, beefy” body shape (translation), similar to that of Crenuchus spilurus (Crenuchidae)

Hasemania diastatos (Dagosta, Marinho & Camelier 2014) diastatós (Gr. διαστατός), divided or distended, referring to distribution in both the rio São Francisco and rio Tocantins basins of Brazil

Hasemania hanseni (Fowler 1949) in honor of aquarium-fish exporter and breeder Henrik Hansen, Gulf Fish Hatchery (Florida, USA), who “obtained” living specimens from Brazil and send them to Fowler for study

Hasemania maxillaris Ellis 1911 Latin for of or belonging to the jaw, presumably referring to maxillary with two small tricuspid teeth, compared to toothless maxillary of H. melanura and H. bilineata (=Coptobrycon bilineatus, Gymnocharacinae) [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hasemania melanura Ellis 1911 black-tailed, from mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to distinct blackish caudal spot extending to the tips of middle caudal-fin rays [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hasemania nana (Lütken 1875) proposed as Tetragonopterus nanus (L.), dwarf (a noun, but since then incorrectly treated as an adjective), referring to its size (“Statura minutissima”)

Hasemania negodagua (Lima & Gerhard 2001) named for Nego D’água, a legendary man-like creature from central Brazil, said to dwell in the bottoms of rivers and attack inattentive fishermen at night

Hasemania piatan Zanata & Serra 2010 named for Piatã, county in Bahia State, northeastern Brazil, where it occurs

Moenkhausia Eigenmann 1903 –ia (L. suffix), belonging to: American geneticist and ichthyologist William J. Moenkhaus (1871–1947), Eigenmann’s colleague at Indiana University

Moenkhausia abyss Oliveira & Marinho 2016 from ábyssos (Gr. ἄβυσσος), the deep sea (but here meaning deep water in general), referring to its probable habitat, the first case of a South American characiform with specializations (pale coloration, big eyes) for life in deeper water

Moenkhausia affinis Steindachner 1915 Latin for related, referring to its similarity to M. jamesi

Moenkhausia agnesae Géry 1965 in honor of Agnes Frobenius (no other information available), at the request of Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector Harald Schultz (1909–1966), who collected holotype

Moenkhausia alesis Petrolli & Benine 2015 álesis (Gr. ἄλεσις), grinding (noun), referring to robust teeth of premaxilla and dentary, a diagnostic feature of the M. jamesi species complex (which includes this species)

Moenkhausia andrica Reia, Oliveira & Benine 2021 Neo-Latin adjective derived from andrós (Gr. ἀνδρός), genitive of anḗr (ἀνήρ), man or male, referring to bony fin hooks, a common male characid dimorphic character, present in both sexes

Moenkhausia atahualpiana (Fowler 1907) –ana (L.), belonging to: the Atahualpa, “among the last of the unfortunate Incas of Peru, who was strangled by the Spaniards at Cajamarca, August 29, 1533”

Moenkhausia aurora Reia, Silva, Oliveira & Benine 2024 Latin for dawn or sunrise, referring to the red, orange and gold colors of living specimens

Moenkhausia aurantia Bertaco, Jerep & Carvalho 2011 Neo-Latin for orange-colored, referring to its “distinctive” orangish coloration

Moenkhausia barbouri Eigenmann 1908 in honor of American herpetologist Thomas Barbour (1884–1946), and later director of the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology and a wealthy patron of science)

Moenkhausia bellasomniosa Soares, Lima, Bastos, Rapp Py-Daniel 2019 bella, from bellus (L.), beautiful; somniosa (L.), sleepy, i.e., sleeping beauty, referring to the Serra do Curicuriari, a granitic massif situated immediately south of the rio Curicuriari (Amazonas, Brazil), type locality; locals call the massif Bela adormecida (sleeping beauty) due to its perceived rough resemblance to a lying young woman

Moenkhausia beninei Lima & Soares 2018 in honor of “dear friend” Ricardo C. Benine, São Paulo State University, for his contributions for the knowledge of characid fishes, particularly those belonging in Moenkhausia

Moenkhausia bonita Benine, Castro & Sabino 2004 named for rio Baía Bonita, rio Paraguay basin, Bonito, Mato Grosso, Brazil, type locality

Moenkhausia britskii Azevedo-Santos & Benine 2016 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Heraldo A. Britski (b. 1934), Universidade de São Paulo, who collected holotype, for his “enormous and valuable” contributions to Neotropical ichthyology

Moenkhausia browni Eigenmann 1909 in memory of British geologist Charles Barrington Brown (1839–1917), who discovered the “most beautiful” Kaieteur Falls of Guyana (near type locality) in 1870

Moenkhausia cambacica Marinho, Ohara & Dagosta 2021 a Brazilian popular name for Coereba flaveola, a small Neotropical bird whose coloration resembles that of this species (bright-yellow underparts, dark-back coloration and a dark line horizontally crossing region of eye horizontally, contrasting with a light area above it)

Moenkhausia celibela Marinho & Langeani 2010 combination of kēlís (Gr. κηλίς), spot, and bélos (Gr. βέλος), arrow, referring to roughly triangular spot on middle caudal-fin rays

Moenkhausia ceros Eigenmann 1908 etymology not explained, presumably from kerás (Gr κεράς), horn, referring to “large retrorse hook” on each side of first fully developed anal-fin ray on males

Moenkhausia chlorophthalma Sousa, Netto-Ferreira & Birindelli 2010 green-eyed, from chlōrós (Gr. χλωρός), green, and ophthalmós (Gr. ὀφθαλμός), eye, referring to iridescent green eyes on living specimens

Moenkhausia chrysargyrea (Günther 1864) chrysós (Gr. χρυσός), gold; argyrea, from argýreios (Gr. ἀργύρειος), white metal (i.e., silver), referring to silvery coloration with “golden reflexions”

Moenkhausia comma Eigenmann 1908 named for its comma-shaped humeral spot

Moenkhausia conspicua Soares & Bührnheim 2016 Latin for visible, referring to two dark stripes, one extended along midbody and the other along anal-fin base

Moenkhausia costae (Steindachner 1907) patronym not identified, probably in honor of Italian zoologist Oronzo Gabriele Costa (1787–1867) [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from nouns that end in “a”]

Moenkhausia cotinho Eigenmann 1908 in honor of Major J. M. S. Cotinho, “Brazilian attaché” of the Thayer Expedition to Brazil (1865–1866), during which holotype was collected [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]

Moenkhausia crisnejas Pearson 1929 named for Río Crisnejas, Peru, type locality

Moenkhausia dasalmas Bertaco, Jerep & Carvalho 2011 named for rio das Almas basin, Goiás, Brazil, type locality

Moenkhausia diamantina Benine, Castro & Santos 2007 named for Chapada Diamantina, the center of Bahia State, Brazil, where type locality (Foz do rio Toalhas, rio Paraguaçu basin) is situated

Moenkhausia dichroura (Kner 1858) di– (Gr. prefix), from dýo (δύο), two; chrṓma (Gr. χρῶμα), skin or color; ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to distinctive black-and-white tail

Moenkhausia dorsinuda Zarske & Géry 2002 dorsi-, from dorsalis (Neo-Latin), dorsal; nuda (L.), bare or naked, referring to scaleless anterior half of predorsal region

Moenkhausia eurystaenia Marinho 2010 eurýs (Gr. εὐρύς), wide or broad; taenia (L.), from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, referring to broad, dark stripe, from opercle to end of caudal peduncle

Moenkhausia goya Deprá, Azevedo-Santos, Vitorino Júnior, Dagosta, Marinho & Benine 2018 named for the Goyá, a South American ethnic group who lived in the central region of Brazil and resisted the encroachment of their territories until the 19th century; they also originated the name of the state of Goiás, where this tetra mostly occurs

Moenkhausia gracilima Eigenmann 1908 superlative of gracilis (L.), thin or slender, allusion not explained, described as a subspecies of M. lepidura, presumably referring to its slenderer body depth compared with other subconspecifics

Moenkhausia grandisquamis (Müller & Troschel 1845) grandis (L.), large; squamis, scale, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of squama (L.), scale, referring to its “very large” (translation) body scales

Moenkhausia guaruba Lima, Vita, Dutra, Ohara & Pastana 2023 Brazilian popular name for the Golden Parakeet Guaruba guarouba, a golden-yellow parrot native to the Brazilian Amazon domain, alluding to the fish’s “intense” yellow fins

Moenkhausia hasemani Eigenmann 1917 in honor of American zoologist John D. Haseman (1882–1969), Eigenmann’s student and field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who collected holotype

Moenkhausia heikoi Géry & Zarske 2004 in honor of German explorer and ornamental fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944), who collected holotype

Moenkhausia hemigrammoides Géry 1965 -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: “strongly resembling” Hemigrammus unilineatus

Moenkhausia hysterosticta Lucinda, Malabarba & Benine 2007 hysteros (Gr. ὕστερος), after or posterior; sticta, from stiktós (Gr. στικτός), marked or spotted, referring to humeral spot, which is located posteriorly on body side

Moenkhausia icae Eigenmann 1908 of the Iça River basin, Brazil, type locality

Moenkhausia inrai Géry 1992 in honor of the work of I.N.R.A. (Institut national de la Recherche agronomique) of Guyana, whose “ichthyofaunal research has recently and regretfully been abandoned” (translation)

Moenkhausia intermedia Eigenmann 1908 Latin for intermediate, allusion not explained nor evident (proposed as a subspecies of M. dichroura but not described as an intermediate form between two or more taxa)

Moenkhausia iris Marinho & Dagosta 2023 ī́ris (Gr. ἶρις), rainbow, referring to its colorful body, containing the different colors of the rainbow

Moenkhausia ischyognatha Petrolli & Benine 2015 strong-jawed, from ischýō (Gr. ἰσχύω), to be strong, and gnáthos (Gr. γνάθος), jaw, referring to strong musculature associated to the dentary, and robust teeth of the premaxilla and dentary, a diagnostic feature of the M. jamesi species complex (to which this species belongs)

Moenkhausia jamesi Eigenmann 1908 in honor of student volunteer William James (1842–1910), trained as a physician, later a philosopher (and brother of novelist Henry James), who collected holotype during the Thayer Expedition (1865–1866) to Brazil

Moenkhausia justae Eigenmann 1908 in honor of “Dr. Justa” (no other information available), a Brazilian who collected holotype

Moenkhausia lata Eigenmann 1908 Latin for wide or broad; described as a subspecies of M. lepidura, probably referring to its deeper body

Moenkhausia latissima Eigenmann 1908 Latin for broadest or very broad, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “very deep” body

Moenkhausia lepidura (Kner 1858) lepidus (L.), fine, pleasant or elegant; ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to its attractive caudal fin, dark-edged on upper lobe and orange near base

Moenkhausia levidorsa Benine 2002 levis (L.), smooth; dorsa, variation of dorsum (L.), back, referring to absence of scales along predorsal median region [although dorsa suggests a feminine adjective, author says name is a noun]

Moenkhausia lopesi Britski & de Silimon 2001 in honor of Balzac Santana Lopes, head of the Fisheries Station of the Moto Grossa Comapny of Research, the authors’ collecting companion in the Pantanal (he also helped collect holotype)

Moenkhausia loweae Géry 1992 in honor of British tropical-fish ecologist Rosemary Lowe-McConnell (1921–2014), who collected holotype

Moenkhausia madeirae Fowler 1913 of Madeira, referring to the upper and middle Madeira River basin (Rondônia and Mato Grosso, Brazil), where it occurs

Moenkhausia margitae Zarske & Géry 2001 in honor of the senior author’s wife, Margit [see also Hyphessobrycon margitae]

Moenkhausia megalops (Eigenmann 1907) mégas (Gr. μέγας), big; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, probably referring to larger eye compared with the allied M. grandisquamis

Moenkhausia metae Eigenmann 1922 of the upper Meta River basin, Colombia, where it is endemic

Moenkhausia miangi Steindachner 1915 of the Miang River, at the border of Venezuela and Bolivia, type locality

Moenkhausia mikia Marinho & Langeani 2010 from mikiawu, common name employed by the Tuyuka people (who live at the upper rio Tiquié, type locality) for species of the M. lepidura complex

Moenkhausia moisae Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1995 in honor of French microbiologist Moïse Berniac-Bereau, a senior researcher with I.N.R.A. (Institut national de la Recherche agronomique, Guyana), since its inception in 1975

Moenkhausia monicae Marinho, Dagosta, Camelier & Lima 2016 in honor of friend and “renowned” ichthyologist Mônica Toledo-Piza Ragazzo (Universidade de São Paulo), for her contributions to the systematics of characiform fishes

Moenkhausia mutum Dagosta & Marinho 2016 Brazilian popular name of the curassow birds of the genus Crax, which are typically dark colored like the fins of this species; also refers to the Nova Mutum Municipality (Mato Grosso, Brazil), type locality

Moenkhausia naponis Böhlke 1958 –is, Latin genitive singular of: allusion not explained, probably referring to Napo Province, Ecuador (type locality) and/or to Napo River system, where it occurs

Moenkhausia newtoni Travassos 1964 in honor of Brazilian entomologist Newton Dias dos Santos (1916–1989), for his contributions to the fish collection at the Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Moenkhausia nigromarginata Costa 1994 nigro, from niger (L.), dark or black; marginatus (L.), edged or bordered, referring to black anterior margins of pelvic and anal fins

Moenkhausia orteguasae Fowler 1943 of Río Orteguasa, Colombia, type locality

Moenkhausia ovalis (Günther 1868) Latin for oval, presumably referring to its shape, “height of body is one-half the total length (without caudal)”

Moenkhausia pankilopteryx Bertaco & Lucinda 2006 pan, from pā́s (Gr. πᾶς), all or whole; ankýlos (Gr. ἀγκύλος), hooked; ptéryx (Gr. πτέρυξ), wing or fin, referring to hooks on all fins in males

Moenkhausia parecis Ohara & Marinho 2016 named for the Chapada dos Parecis (plateau that encompasses type locality), an important watershed that separates tributaries of three basins: rio Madeira, rio Tapajós and rio Paraguai, Brazil

Moenkhausia petymbuaba Lima & Birindelli 2006 Tupí word for the Portuguese cachimbo, or smoking pipe, referring to Serra do Cachimbo, Brazil, type locality

Moenkhausia phaeonota Fink 1979 phaiós (Gr. φαιός), dark or gray (Fink said “dusky brown”), –nota (L.), having the attribute or quality of, referring to its color pattern

Moenkhausia pirahan Mathubara & Toledo-Piza 2020 named for the Pirahã tribe, who live close to type locality in the county of Humaitá, Amazonas State, Brazil

Moenkhausia plumbea Sousa, Netto-Ferreira & Birindelli 2010 Latin for “of lead,” i.e., lead-colored, referring to color of midlateral stripe below unpigmented stripe in live specimens

Moenkhausia restricta Soares & Benine 2019 Latin for tight or limited, referring to its uncommonly high number of transversal scale rows in a somewhat shallow-bodied species

Moenkhausia robertsi Géry 1964 in honor of tropical-fish farmer and dealer Jack Roberts, who collected holotype

Moenkhausia rondoni Mathubara & Toledo-Piza 2020 in honor of Cândido Rondon (1865–1958), Brazilian army engineer and explorer, who supported the native populations of Brazil his entire life; the state of Rondônia, where this species is widely distributed, was also named in his honor

Moenkhausia rubra Pastana & Dagosta 2014 Latin for red, referring to reddish coloration of body, and dorsal, adipose and caudal fins in live specimens

Moenkhausia schultzi Fernández-Yépez 1950 in honor of Leonard P. Schultz (1901–1986), Curator of Fishes, U.S. National Museum, for his “interesting” (translation) publications on the fishes of Venezuela

Moenkhausia shideleri Eigenmann 1909 in honor of Mr. S. E. Shideler, volunteer assistant who collected holotype and “gave most effective help” during Eigenmann’s Guyana expedition

Moenkhausia simulata (Eigenmann 1924) Latin for copied or imitated, referring to its very close appearance to M. latissimi

Moenkhausia sthenosthoma Petrolli & Benine 2015 strong-mouthed, from sthénos (Gr. σθένος), strong, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth (incorrectly spelled sthoma), referring to strong musculature associated to the dentary, and robust teeth of premaxilla and dentary, a characteristic feature of the M. jamesi species complex (to which this species belongs)

Moenkhausia surinamensis Géry 1965 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Suriname, where type locality (Brownscreek, between Saramacca and Suriname river systems) is situated

Moenkhausia takasei Géry 1964 in honor of Japanese-born Brazilian tropical-fish retailer and aquarist Roberto Takase, “one of the fish-collection pioneers in the Brazilian Amazon,” who collected holotype

Moenkhausia tergimacula Lucena & Lucena 1999 tergum (L.), back; macula (L.), stain, mark or spot, referring to saddle-like mark on dorsal portion of body immediately before dorsal-fin origin

Moenkhausia tridentata Holly 1929 tri– (L.), three; dentata (L.), toothed, referring to three pointed teeth on upper jaw

Moenkhausia venerei Petrolli, Azevedo-Santos & Benine 2016 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Paulo César Venere (Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Campus Universitário do Araguaia), who collected holotype, and for his contributions to our knowledge of the Rio Araguaia ichthyofauna of Brazil

Moenkhausia vittata (Castelnau 1855) Latin for banded, referring to a “very clear line on the sides, resembling a band of silver” (translation)

Moenkhausia xinguensis (Steindachner 1882) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Xingú River basin, Brazil, where it is endemic

Moenkhausia zonata (Eigenmann 1908) Latin for banded, referring to “cross-bar” on caudal fin

Nematocharax Weitzman, Menezes & Britski 1986 nḗmatos (Gr. νήματος), threaded, referring to long, thread-like extensions of dorsal, anal and pelvic fins; Charax, typical genus of the Characiformes, from chárax (Gr. χάραξ), a pointed stake of a palisade, referring to densely packed sharp teeth, a common root-name formation in the order

Nematocharax varii Barreto, Silva, Batalha-Filho, Affonso & Zanata 2018 in honor of Richard P. Vari (1949–2016), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA), for his “outstanding” contribution to the knowledge of South American freshwater fishes

Nematocharax venustus Weitzman, Menezes & Britski 1986 Latin for beautiful, elegant or graceful, referring to “graceful flowing” shape of dorsal, anal and pelvic fins

Stichonodon Eigenmann 1903 stíchos (Gr. στίχος), line or row; odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, allusion not explained, presumably referring to two series of notched teeth on premaxillary

Stichonodon insignis (Steindachner 1876) Latin for distinguished by marks, presumably referring to large round humeral spot

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Discus Tetras
Subfamily STETHAPRIONINAE Eigenmann 1907

Brachychalcinus Boulenger 1892 brachýs (Gr. βραχύς), short, perhaps referring to short, compressed body; Chalcinus (meaning brazen), a genus of characins (now a synonym of Triportheus), i.e., a short Chalcinus, allusion not explained nor evident

Brachychalcinus copei (Steindachner 1882) in honor of American zoologist-paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope (1840–1897), who described the genus (Stethaprion) in which this species was originally placed

Brachychalcinus nummus Böhlke 1958 Latin for a coin, allusion not explained, probably referring to circular (i.e., coin-like) shape of body

Brachychalcinus orbicularis (Valenciennes 1850) Latin for circular or disc-shaped, referring to its round body

Brachychalcinus parnaibae Reis 1989 latinization of Parnaíba, referring to Parnaíba River basin, where type locality (a pond in Serra das Confusões, Piauí, Brazil) is situated

Brachychalcinus reisi Garcia-Ayala, Ohara, Pastana & Benine 2017 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Roberto E. Reis, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, for his “great” contributions to the knowledge of the Stethaprioninae and Neotropical ichthyology as a whole

Brachychalcinus retrospina Boulenger 1892 retro– (L.), behind; spina (L.), thorn or spine, probably referring to dorsal fin, which is behind a movable, anteriorly directed spine

Brachychalcinus sabaji Garcia-Ayala, Lima, Gama & Benine 2024 in honor of Mark Henry Sabaj (b. 1969), fish curator, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia of Drexel University, for his “outstanding” contribution to the knowledge of South American freshwater fishes

Brachychalcinus signatus Garcia-Ayala & Benine 2020 Latin for marked, referring to conspicuous second humeral spot (compared with faint second humeral spot in congeners)

Ectrepopterus Fowler 1943 ektrépō (Gr. ἐκτρέπω), to reverse; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, proposed as a subgenus of Megalamphodus (Megalamphodinae) in which the upper caudal lobe is shorter than lower

Ectrepopterus uruguayensis (Fowler 1943) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Uruguay, where type locality (not recorded) is situated

Orthospinus Reis 1989 orthós (Gr. ὀρθός), straight; spinus, from spina (L.), thorn ot spine, referring to simple and straight predorsal spine [replacement name for Buritia Brant 1974, preoccupied by Buritia Young 1952 in Insecta]

Orthospinus franciscensis (Eigenmann 1914) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: São Francisco River basin, Brazil, where it is endemic

Poptella Eigenmann 1908 –ella, Latin diminutive connoting endearment: named for Canna Maria Louise Popta (1860–1929), Curator of Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden, Netherlands), who described P. longipinnis in 1901 and donated one of the types to Eigenmann’s collection at Indiana University

Poptella actenolepis Garcia-Ayala & Benine 2019 acteno-, from aktéanos (Gr. ἀκτέανος), without possession or property (i.e., poor or wanting); lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to the lower number of transversal scale rows compared with congeners

Poptella brevispina Reis 1989 brevis (L.), short; spina (L.), thorn or spine, referring to small size (2.6–4.2% of SL) of predorsal spine

Poptella compressa (Günther 1864) Latin for squeezed together, referring to its “much compressed and elevated” body

Poptella fortispina Garcia-Ayala & Benine 2023 fortis (L.), strong; spina (L.), thorn or spine, referring to it robust predorsal spine

Poptella fuscata Garcia-Ayala & Benine 2020 Latin for dusky or dark, referring to melanophores marking posterior half of body and dorsal and anal fins

Poptella longipinnis (Popta 1901) longus (L.), long; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, i.e., finned, referring to extended dorsal- and pectoral-fin rays

Poptella paraguayensis (Eigenmann 1907) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Paraguay, described from Paraguayan specimens previously identified as P. compressus

Stethaprion Cope 1870 stḗthos (Gr. στῆθος), breast or chest; príōn (Gr. πρίων), saw, allusion not explained, probably referring to small serrations on ventral edge of S. erythrops

Stethaprion crenatum Eigenmann 1916 Latin for notched or crenate (i.e., having a round-toothed or scalloped edge), the “concentric free edges of the scales crenate”

Stethaprion erythrops Cope 1870 erythrós (Gr. ἐρυθρός), red; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to its dark-red iris

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Subfamily PRISTELLINAE Géry & Boutière 1964

Gymnocorymbus Eigenmann 1908 gymnós (Gr. γυμνός), bare or naked; kórymbos (Gr. κόρυμβος), summit, referring to scaleless (and humped) predorsal area of G. thayeri

Gymnocorymbus bondi (Fowler 1911) in honor of Francis (“Frank”) E. Bond (1867–1923), American banker, stockbroker and amateur ornithologist, who collected specimens in the Orinoco delta of Venezuela for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, including holotype of this species [biographical footnote: Francis Bond is the father of ornithologist James Bond, whose name Ian Fleming used for his 007 spy hero]

Gymnocorymbus flaviolimai Benine, Melo, Castro & Oliveira 2015 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Flávio César Thadeo de Lima (b. 1974), Universidade Estadual de Campinas, a “dear friend,” for his contribution to our knowledge of Neotropical ichthyology

Gymnocorymbus ternetzi (Boulenger 1895) in honor of Swiss-born ichthyologist and naturalist Carl Ternetz (1870–1928), who “formed” the collection that contained holotype

Gymnocorymbus thayeri Eigenmann 1908 in memory of Stephen Van Rensselaer Thayer (1847–1871), volunteer on the Thayer Expedition to Brazil (1865-1866) during which holotype was collected, and son of financier and philanthropist Nathaniel Thayer, Jr. (1808–1883), who sponsored it

Hemigrammus Gill 1858 hemi-, from hḗmisys (Gr. ἥμισυς), half; grammus, scientific Neo-Latin derived from grammḗ (Gr. γραμμή), line or stroke of the pen, referring to “abruptly discontinued” lateral line of H. unilineatus, i.e., ending at middle of body

Hemigrammus aereus Géry 1959 Latin for bronze, referring to bronze color of entire body [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]

Hemigrammus amacayacu Albornoz-Garzón, Méndez-López, DoNascimiento & Lima 2019 named for Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu (Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia), type locality (amacayacu is a Quechua word meaning “river of the hammocks”)

Hemigrammus analis Durbin 1909 Latin for anal, allusion not explained, possibly referring to its “short” anal fin

Hemigrammus apiaka (Esgíucero & Castro 2017) named for the Apiaká ethnic group of the rio Aripuanã, lower rio Madeira basin, Brazil, type locality (and source of the word aripuanã, meaning “stone water”) [see also Astyanax apiaka, Acestrorhamphinae]

Hemigrammus arua Lima, Wosiacki & Ramos 2009 named for lago São Francisco do Alto Aruã, Pará, Brazil, type locality

Hemigrammus ataktos Marinho, Dagosta & Birindelli 2014 átaktos (Gr. ἄτακτος), disordered or irregular, referring to variable perforation of lateral-line scales (completely pored on some specimens, irregularly pored on others)

Hemigrammus barrigonae Eigenmann & Henn 1914 of Barrigona, Colombia, type locality

Hemigrammus bellottii (Steindachner 1882) in honor of Italian biologist-paleontologist Cristoforo Bellotti (1823–1919), who collected holotype and/or supplied specimens from his collection at Museo Civico di Storia Naturale (Milan, Italy)

Hemigrammus boesemani Géry 1959 in honor of Dutch ichthyologist Marinus Boeseman (1916–2006), who noted the uniqueness of this taxon in 1948 but reported it as H. micropterus

Hemigrammus brevis Ellis 1911 Latin for short, allusion not explained, possibly referring to short snout, little more than half length of eye, and/or short anal sheath, composed of five scales covering bases of first nine anal-fin rays [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hemigrammus changae Ota, Lima & Hidalgo 2019 in honor of the late Fonchii Chang (1963–1999), Peruvian ichthyologist of Chinese and Japanese ancestry, Museo de Historia Natural (Lima, Peru), for her “considerable contribution in surveying the fishes of her native country, in the relatively little time she was active,” which included collecting some of the type specimens of this species [she died, along with her motorista, in a boat accident near Lake Rimachi, Peru; she was wearing rubber boots, which filled with water and anchored her to the bottom, where she was shocked by an electric eel, knocked unconscious and drowned]

Hemigrammus coeruleus Durbin 1908 alternate spelling of caeruleus (L.), dark blue, (but used here to mean blue in general), referring to “highly iridescent-blue stripe along one row of scales between base of pectoral and middle of anal fin”

Hemigrammus collettii (Steindachner 1882) patronym not identified, probably in honor of Norwegian zoologist Robert Collett (1842–1913), who described many fish species

Hemigrammus copei (Steindachner 1882) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of American zoologist-paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope (1840–1897), who described several South American fish species

Hemigrammus cupreus Durbin 1918 Latin for of copper, referring to “rich copper” iridescence on caudal-peduncle scales

Hemigrammus cylindricus Durbin 1909 Latin for cylindrical, allusion not explained, but Eigenmann (1918) described body shape as “Subcylindrical, or only slightly compressed”

Hemigrammus diagonicus Mendonça & Wosiacki 2011 scientific Neo-Latin for diagonal, referring to dark blotch on dorsal lobe of caudal fin, unique among congeners

Hemigrammus durbinae Ota, Lima & Pavanelli 2015 in honor of Marion Durbin Ellis (née Durbin, 1887–1972), Carl Eigenmann’s student and later a limnologist and environmental toxicologist, University of Missouri in Columbia, “who devoted herself diligently into the most comprehensive study on Hemigrammus so far”

Hemigrammus eigenmanni (Géry 1964) in honor of German-born American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann (1863–1927), who described Moenkhausia metae, with which this species had been identified

Hemigrammus elegans (Steindachner 1882) Latin for elegant, fine or select, presumably referring to its coloration, including “milk-white” and “intensely violet” stripes along anal-fin edge, a “silver white metallic and shiny” (iridescent) longitudinal stripe along body, and “purple-fringed front edge” of dorsal fin (translations)

Hemigrammus erythrozonus Durbin 1909 red-banded, from erythrós (Gr. ἐρυθρός), red, and zonus, Neo-Latin adjective of zona (L.), band, referring to “cherry-colored streak” along sides [Durbin is maiden name of Ellis, who described many small tetras]

Hemigrammus filamentosus Zarske 2011 Latin for filamentous, referring to thread-like extensions of dorsal, anal and pelvic fins of males

Hemigrammus flavus (Britzke, Troy, Oliveira & Benine 2018) Latin for yellow, referring to yellowish color pattern of body in live specimens

Hemigrammus gracilis (Lütken 1875) Latin for thin or slender, referring to its slender shape

Hemigrammus grammicus (Eigenmann 1912) Latin for linear (i.e., lined), presumably referring to “black median line” on sides

Hemigrammus hyanuary Durbin 1918 named for Lake Hyanuary, Brazil, type locality

Hemigrammus iota Durbin 1909 ninth letter of Greek alphabet, referring to black I-shaped bar on caudal peduncle

Hemigrammus kuroobi Reia & Benine 2019 from the Japanese kuro, black, and obi, band or belt, a martial arts term for the black-belt grade, referring to gradual development of conspicuous longitudinal black stripe of this species

Hemigrammus levis Durbin 1908 Latin for smooth or bald, probably referring to its toothless maxillary

Hemigrammus lunatus Durbin 1918 Latin for lunate (moon-shaped), presumably referring to its semicircular humeral spot

Hemigrammus machadoi Ota, Lima & Pavanelli 2014 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Francisco de Arruda Machado, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (Brazil), for his “tireless dedication” in surveying the fishes of Mato Grosso, and his “struggle” for their conservation

Hemigrammus mahnerti Uj & Géry 1989 in honor of Volker Mahnert (1943–2018), Austrian ichthyologist, arachnologist and parasitologist, then with the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle, Département d’Herpétologie et Ichthyologie (Geneva), who helped collect holotype

Hemigrammus marginatus Ellis 1911 Latin for edged or bordered, referring to black margin on caudal fin [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hemigrammus matei Eigenmann 1918 patronym not identified but probably in honor of fish culturist Paul Matte (1854–1922, note spelling), who operated a commercial import and breeding operation for aquarium fishes in Germany; the label on the type specimens identify him as the source of the material [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]

Hemigrammus megaceps Fowler 1945 mega-, from mégas (Gr. μέγας), big; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, 2¾–3 times within body length, larger than heads of Peruvian congeners H. schmardae and H. (now Bryconacidnus) paipayensis

Hemigrammus melanochrous Fowler 1913 mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; chrous, from chrṓs (Gr. χρώς), skin color, i.e., swarthy, referring to its “general color,” a “dull brownish” in alcohol

Hemigrammus melogrammus (Eigenmann 1908) black-lined, from mélas (μέλας), black, and grammḗ (Gr. γραμμή), line or stroke of the pen, referring to black line along base of anal fin

Hemigrammus micropterus Meek 1907 small-finned, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small, and pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to shorter pectoral fins compared with H. tridens described on the same page

Hemigrammus microstomus Durbin 1918 small-mouthed, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to its “very small” mouth

Hemigrammus mimus Böhlke 1955 Latin for actor or mime, referring to its strong resemblance to Microschemobrycon callops and M. casiquiare (Characidae: Characinae), with which this species had been confused

Hemigrammus ora Zarske, Le Bail & Géry 2006 Latin for coast, referring to its distribution along the coastal region of French Guiana

Hemigrammus orthus Durbin 1909 etymology not explained, presumably from orthós (Gr. ὀρθός), straight, perhaps referring to its dark lateral stripe

Hemigrammus parana Marinho, Carvalho, Langeani & Tatsumi 2008 referring to rio Paraná, São Paulo State, Brazil, type locality

Hemigrammus pretoensis Géry 1965 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Igarapé Préto (Black Creek), along Upper Amazon, near Belem, about 60 km below Leticia, Brazil, type locality

Hemigrammus rodwayi Durbin 1909 patronym not identified but probably in honor of James Rodway (1848–1926), naturalist and travel writer, a member of Eigenmann’s collecting trips in South America

Hemigrammus rubrostriatus Zarske 2015 rubrum (L.), red; striatus (L.) furrowed or grooved (i.e., striped), referring to vermilion longitudinal band, which runs from operculum along body up to dorsal part of caudal peduncle and to rays of caudal fin

Hemigrammus schmardae (Steindachner 1882) patronym not identified but probably in honor of Austrian physician-naturalist Ludwig K. Schmarda (1819–1908) [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from nouns that end in “a”]

Hemigrammus silimoni Britski & Lima 2008 in honor of Brazilian biologist and environmental consultant Keve Zobogany de Szonyi de Silimon, who collected the type series, for his “long and continuous” efforts in documenting fishes from Mato Grosso, Brazil

Hemigrammus stictus (Durbin 1909) from stiktós (Gr. στικτός), marked or spotted, probably referring to “distinct” humeral spot

Hemigrammus taphorni Benine & Lopes 2007 in honor of American ichthyologist Donald C. Taphorn (b. 1951), who collected holotype, and for his contributions to our knowledge of neotropical ichthyology

Hemigrammus tocantinsi Carvalho, Bertaco & Jerep 2010 of the upper rio Tocantins basin, Goiás, Brazil, where it is endemic

Hemigrammus tridens Eigenmann 1907 tri– (L.), three; dens (L.), tooth, probably referring to two narrow tricuspid teeth on outer row of premaxillary

Hemigrammus tupebas (Esgíucero & Castro 2017) named for the Tupebas ethnic group of the lower rio Solimões, including its tributary the rio Tefé, Brazil, type locality (and source of the word tefé, meaning a very small community far from regional centers)

Hemigrammus ulreyi (Boulenger 1895) in honor of American marine biologist Albert B. Ulrey (1860–1932), a student of Carl H. Eigenmann, “the author of a very useful key [1895] to the determination of the species” of Tetragonopterus (Characidae: Tetragonopterinae, then a catch-all genus)

Hemigrammus unilineatus (Gill 1858) uni-, from unus (L.), one; lineatus (L.), lined, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to straight black-and-white line down front edge of anal fins

Hemigrammus vorderwinkleri Géry 1963 in honor of William Vorderwinkler (1908–1970), publisher (actually, editor) of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine, in which description (and several others by Géry) appeared

Hemigrammus xaveriellus Lima, Urbano-Bonilla & Prada-Pedreros 2020 Latinization of Javiercito (diminutive of Javier in Spanish), an “affectionate nickname” which the third author used to refer to Javier Alejandro Maldonado-Ocampo (1977–2019), who was killed when crossing a river in a small boat that overturned and was swept downstream, for his “invaluable” contribution to the knowledge and conservation of neotropical fishes and for his “engagement in the public diffusion of its knowledge” (coincidentally, when Javier started as a student in 1994, the third author, then his advisor, proposed that he study some diverse and poorly known characid genera such as Hemigrammus)

Pristella Eigenmann 1908 –ella (L.), a diminutive suffix, and pristis, from prístēs (πρίστης), one who saws, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to minute conical teeth of P. riddlei (=maxillaris) scattered along most of maxillary margin

Pristella ariporo Conde-Saldaña, Albornoz-Garzón, García-Melo, Villa-Navarro, Mirande & Lima 2019 named for Río Ariporo (La Porfía, Maní, Departamento Casanare, Colombia), type locality

Pristella crinogi Lima, Caires, Conde-Saldaña, Mirande & Carvalho 2021 in honor of Brazilian herpetologist Cristiano de Campos Nogueira (“Crinog”), the authors’ “dear friend,” for his “enthusiastic” help during 2008 fish survey when this species was discovered

Pristella maxillaris (Ulrey 1894) Latin for of or belonging to the jaw, referring to minute conical teeth scattered along “entire” (actually most of) maxillary margin

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Subfamily JUPIABINAE Benine & Ota 2024

Jupiaba Zanata 1997 combination of the Tupí words ju, thorn, and piaba, small riverine fish, referring to spine-like pelvic bones; piaba is also a local Brazilian name for species in the genus

Jupiaba abramoides (Eigenmann 1909) -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: presumed to be closely allied with Astyanax abramis at the time

Jupiaba acanthogaster (Eigenmann 1911) ákantha (Gr. ἄκανθα), thorn; gastḗr (Gr. γαστήρ), belly or stomach, referring to strong pelvic bones, “diverging forward, the ends protruding as spines”

Jupiaba ajuricaba (Marinho & Lima 2009) in honor of Ajuricaba, paramount chief of the Manau Indians in the early 18th century, who formerly inhabited the rio Negro area of Brazil, roughly where this species occurs; Ajuricaba unsuccessfully resisted the assaults of Portuguese slavers and averted trial as a rebel by drowning himself in the rio Negro while shackled, an act of bravery that became a symbol of Indian resistance against Portuguese oppression [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]

Jupiaba anterior (Eigenmann 1908) Latin for before, referring to anterior position of humeral spot

Jupiaba anteroides (Géry 1965) -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: similar to J. anterior

Jupiaba apenima Zanata 1997 combination of the Tupí words apê, crooked, and pinima, stain or mark, referring to asymmetric spot on caudal peduncle

Jupiaba asymmetrica (Eigenmann 1908) Latin for asymmetrical, referring to triangular, asymmetrically placed caudal spot

Jupiaba atypindi Zanata 1997 combination of the Tupí words atypy, cheek, and ndi, with, referring to bare infraorbital area on face

Jupiaba citrina Zanata & Ohara 2009 Latin for lemon-yellow, referring to orange-yellowish coloration in life

Jupiaba elassonaktis Pereira & Lucinda 2007 elásson (Gr. ελάσσων), smaller or less; aktís (Gr. ἀκτίς), ray, referring to small number of anal-fin rays

Jupiaba essequibensis (Eigenmann 1909) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Essequibo River basin, Guyana, where it is endemic

Jupiaba iasy Netto-Ferreira, Zanata, Birindelli & Sousa 2009 îasy, goddess of the moon in the mythology of the Tupí people of Brazil, referring to its crescent-shaped humeral blotch

Jupiaba keithi (Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1996) in honor of aquatic biologist Philippe Keith, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), who helped collect holotype

Jupiaba kurua Birindelli, Zanata, Sousa & Netto-Ferreira 2009 from the Tupí kurua, referring to rio Curuá, Xingu basin, central Brazil, type locality

Jupiaba maroniensis (Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1996) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Maroni River (at confluence of Latini River), French Guiana, type locality

Jupiaba meunieri (Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1996) in honor of fish osteologist François Jean Meunier (b. 1942), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), who helped collect holotype

Jupiaba minor (Travassos 1964) Latin for less, referring to its small size, holotype just 20.2 mm SL

Jupiaba mucronata (Eigenmann 1909) Latin for pointed, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “conspicuous bullet-shaped humeral spot”

Jupiaba ocellata (Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1996) Latin for having little eyes, referring to eye-like humeral spot, or ocellus

Jupiaba paranatinga Netto-Ferreira, Zanata, Birindelli & Sousa 2009 Tupí name meaning “white river,” referring to rio Teles Pires, type locality, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Jupiaba pinnata (Eigenmann 1909) Latin for feathered, referring to pinnate (i.e., with branches arranged on both sides of the stem, in pairs opposite each other, like the vanes of feather) black markings on the sides

Jupiaba pirana Zanata 1997 combination of the Tupí words pira, fish, and rana, similar, referring to its resemblance to J. (now Moenkhausia) zonata

Jupiaba poekotero Zanata & Lima 2005 common name of this species among the Tuyuka people of Brazil: poe, waterfall; kotero, warder, referring to it occurrence in pools immediately downstream of waterfalls

Jupiaba polylepis (Günther 1864) polý– (Gr. πολύ-), many; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, presumably referring to its having more lateral line scales compared with most other species then placed in the catch-all genus Tetragonopterus (Characidae: Tetragonopterinae)

Jupiaba poranga Zanata 1997 Tupí word for beautiful, presumably referring to its pale-yellow coloration, two dark spots and dark chromatophores on lips, head, fins and body

Jupiaba potaroensis (Eigenmann 1909) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Potaro River basin, Guyana, where it is endemic

Jupiaba scologaster (Weitzman & Vari 1986) skólops (Gr. σκόλοψ), thorn or pointed object; gastḗr (Gr. γαστήρ), belly, referring to “exserted spinous pelvic bones” on ventral surface

Jupiaba yarina Zanata 1997 combination of ty, Tupí word for river, and Arinos, referring to rio Arinos, Mato Grosso, Brazil, type locality

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Subfamily TYTTOBRYCONINAE Mattox & Melo 2024

Priocharax Weitzman & Vari 1987 príō (Gr. πρίω), to saw, referring to numerous small jaw teeth; Charax, typical genus of the Characiformes, from chárax (Gr. χάραξ), a pointed stake of a palisade, referring to densely packed sharp teeth, a common root-name formation in the order [placed in Acestrorhynchidae: Heterocharacinae by some workers]

Priocharax ariel Weitzman & Vari 1987 from aériios (Gr. ἀέριος), aerial, applied by Shakespeare (The Tempest) for the name of an airy spirit (its meaning here), referring to this fish’s tiny size (up to 15.1 mm SL) and translucent coloration in life

Priocharax britzi Mattox, de Souza, Toledo-Piza & Oliveira 2021 in honor of Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum (London), “noteworthy ichthyologist and a dear friend” who “mastered the world of small fishes and has described more than 20 miniature species, including two species of Priocharax”

Priocharax conwayi  Mattox, Lima, Britz, Souza & Oliveira 2024 in honor of Kevin W. Conway, Texas A&M University (College Station, Texas, USA), “esteemed friend and notable ichthyologist,” who has “greatly contributed to our knowledge of miniature fish taxonomy and morphology”

Priocharax marupiara Mattox, Britz, Souza, Casas, Lima & Oliveira 2023 both a noun and an adjective in the native common language (Nheengatu) meaning luck/lucky in fishing, and in life in general, alluding to the abundance of this species in the type locality and the fact that it was discovered while searching for P. toledopizae

Priocharax nanus Toledo-Piza, Mattox & Britz 2014 Latin for dwarf (noun), referring to its tiny size, referring to tiny size of adults (up to 15.4 mm SL)

Priocharax phasma Mattox, Lima, Britz, Souza & Oliveira 2024 phásma (Gr. φάσμα), ghost or specter, referring to its almost completely transparent appearance, resembling a ghost

Priocharax pygmaeus Weitzman & Vari 1987 Latin for dwarfish, referring to its tiny size (up to 16.4 mm SL)

Priocharax toledopizae Mattox, Britz, Souza, Casas, Lima & Oliveira 2023 in honor of Mônica Toledo-Piza, “dear friend” and ichthyologist; as former advisor of the first and fourth authors, “she has played an important role in our scientific training and shaping our critical thinking,” and has contributed to characiform taxonomy and systematics for more than 25 years, including that of Priocharax

Priocharax varii Mattox, Souza, Toledo-Piza, Britz & Oliveira 2020 in honor of the late Richard P. Vari (1949–2016), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA), “our dear friend and mentor, and one of the most influential researchers in Neotropical ichthyology of the past 40 years”; in addition to being co-author of the genus Priocharax, he “continuously encouraged the first author to study this taxon further and in more detail”

Tucanoichthys Géry & Römer 1997 Tucano, in honor of the Tucano indigenous people of the upper Rio Negro and Rio Uaupés area of Amazonas, Brazil (where it occurs), “an interesting people” with less than 5000 members surviving and “in great danger, owing to the avidity of so-called ‘civilized’ men”; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Tucanoichthys tucano Géry & Römer 1997 as for genus

Tyttobrycon Géry 1973 tytthós (Gr. τυτθός), small or young, referring to very small size (males fully mature at 14-18 mm) but also suggesting a “possible affinity” with Tyttocharax (now in Stevardiinae); brycon, generalized term used in generic names of many characiform fishes, derived from brýchō (Gr. βρύχω), to bite, gnash teeth or eat greedily, originally an allusion to fully toothed maxillae

Tyttobrycon dorsimaculatus Géry 1973 dorsi-, from dorsalis (Neo-Latin), dorsal; maculatus (L.), spotted, presumably referring to black band on dorsal fin

Tyttobrycon hamatus Géry 1973 Latin for furnished with a hook, referring to “peculiar sexual hooklets” on anal fin of males

Tyttobrycon marajoara Marinho, Bastos & Menezes 2013 adjectival form of Marajó, referring to Marajó Island, Pará State, Brazil, where it is endemic

Tyttobrycon shibattai Abrahão, Pastana & Marinho 2019 in honor of Oscar Akio Shibatta, “renowned” icththyologist from Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Brazil), for his “great” contributions to fish systematics and his support of new generations of ichthyologists, including the senior author (Shibatta was responsible for encouraging his studies of the nervous systems of neotropical fishes)

Tyttobrycon spinosus Géry 1973 Latin for thorny, referring to 11–14 prominent interhaemal spines on first caudal-fin ray of males

Tyttobrycon xeruini Géry 1973 named for the rio Xeruini system (specifically the Rio Novo), middle rio Negro basin, Brazil, type locality

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Multicusp Characins
Subfamily HYPHESSOBRYCONINAE Lima, Carvalho & Faria 2024

Dinotopterygium Frainer, Carvalho, Bertaco & Malabarba 2021 dinōtós (Gr. δινωτός), rounded; pterygium, diminutive of ptéryx (Gr. πτέρυξ), fin, referring to shape of male anal fin, convex in its distal border

Dinotopterygium diodon Frainer, Carvalho, Bertaco & Malabarba 2021 di-, from dýo (δύο), two; odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, referring to double series of teeth in the premaxilla

Dinotopterygium uniodon Frainer, Carvalho, Bertaco & Malabarba 2021 uni-, from unus (L.), one; odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, referring to single series of teeth in the premaxilla

Erythrocharax Netto-Ferreira, Birindelli, de Sousa, Mariguela & Oliveira 2013 erythrós (Gr. ἐρυθρός), red, referring to bright-red coloration of adipose and caudal fin in life; Charax, typical genus of the Characiformes, from chárax (Gr. χάραξ), a pointed stake of a palisade, referring to densely packed sharp teeth, a common root-name formation in the order

Erythrocharax altipinnis Netto-Ferreira, Birindelli, de Sousa, Mariguela & Oliveira 2013 altus (L.), high; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to elongate dorsal-fin rays in males

Hyphessobrycon Durbin 1908 hyphḗssōn (Gr. ὑφήσσων), smaller, allusion not explained, probably referring to their size (described at 26–42 mm); brycon, generalized term used in generic names of many characiform fishes, derived from brýchō (Gr. βρύχω), to bite, gnash teeth or eat greedily, originally an allusion to fully toothed maxillae

Hyphessobrycon acaciae García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Prada-Pedreros 2010 of Acacías, a town or municipality in Meta Department, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon agulha Fowler 1913 local name for this species along the Madeira River in Brazil

Hyphessobrycon albolineatus Fernández-Yépez 1950 albus (L.), white; lineatum (L.), presumably an unnecessary neuterization of linea (L.), line, referring to white band around body on specimens preserved in formalin [name treated as a noun, not an adjective]

Hyphessobrycon amandae Géry & Uj 1987 in honor of Amanda Bleher (1910–1991), mother of German explorer and ornamental fish wholesaler-supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944, who collected holotype), for her interest in and knowledge of the freshwater fauna and flora of Brazil

Hyphessobrycon amapaensis Zarske & Géry 1998 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Amapa State, Brazil, where it is endemic

Hyphessobrycon amaronensis García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2010 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Caño Amaron, tributary of Río Putumayo, Puerto Leguizama municipio, Departmento Amazonia, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon arianae Uj & Géry 1989 in honor of colleague Ariane Devore, for her encouragement during the course of the senior author’s research

Hyphessobrycon atencioi Ardila Rodríguez 2022 in honor of Colombian ichthyologist Víctor Julio Atencio García, Director, Instituto de Investigaciones Piscícolas, Universidad de Córdoba

Hyphessobrycon auca Almirón, Casciotta, Bechara & Ruíz Díaz 2004 Mapuche word meaning rebel, possibly alluding to its being only species in genus with some males bearing hooks on all fins (Mapuche are a group of indigenous people in Argentina, where this species occurs)

Hyphessobrycon axelrodi (Travassos 1959) in honor of American pet-book publisher and aquarist Herbert R. Axelrod (1927–2017), who collected holotype

Hyphessobrycon barranquilla Ardila Rodríguez 2022 named for Barranquilla, Colombia, where the author lives, “My second hometown, who welcomed me 44 years ago with her affection and hugged me with her joy” (translation)

Hyphessobrycon bayleyi Lima, Bastos, Rapp Py-Daniel & Ota 2022 in honor of Peter B. Bayley, a retired ichthyologist who extensively sampled fishes from floodplain lakes in Central Amazon near Manaus in the 1970s; among the material he collected are large series of well-preserved small characins that have “greatly aided” our understanding of the diversity of the group in Central Amazon

Hyphessobrycon bifasciatus Ellis 1911 bi-, from bis (L.), twice; fasciatus (L.), banded, referring to two vertical black bars just behind head [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hyphessobrycon borealis Zarske, Le Bail & Géry 2006 Latin for northern, referring to distribution in northern South America (specifically, in French Guiana)

Hyphessobrycon boulengeri (Eigenmann 1907) in honor of Belgian-born British ichthyologist-herpetologist George A. Boulenger (1858–1937), British Museum (Natural History)

Hyphessobrycon brumado Zanata & Camelier 2010 named for rio Brumado, coastal drainage of eastern Brazil, type locality

Hyphessobrycon bussingi Ota, Carvalho & Pavanelli 2020 in honor of American ichthyologist William Bussing (1933–2014), Universidad de Costa Rica, for all of his contributions to the knowledge of the fishes of Costa Rica

Hyphessobrycon cachimbensis Travassos 1964 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: rio Cachimbo, Serra do Cachimbo, Brazil, type locality 

Hyphessobrycon cantoi Faria, Guimarães, Rodrigues, Oliveira & Lima 2021 in honor of André Luiz C. Canto, curator of the fish collection of the Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, for his contribution to the knowledge of fishes from the rio Tapajós basin (Pará, Brazil), where this tetra occurs

Hyphessobrycon caru Guimarães, Brito, Feitosa, Costa & Ottoni 2019 Carú, name of area (where this species occurs) inhabited by two Brazilian native tribes Guajá and Guajajara) who have “suffered consequences of European colonization and are under threat due to the pressure for exploration of the protected territory”

Hyphessobrycon catableptus (Durbin 1909) etymology not explained, perhaps cata, from katá (Gr. κατά), downwards, beneath, below or under, and bleptós (Gr. βλεπτός), to be seen (i.e., visible or conspicuous), presumably referring in some way to the “peculiarity” of its pectoral fins, described as a “fleshy lobe, surrounded by a fringe of filaments” [species inquirenda, known from only a single post-larval specimen, provisionally included here]

Hyphessobrycon chiribiquete García-Alzate, Lima, Taphorn, Mojica, Urbano-Bonilla & Teixeira 2020 named for Parque Nacional Natural Serranía de Chiribiquete, Colombia (type locality), the largest tropical rainforest national park in the world (species also occurs in Peru)

Hyphessobrycon citrus Marinho & Dagosta 2024    Latin for citrus fruit, from the Citron Citrus medica, referring to this tetra’s bright-yellow coloration, similar to several citrus fruits

Hyphessobrycon clavatus Zarske 2015 Latin for club-shaped (clavate), referring to its body shape

Hyphessobrycon coelestinus Myers 1929 Latin for sky-blue, presumably referring to its bluish silvery coloration and/or dark-blue lateral streak

Hyphessobrycon columbianus Zarske & Géry 2002 –anus (L.), belonging to: Colombia, where type locality (Darien) is situated

Hyphessobrycon comodoro Dagosta, Seren, Ferreira & Marinho 2022 named for the Municipality of Comodoro, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, where all specimens were collected

Hyphessobrycon compressus (Meek 1904) Latin for squeezed together, referring to its deep, much compressed body

Hyphessobrycon condotensis Regan 1913 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Condoto, Colombia, one of two locations for the type series

Hyphessobrycon corozalensis Ardila Rodríguez 2022 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Arroyo Grande de Corozal drainage, Departamento de Sucre, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon cyanotaenia Zarske & Géry 2006 cyano-, from kýanos (Gr. κύανος), dark blue; taenia, from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, referring to broad blue longitudinal band from tip of snout to end of middle caudal-fin rays

Hyphessobrycon daguae Eigenmann 1922 of Río Dagua, Colombia, co-type locality

Hyphessobrycon delimai Teixeira, Netto-Ferreira, Birindelli & Sousa 2016 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Flávio Cesar Thadeo de Lima (b. 1974), Universidade Estadual de Campinas, for numerous contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical freshwater fishes, especially the Characidae, and also for many years of friendship and encouragement to the authors

Hyphessobrycon diancistrus Weitzman 1977 di– (Gr. prefix), from dýo (δύο); ánkistron (Gr. ἄγκιστρον), fish hook, referring to two very large bony hooks on anal fin of males

Hyphessobrycon dorsalis Zarske 2014 Latin for of the back, referring to black spot on dorsal fin

Hyphessobrycon duragenys Ellis 1911 durus (L.), hard or tough; génys (Gr. γένυς) jaw (usually the lower jaw in ichthyology), allusion not explained nor evident [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hyphessobrycon ecuadorensis (Eigenmann 1915) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ecuador, where type locality (Maranjito, Río Chan Chan) is situated [described in Megalamphodus (Megalamphodinae), narrowly misses being a junior homonym of H. ecuadoriensis by the absence of the letter “i”]

Hyphessobrycon ecuadoriensis Eigenmann & Henn 1914 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Ecuador, where it is endemic

Hyphessobrycon eilyos Lima & Moreira 2003 eilyós (Gr. εἰλεός), den or lurking place, referring to plant-choked backwater habitat (and where, according to locals, anacondas lurk)

Hyphessobrycon elachys Weitzman 1984 from élacho (Gr. ἐλαχύς), small or insignificant, referring to small adult size (12.9–16.6 mm SL)

Hyphessobrycon eos Durbin 1909 after Eos, goddess of morning-glow, referring to its rosy color

Hyphessobrycon ericae Moreira & Lima 2017 in honor of fellow ichthyologist Érica Pellegrini Caramaschi, for her extensive contributions to the knowledge of neotropical freshwater fish ecology, for presenting the first specimens of this species, and for patiently waiting almost two decades for its description

Hyphessobrycon eschwartzae García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Ortega 2013 in honor of New Orleans-based artist (surrealist sculpture) and benefactor Eugenia Schwartz (1951–2015), who financially supported the expedition that collected holotype

Hyphessobrycon fernandezi Fernández-Yépez 1972 in memory of the author’s brother, ornithologist Alberto Fernández-Yepez, who dedicated his life to natural science and “departed too soon” (translation)

Hyphessobrycon flammeus Myers 1924 Latin for flaming or fiery, referring to “flaming red” coloration in life

Hyphessobrycon frankei Zarske & Géry 1997 in honor of German aquarist Hanns-Joachim Franke (1925–1995), who, along with ichthyologist-aquarist Patrick de Rham, first collected this species in 1979

Hyphessobrycon frickei Guimarães, Brito, Bragança, Katz & Ottoni 2020 in honor of German ichthyologist Ronald Fricke (b. 1959), Curator of Fishes, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, for his contributions to ichthyology

Hyphessobrycon georgettae Géry 1961 matronym not identified; Géry later corrected spelling from georgetti to georgettae and revealed he named it in honor of his wife Georgette [corrected spelling is retained because it appears to be in prevailing usage]

Hyphessobrycon geryi Guimarães, Brito, Bragança, Katz & Ottoni 2020 in honor of ichthyologist Jacques Géry (1917–2007), for his contribution to the knowledge of Characiformes

Hyphessobrycon gracilior Géry 1964 comparative of gracilis (L.), thin or slender, allusion not evident, perhaps referring to shorter body depth compared with the sympatric H. tenuis

Hyphessobrycon griemi Hoedeman 1957 in honor of ornamental fish dealer and collector Karl (sometimes spelled Carl) Griem (d. 1954)

Hyphessobrycon hasemani Fowler 1913 in honor of American zoologist John D. Haseman (1882–1969), field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, “who has explored much of South America and contributed a number of papers to Brazilian ichthyology”

Hyphessobrycon heliacus Moreira, Landim & Costa 2002 hēliakós (Gr. ἡλιακός), of the sun, referring to its bright golden color in life

Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi Géry 1961 in honor of American pet-book publisher and aquarist Herbert R. Axelrod (1927–2017), whose Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine published this description and several others by Géry

Hyphessobrycon heteresthes (Ulrey 1894) héteros (Gr. ἕτερος), different; esthḗs (Gr. ἐσθής), dress, clothing or raiment, allusion not explained, possibly referring to lack of humeral spot, which distinguishes it from the related H. eques [species inquirenda, based on juveniles in poor condition, provisionally included here]

Hyphessobrycon heterorhabdus (Ulrey 1894) héteros (Gr. ἕτερος), different; rhábdos (Gr. ῥάβδος), rod or wand (i.e., streak or stripe), allusion not explained, possibly referring to conspicuous dark lateral band, which readily distinguishes it from Hemigrammus schmardae, thought to be its closest relative at the time

Hyphessobrycon hexastichos Bertaco & Carvalho 2005 héx (Gr. ἕξ), six; stíchos (Gr. στίχος), line or row, referring to six conspicuous zigzag longitudinal stripes between longitudinal body rows of scales on large specimens

Hyphessobrycon hildae Fernández-Yépez 1950 in honor of Fernández-Yépez’ wife Hilda, for her constant help with his ichthyological research

Hyphessobrycon igneus Miquelarena, Menni, López & Casciotta 1980 Latin for fiery, presumably referring to red coloration on dorsal, anal and caudal fins

Hyphessobrycon inconstans (Eigenmann & Ogle 1907) Latin for variable or inconsistent, referring to the five known specimens at the time, which “do not have the same generic characters”

Hyphessobrycon isiri Almirón, Casciotta & Koerber 2006 Latinization of Guaraní word ysyri, stream, presumably referring to its occurrence in shallow streams or brooks

Hyphessobrycon itaparicensis Lima & Costa 2001 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: ilha de Itaparica (an island), Bahia, Brazil, type locality

Hyphessobrycon jackrobertsi Zarske 2014 in honor of tropical-fish farmer and dealer Jack Roberts, who was probably the first to import this fish into the aquarium hobby (where it has been known as H. “robertsi,” a name anonymously proposed in 1958 but never validly described)

Hyphessobrycon juruna Faria, Lima & Bastos 2018 named for the Juruna, an indigenous group who historically lived along the middle and lower rio Xingu basin (Pará state, Brazil), where this species occurs; name also honors a member of the Xavante people, Mário Dzururã (1950–2002), better known as Mário Juruna, the first indigenous deputy in Brazilian history

Hyphessobrycon kayabi Teixeira, Lima & Zuanon 2014 named for the Kayabi, a Tupí-speaking Indian nation, who, “after suffering severe onslaughts from the western/ Brazilian society during the first half of the 20th Century, still survive as a small group in a recently established area at the lower rio Teles Pires [where this species occurs], but mostly as a transplanted population at the Xingu Indigenous Park”

Hyphessobrycon klausanni García-Alzate, Urbano-Bonilla & Taphorn 2017 named for Klaus and Anni, parents of Klaus-Peter Lang (Oberhausen, Germany), who partially funded the research leading to the discovery of this species, to commemorate Anni’s 80th birthday

Hyphessobrycon krenakore Teixeira, Netto-Ferreira, Birindelli & Sousa 2016 named for the Krenakore Indians, which suffered severe onslaughts by Brazilian society and was reduced to 1/3 of its original population after contact in 1973 when the Cuiabá-Santarém road began to be built across their territory; recently, after much struggle, the Krenakore was the first native nation in Brazil to be given indemnity by the government and regain the right to live in part of their original territory

Hyphessobrycon langeanii Lima & Moreira 2003 in honor of the authors’ colleague, Brazilian ichthyologist Francisco Langeani Neto, who first collected this species

Hyphessobrycon loretoensis Ladiges 1938 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Loreto, Peru, upper Amazon River, type locality

Hyphessobrycon loweae Costa & Géry 1994 in honor of British tropical-fish ecologist Rosemary Lowe-McConnell (1921–2014), who collected the first specimens in 1968

Hyphessobrycon lucenorum Ohara & Lima 2015 –orum, commemorative suffix (L.), plural: in honor of Carlos A. S. de Lucena and Zilda M. S. de Lucena, curators and researchers at the Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia – Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre, Brazil), for their contributions to the knowledge of the neotropical fishes, especially characins

Hyphessobrycon maculicauda Ahl 1936 macula (L.), spot; cauda (L.), tail, referring to large, vertically elliptical spot on caudal peduncle [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]

Hyphessobrycon margitae Zarske 2016 in honor of Zarske’s wife, graduate teacher Margit Zarske, “who for many years has endured and supported my passion for ichthyology” (translation) [see also Moenkhausia margitae]

Hyphessobrycon mavro García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Prada-Pedreros 2010 mávro (Gr. μαύρο), black, referring to Caño Negro (“Black Pipe”) drainage, Puerto Carreño, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon melanostichos Carvalho & Bertaco 2006 mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; stíchos (Gr. στίχος), line or row, referring to black longitudinal stripe on body

Hyphessobrycon melasemeion Fowler 1945 mélas (Gr. μέλας), black; sēmeī́on (Gr. σημεῖον), flag or banner (i.e., dorsal fin), presumably referring to gray-to-black “terminally greater area” of dorsal fin

Hyphessobrycon melazonatus Durbin 1908 mélas (μέλας), black; zonatus (L.), banded, allusion not explained nor evident

Hyphessobrycon meridionalis Ringuelet, Miquelarena & Menni 1978 Latin for southern, probably referring to its being the most southern species in the genus

Hyphessobrycon metae Eigenmann & Henn 1914 of the Río Meta, Orinoco system, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon minimus Durbin 1909 Latin for least, presumably referring to small size (described at 16–21 mm), smaller than H. minor described in the same paper

Hyphessobrycon minor Durbin 1909 Latin for smaller, probably referring to its small size (described at 19–25 mm)

Hyphessobrycon moniliger Moreira, Lima & Costa 2002 monile (L.), necklace; –iger (L.), to have or bear, referring to resemblance of modified anal-fin rays of males to a string of beads

Hyphessobrycon montagi Lima, Coutinho & Wosiacki 2014 in honor of Brazilian zoologist Luciano F. A. Montag (b. 1975), Federal University of Pará, colleague and friend, who collected part of the type series, for his contributions to the knowledge of the fishes from the lower Amazon basin

Hyphessobrycon mutabilis Costa & Géry 1994 Latin for changeable or mutable, referring to its ability to change colors

Hyphessobrycon myrmex Pastana, Dagosta & Esguícero 2017 Greek (mύρμηξ) for ant, referring to small size of adult specimens and to type locality, rio Formiga (Mato Grosso, Brazil), which means “Ant River” in Portuguese

Hyphessobrycon natagaima García-Alzate, Taphorn, Roman-Valencia & Villa-Navarro 2015 named for the Amerindian people of Natagaima County, Tolima, Colombia, where this species occurs; according to legend, a chief named Nataga and a princess named Aima were married to originate the tribe

Hyphessobrycon nicolasi Miquelarena & López 2010 in honor of Nicolás Bonelli, the senior author’s grandson, “whose affection and company we have enjoyed for the last few years”

Hyphessobrycon niger García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Prada-Pedreros 2010 Latin for dark or black, referring to conspicuous black spot at base of caudal fin

Hyphessobrycon nigricinctus Zarske & Géry 2004 nigri, from niger (L.), dark or black; cinctus (L.), girdle, referring to black longitudinal band on sides

Hyphessobrycon notidanos Carvalho & Bertaco 2006 nōtidanós (Gr. vωτιδανός), “with pointed dorsal fin,” (per the authors and two dictionaries), referring to the elongate dorsal-fin rays of males, perhaps derived from nōtízō (Gr. νωτίζω), to turn one’s back; the provenance of the present definition is obscure but may trace back to Aristotle, who used nōtidanós to describe an Egyptian fish that evokes a fanciful combination of a prickly-skinned shark (possibly Oxynotus centrina, which has prickly skin and two dorsal fins, each with a large spine) and a Synodontis (Mochokidae) catfish, which swims upside-down (turning its back?) and has a sharp (pointed?) dorsal-fin spine

Hyphessobrycon ocasoensis García-Alzate & Román-Valencia 2008 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Montaña el Ocaso, a nature reserve in Quimbaya, Quindio, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon olayai Ardila Rodríguez 2022 in honor of Colombian ichthyologist Charles William Olaya Nieto, Director, Departamento de Ciencias Acuícolas, Universidad de Córdoba

Hyphessobrycon oritoensis García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2008 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Orito River, Putumayo drainage, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon otrynus Benine & Lopes 2008 otrýnō (Gr. ὀτρύνω), to stir up or spur but used here as a noun (spur), referring to two very large spur-like hooks (processes of last unbranched and first branched anal-fin rays)

Hyphessobrycon paepkei Zarske 2014 in honor of Hans-Joachim Paepke (b. 1934), former (1977–1999) curator of ichthyology, Berlin Museum of Natural History, with whom Zarske has shared a “long-standing professional and personal friendship” (translation)

Hyphessobrycon panamensis Durbin 1908 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Panama, where type locality (Río Boqueron, Atlantic Slope) is situated

Hyphessobrycon pando Hein 2009 named for Departamento Pando, federal state in Bolivia, where type locality (Río Manuripi) is situated

Hyphessobrycon parvellus Ellis 1911 diminutive of parvus (L.), small, i.e., very small, presumably referring to small size (described at 12–20 mm) [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hyphessobrycon paucilepis García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2008 paucus (L.), few; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to lower lateral and predorsal scale counts compared to Venezuelan congeners

Hyphessobrycon peruvianus Ladiges 1938 –anus (L.), belonging to: Peru, where type locality (between Tabatinga and Iquitos, upper Amazon, Loreto State) is situated

Hyphessobrycon petricolus Ohara, Lima & Barros 2017 pétra (Gr. πέτρα), rock or stone; -colus (L.), living among, referring to its occurrence in a rocky bottomed stream

Hyphessobrycon peugeoti Ingenito, Lima & Buckup 2013 in honor of the Peugeot family (best known for their cars), who invented the Peugeot pepper mill mechanism in 1842 and whose manufacturing business led to the establishment of a carbon sink reforestation project in the fazenda São Nicolau, in central Brazil, and eventually to the discovery of this species [preferably spelled peugeotorum since name honors more than one person, but ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction]

Hyphessobrycon piabinhas Fowler 1941 local name for this species in Brazil

Hyphessobrycon pinnistriatus Carvalho, Cabeceira & Carvalho 2017 pinna, fin; striatus, striped, referring to black stripe on anal fin

Hyphessobrycon piorskii Guimarães, Brito, Feitosa, Carvalho-Costa & Ottoni 2018 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Nivaldo Magalhães Piorski, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, for his contributions to the knowledge of fishes of Maranhão State, Brazil, where this species occurs

Hyphessobrycon piranga Camelier, Dagosta & Marinho 2018 piranga, Tupí word meaning red, referring to “remarkably” red coloration of males (yellow in females); also alludes to the genus Piranga, neotropical birds in which males have red coloration and females are yellow (except P. rubriceps)

Hyphessobrycon platyodus Ohara, Abrahão & Espíndola 2017 platýs (Gr. πλατύς), flat; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, referring to compressed teeth with many cusps, an unusual feature in Hyphessobrycon

Hyphessobrycon poecilioides Eigenmann 1913 -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: presumably Poecilia or Poeciliidae (Cyprinodontiformes), referring to its “Cyprinodontoid” shape

Hyphessobrycon procerus Mahnert & Géry 1987 Latin for high, long or tall (authors say slender), probably referring to its very slender (“très élancé”) maxillary compared to H. coelestinus

Hyphessobrycon procyon Pastana & Ohara 2016 Procyon, brightest star in the Canis Minor constellation, which represents the state of Amazonas (where this species occurs) in the Brazilian national flag

Hyphessobrycon proteus Eigenmann 1913 Proteus, a sea-god of changeable form, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its close similarity to Astyanax ruberrimus, “from which the preserved specimens with a complete lateral line can only be distinguished with difficulty”

Hyphessobrycon psittacus Dagosta, Marinho, Camelier & Lima 2016 from psittakós (Gr. ψιττακός), parrot, referring to type locality, rio Papagaio (Mato Grosso, Brazil), which means “Parrot River” in Portuguese

Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis Ahl 1937 pulchra (L.), beautiful or lovely; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, i.e., finned, referring to attractive black-and-yellow dorsal and anal fins

Hyphessobrycon pyrrhonotus Burgess 1993 pyrrhós (Gr. πυρρός), flame-colored; nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back, referring to bright-red color on back

Hyphessobrycon pytai Géry & Mahnert 1993 pyta’i, Guaraní for small stone, referring to characteristic shape of second point of humeral spot, located at the 7th longitudinal scale

Hyphessobrycon quibdoensis Ardila Rodríguez 2022 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Municipio de Quibdó, Departamento del Chocó, Colombia, where type locality (Río Cabí, Río Atrato drainage) is situated

Hyphessobrycon reticulatus Ellis 1911 Latin for net-like or netted, referring to scales “all clearly outlined with brownish,” which create a net-like or reticulated pattern [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hyphessobrycon reyae Ardila Rodríguez 2022 in honor of the author’s grandmother, María Sabas Rey Gómez (1907–2002), who, when he was a child, helped him capture this species and taught him to “appreciate their beauty” (translation)

Hyphessobrycon rheophilus Ohara, Teixeira, Albornoz-Garzón, Mirande & Lima 2019 rhéos (Gr. ῥέος), stream, current or rushing stream; phílos (Gr. φίλος), fond of, referring to its fast-flowing habitat

Hyphessobrycon robustulus (Cope 1870) diminutive of robustus, Latin for of oak or oaken and, by extension, hard, firm or solid (but often used by ichthyologists to mean fat or stout), perhaps referring to five “stout but small teeth on the maxillary bone” [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]

Hyphessobrycon roseus (Géry 1960) Latin for rose-colored, referring to its “bright rose” body coloration

Hyphessobrycon rutiliflavidus Carvalho, Langeani, Miyazawa & Troy 2008 rutilus (L.), red, golden red or reddish yellow; flavidus (L.), golden yellow or yellowish, referring to in vivo coloration of fins, respectively, in males and females

Hyphessobrycon saizi Géry 1964 in honor of Emilio Saiz (no other information available), who collected holotype

Hyphessobrycon santae (Eigenmann 1907) of Lagoa Santa, Brazil, type locality

Hyphessobrycon sateremawe Faria, Bastos, Zuanon & Lima 2020 named for the Sateré-Mawé, an indigenous group who lived in the region of Amazonas, Brazil, where this species occurs, until they decimated by loyalist forces of the Brazilian empire (1835-1839); they discovered and started using the guaraná (Paullinia cupana), and are renowned for the Tocandira ant ritual, a rite of passage wherein boys insert their hands in gloves affixed with living (and venemous) tocandira ants (Paraponera clavata)

Hyphessobrycon savagei Bussing 1967 in honor of American herpetologist Jay M. Savage (b. 1928), University of Southern California, who first aroused Bussing’s interest in the country of Costa Rica and encouraged and advised him in his ichthyological studies

Hyphessobrycon schauenseei Fowler 1926 in honor of Italian-born American ornithologist Rudolf M. de Schauensee (1901–1984), who collected holotype

Hyphessobrycon scholzei Ahl 1937 in honor of Arthur Scholze (1881-1956), co-owner of Scholze & Pötzschke, an aquarium supply and tropical fish importation firm in Berlin, who donated specimens to the Zoological Museum of Berlin, including type of this species [see also Astyanax poetzschkei]

Hyphessobrycon scutulatus Lucena 2003 Latin for diamond- or lozenge-shaped, referring to marks formed by dark lines that border scales on dorsal portion of body

Hyphessobrycon simulatus (Géry 1960) Latin for copied or imitated, described as a possible mimic of the sympatric Pristella riddlei (=maxillaris) and an unidentified Hyphessobrycon (cf. minor)

Hyphessobrycon sovichthys Schultz 1944 named for Standard Oil Co. of Venezuela (SOV), which aided Schultz in his 1942 fish collecting trip; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Hyphessobrycon stegemanni Géry 1961 in honor of German baker and aquarist Carlos Stegemann of São Paulo, Brazil, “close friend” of Harald Schultz (1909–1966), Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector, who collected holotype

Hyphessobrycon stramineus Durbin 1918 Latin for straw-like, presumably referring to its coloration (described as “badly faded”)

Hyphessobrycon taguae García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2010 of La Tagua Creek, Puerto Leguizamo, Putumayo, Colombia, type locality

Hyphessobrycon takasei Géry 1964 in honor of Japanese-born Brazilian tropical-fish retailer and aquarist Roberto Takase, “one of the fish-collection pioneers in the Brazilian Amazon,” who collected holotype

Hyphessobrycon taphorni García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Ortega 2013 in honor of colleague Donald C. Taphorn (b. 1951), American ichthoylogist, for his “great contribution to the study and appreciation of the diversity of neotropical fishes” (translation)

Hyphessobrycon taurocephalus Ellis 1911 bull-headed, from tauros (Gr. ταῦρος), bull, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “snout very short” (italics in original) [Ellis is married name of Durbin, who described many small tetras]

Hyphessobrycon tenuis Géry 1964 Latin for thin or slender, referring to its slender, elongate body and/or narrow caudal peduncle

Hyphessobrycon tortuguerae Böhlke 1958 of Tortuguero River (Lagoon), Tortuguero, Costa Rica, type locality

Hyphessobrycon troemneri (Fowler 1942)    in honor of J. Louis Troemner, who provided holotype (an aquarium specimen), and to whom Fowler is “indebted” for other “rare and valued” fishes

Hyphessobrycon tropis Géry 1963 trópis (τρόπις), keel, referring to “rather strongly keeled” body above the anal fin

Hyphessobrycon tukunai Géry 1965 of the Tukuna, indigenous tribe of the upper Solimões River basin, Brazil; holotype collected by Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector Harald Schultz (1909–1966), who studied the Tukuna

Hyphessobrycon tuyensis García-Alzate, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2008 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Tuy River drainage, northern Venezuela, type locality

Hyphessobrycon vanzolinii Lima & Flausino 2016 in honor of Paulo E. Vanzolini (1924–2013), “renowned” Brazilian herpetologist and former director of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, who conceived and coordinated the Expedição Permanente da Amazônia and directed the fish sampling during some of the expeditions, including travel to the rio Tapajós in 1970, resulting in collection of type series of this species

Hyphessobrycon veredus Teixeira, Dutra, Penido, Santos & Pessali 2019 veredus, late Latin for a post horse that carried messengers who delivered messages and warnings (or mail as it is known today); in Brazil, roads, paths and shortcuts were then named vereda after the horses that ran through them, in this case alluding to the path-like water courses formed during the dry season in the Brazilian savannah where this species occurs

Hyphessobrycon vilmae Géry 1966 in honor of Vilma Schultz, wife of Harald Schultz (1909–1966), Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector who collected holotype

Hyphessobrycon vinaceus Bertaco, Malabarba & Dergam 2007 Latin for of wine or of the grape (i.e., reddish), referring to red or reddish body coloration in life

Hyphessobrycon wadai Marinho, Dagosta, Camelier & Oyakawa 2016 in honor of Luiz Wada, ornamental-fish breeder and “enthusiastic” aquarist, for his “help in many scientific researches with fishes” (for this species he provided live specimens to be photographed and information on sexual dimorphism)

Hyphessobrycon wajat Almirón & Casciotta 1999 waját, Mataco-Mataguayo word for fish; the Matacos is one of the main ethnic groups in northeast Argentina where some specimens were collected

Hyphessobrycon weitzmanorum Lima & Moreira 2003 –orum, commemorative suffix (L.), plural: in honor of Stanley H. (1927–2017) and his wife Marilyn Weitzman (1926–2022), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.), for their “life-long interest and extensive contributions” to the knowledge of Neotropical freshwater fishes

Hyphessobrycon werneri Géry & Uj 1987 in honor of Arthur Werner, German aquarium-fish exporter (Transfish), who helped collect holotype

Hyphessobrycon wosiackii Moreira & Lima 2017 in honor of friend and fellow Brazilian ichthyologist Wolmar Benjamim Wosiacki, fish curator from the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, for his important contributions to the knowledge of Brazilian fishes

Hyphessobrycon zoe Faria, Lima & Wosiacki 2020 named for the Zo’é, a Tupí-speaking people living at the rio Cuminapanema, a tributary of rio Curuá (Pará State, Brazil), very close to where this species occurs; the Zo’é were discovered by western society during the 1970s and contacted during the 1980s, and is one of the few indigenous peoples in South America who have retained much of their traditional culture

Parecbasis Eigenmann 1914 parékbasis (Gr. παρέκβασις), a digression, or per Eigenmann (1915), “a going out aside from,” allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps referring to raised sides of mandible

Parecbasis cyclolepis Eigenmann 1914 cyclo-, from kýklos (Gr. κύκλος), ring or circle; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to “many radial striæ” on scales

Phycocharax Ohara, Mirande & Lima 2017 phýkos (Gr. φῦκος), seaweed (here meaning algae), referring to the main item of its diet; Charax, typical genus of the Characiformes, from chárax (Gr. χάραξ), a pointed stake of a palisade, referring to densely packed sharp teeth, a common root-name formation in the order

Phycocharax rasbora Ohara, Mirande & Lima 2017 from the Bengali word rasbora, a common name used for a variety of small cypriniform fishes from southeastern Asia, including species in the genus Trigonostigma, which possess a dark triangular blotch on sides very reminiscent in shape and position as found in this species

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Subfamily THAYERIINAE Ota, Reia & Benine 2024

Bario Myers 1940 replacement name for Entomolepis Eigenmann 1918, preoccupied by Entomolepis Bradley 1899 in Crustacea; “a coined name without significance”

Bario australis (Eigenmann 1908) southern, described as one of the few species in the genus that occurs south of the Amazon

Bario cosmops (Lima, Britski & Machado 2007) cosmo, from kósmos (Gr. κόσμος), ornament; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), face or appearance, referring to red upper lip on living specimens

Bario diktyota (Lima & Toledo-Piza 2001) adjectivally transformed and Latinized from díktyon (Gr. δίκτυον), fishnet, i.e., reticulated, referring to color pattern formed by dark pigmentation along posterior portion of scales

Bario forestii (Benine, Mariguela & Oliveira 2009) in honor of Fausto Foresti, Brazilian geneticist and ichthyologist (Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”), for his contributions to our knowledge of fish genetics

Bario lineomaculatus (Dagosta, Marinho & Benine 2015) lineo, from linea (L.), line; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to longitudinal series of aligned spots characteristic of this species

Bario oligolepis (Günther 1864) olígos (ὀλίγος), few or scanty; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, presumably referring to its having fewer lateral line scales compared with other species then placed in the catch-all genus Tetragonopterus (Characidae: Tetragonopterinae)

Bario sanctaefilomenae (Steindachner 1907) of Santa Filomena on rio Parnahyba, Brazil, type locality

Bario skolioplatus (Bertaco & Carvalho 2005) skoliós (Gr. σκολιός), curved or bent; platus, from platýs (πλατύς), broad stripe or border, referring to curved lateral stripe along body

Bario steindachneri (Eigenmann 1893) in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Franz Steindachner (1834–1919), who described this species in 1891 but used a preoccupied name

Bario uirapuru (Ohara & Lima 2015) named for the cascata (waterfall) Uirapuru, rio Madeira basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil, type locality

Bryconella Géry 1965 etymology not explained, probably –ella, a Latin diminutive, i.e., a small Brycon, and/or a combination name referring to presumed affinities to Bryconamericus and Pristella-like genera

Bryconella pallidifrons (Fowler 1946) pallidus (L.), pale; frons (L.), forehead, brow or front, referring to front half of back and body much paler and well contrasted with rest of fish

Hollandichthys Eigenmann 1910 in honor of Jamaican-born American zoologist-paleontologist William J. Holland (1848–1932), Director of the Carnegie Museum (which published many of Eigenmann’s papers on characids); ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Hollandichthys multifasciatus (Eigenmann & Norris 1900) multi– (L.), many; fasciatus (L.), banded, referring to 8–9 dark brown longitudinal bands between rows of scales

Hollandichthys taramandahy Bertaca & Malabarba 2013 named for the rio Tramandaí (also spelled Taramandahy) system, Santa Catarina, Brazil, type locality (tramandaí is a Tupí-Guaraní word that means “winding river”)

Holopristis Eigenmann 1903 hólos (Gr. ὅλος), whole or entire; pristis, from prístēs (Gr. πρίστης), sawyer (one who saws), probably referring to maxillary of H. ocellifera, with “teeth along its entire edge”

Holopristis aguaruna (Lima, Correa & Ota 2016) named for the Awajun people, better known by the name Aguaruna, the second-largest native population in the Peruvian Amazon, who occupy a portion of the Río Morona basin (Departamento Loreto, Peru), where most of the known localities occur

Holopristis falsa (Meinken 1958) Latin for false, reflecting vernacular name among German aquarists, Falscher Schlusslichtsalmler (False Tail-light), which alluded to its treatment as a variety of H. ocellifera, the original Head-and-Tail Light Tetra

Holopristis guyanensis (Géry 1959) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: French Guiana, where type locality (Sable creek, tributary to upper Mana) is situated

Holopristis haraldi (Géry 1961) in honor of Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector Harald Schultz (1909–1966), who collected holotype

Holopristis luelingi (Géry 1964) in honor of German ichthyologist Karl Heinz Lüling (1913–1984), Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (Bonn), who collected holotype

Holopristis neptunus (Zarske & Géry 2002) Latin for Neptune, Roman god of the sea, who is usually depicted with a trident, referring to trident-like spot on caudal fin

Holopristis ocellifera (Steindachner 1882) ocellus, diminutive of oculus (L.), eye (but here meaning eyespot); –fera, from fero (L.), to carry or bear, presumably referring to eye-like spot at base of caudal fin

Holopristis pulchra (Ladiges 1938) Latin for beautiful, described as “magnificently colored” (translation) in life

Holopristis yinyang (Lima & Sousa 2009) named for yin and yang, from the ancient Taoistic Chinese philosophical and religious concept describing the two primal opposing but complementary forces found in all non-static objects and processes, referring to its “complementary orange and black humeral blotches, which are reminiscent of the Taiji diagram, the pictorial representation of the state of the undifferentiated absolute”

Inpaichthys Géry & Junk 1977 INPA, acronym for Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, whose field station in Núcleo Aripuanã, Mato Grosso, Brazil, is near the type locality; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Inpaichthys kerri Géry & Junk 1977 in honor of Warwick Estevam Kerr (1922–2018), Brazilian agricultural engineer, geneticist, entomologist, and director of INPA (see genus)

Inpaichthys nambiquara (Bertaco & Malabarba 2007) named for the Nambiquara, indigenous people of the upper rio Tapajós drainage, Mato Grosso, Brazil, near type locality

Inpaichthys parauapiranga Ferreira, Ribeiro, Lima, Silva, Ferreira & Mirande 2024  from the Tupi paraua, blotch, and piranga, red, referring to six red-dotted longitudinal stripes on flanks of living specimens

Parapristella Géry 1964 para– (Gr. παρά), near, similar to Pristella

Parapristella aubynei (Eigenmann 1909) in honor of William Saint Aubyne (1855–1914), who ran a sugar estate in Guiana; he hosted Eigenmann and “did everything in his power to further the interests” of Eigenmann’s expedition

Parapristella georgiae Géry 1964 in honor of Géry’s wife, Georgie, or Georgette

Rachoviscus Myers 1926 –iscus (L.), a diminutive: in honor of German aquarist Arthur Rachow (1884–1960), who provided type specimens

Rachoviscus crassiceps Myers 1926 crassus (L.), thick, fat or stout; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to “very strongly developed [body], especially the head” (translation)

Rachoviscus graciliceps Weitzman & Cruz 1981 gracilis (L.), thin or slender; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to more slender head compared to R. crassiceps

Ramirezella Fernández-Yépez 1949 –ella (L.), diminutive suffix connoting endearment: in honor of Manuel Vicente Ramirez, who collected holotype of R. newboldi and “kindly” (translation) donated it to Fernández-Yépez

Ramirezella newboldi Fernández-Yépez 1949 in memory of Philip Newbold, a friend who died while working on experiments on Lake Maracaibo in 1948

Ramirezella pyrophthalma (Costa 1994) fire-eyed, from pȳ́r (Gr. πῦρ), fire, and ophthalmós (Gr. ὀφθαλμός), eye, referring to its “remarkable” deep-red eyes in life

Thayeria Eigenmann 1908 –ia, belonging to: financier and philanthropist Nathaniel Thayer, Jr. (1808–1883), who sponsored 15-month expedition to Brazil (1865–1866), and “through whose liberality most of the species described [in Eigenmann’s] paper were collected”

Thayeria boehlkei Weitzman 1957 in honor of American ichthyologist James E. Böhlke (1930–1982), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for his special interest in and contributions to the study of South American characids

Thayeria ifati Géry 1959 in honor of the French Institute of Tropical America (I.F.A.T.), Cayenne, for their help in collecting the freshwater fishes of French Guiana

Thayeria obliqua Eigenmann 1908 Latin for oblique, referring to oblique downward turn of black line on sides continuing through caudal fin

Thayeria tapajonica Moreira & Lima 2017 –ica (L.), belonging to: rio Tapajós mainstream, Pará, Brazil, where this species is “essentially restricted”

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Pacific Characins
Subfamily RHOADSIINAE Fowler 1911

Carlana Strand 1928 –ana (L.), belonging to: German-born American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann (1863–1927), who suggested that type species warranted a new genus [replacement name for Carlia Meek 1914, preoccupied by Carlia Gray 1845 in Reptilia]

Carlana eigenmanni (Meek 1912) in honor of German-born American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann (1863–1927), “who has done more than any one else to increase our knowledge of the Characins, the most interesting family of fishes in the fresh waters of the Americas” [note how full name mirrors Eigenmann’s own]

Nematobrycon Eigenmann 1911 nḗmatos (Gr. νήματος), threaded, referring to three prolonged, filiform lobes of caudal fin; brycon, generalized term used in generic names of many characiform fishes, derived from brýchō (Gr. βρύχω), to bite, gnash teeth or eat greedily, originally an allusion to fully toothed maxillae

Nematobrycon lacortei Weitzman & Fink 1971 in honor of American aquarist Rosario La Corte (1929–2024), for his “long interest in characoids” (he also donated specimens to the senior author from his fish-breeding operation)

Nematobrycon palmeri Eigenmann 1911 in honor of Mervyn George Palmer (1882–1954), English naturalist, traveler and collector in Central and South America for the British Museum, who collected holotype

Parastremma Eigenmann 1912 parástremma (Gr. παράστρεμμα), distortion, or per Eigenmann and Myers (1929), “something twisted,” referring to “twisted lower jaw,” i.e., recurved posterior teeth on sides of lower jaw of P. sadina

Parastremma album Dahl 1960 Latin for white, referring to whitish sheen when taken out of the water; also called blanca by native fishers

Parastremma pulchrum Dahl 1960 Latin for beautiful or lovely, referring to its “elegant form” [originally spelled pulchra, emended to agree with neuter gender of genus]

Parastremma sadina Eigenmann 1912 local name for this species in western Colombia

Pseudochalceus Kner 1863 pseudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false, referring (according to a subsequent 1864 publication with Steindachner) to its similar dentition with Chalceus

Pseudochalceus bohlkei Orcés V. 1967 in honor of James E. Böhlke (1930–1982), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for distinguished contributions to the advancement of ichthyology

Pseudochalceus kyburzi Schultz 1966 in honor of the late William A. Kyburz (1900–1965), an ornamental fish exporter in Bitaco, Colombia, who helped collect holotype and supplied habitat information

Pseudochalceus lineatus Kner 1863 Latin for lined, referring to series of dark longitudinal stripes running along length of body

Pseudochalceus longianalis Géry 1972 longus (L.), long; analis (L.), anal, referring to longer anal fin compared with P. lineatus and P. kyburzi

Rhoadsia Fowler 1911 –ia (L. suffix), belonging to: Philadelphia bookstore owner and naturalist Samuel N. Rhoads (1862–1952), who collected holotype, “in slight recognition of his ability as a naturalist and explorer”

Rhoadsia altipinna Fowler 1911 altus (L.), high; pinna (L.), fin, referring to elevated dorsal fin of adult

Rhoadsia minor Eigenmann & Henn 1914 Latin for small, a “dwarf mountain form” (elevation 1219 m) of R. altipinna

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Subfamily GRUNDULINAE Fowler 1958

Astyanacinus Eigenmann 1907 –inus (L.), adjectival suffix, i.e., Astyanax-like, referring, per Eigenemann (1927), to how this genus “grades into” Astyanax (Acestrorhamphinae)

Astyanacinus moorii (Boulenger 1892) in honor of English botanist Spencer Moore (1850–1931), who helped collect holotype 

Grundulus Valenciennes 1846 from a name dating to 1558 used for benthic gudgeons and loaches (gründel, German for bottom); Valenciennes believed this characin was a killifish (Cyprinodontiformes) and “borrowed” (translation) the name, which he stated was synonymous with Fundulus (fundus, Latin for bottom), a 15th-century name originally applied to gudgeons and later assigned to killifishes by Lacépède in 1803

Grundulus bogotensis (Humboldt 1821) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: plains of Bogota, Colombia, type locality

Grundulus cochae Román-Valencia, Paepke & Pantoja 2003 of La Cocha Lake, southern Colombia, where it is endemic

Grundulus quitoensis Román-Valencia, Ruiz C. & Barriga 2005 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Quito, Ecuador, near type locality and only known area of occurrence (El Voladero Lake, Carichi Province)

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Subfamily ACESTRORHAMPHINAE Eigenmann 1907

Andromakhe Terán, Benitez & Mirande 2020 named for Andromakhe (Áνδρομάχη, “battle of men”), wife of Hector, Prince of Troy, in Greek mythology, and, in Homer’s epic poem Iliad, the mother of Astyanax (Ἀστυάναξ, “city protector”), named for its relationship to and the original placement of its species in Astyanax

Andromakhe latens (Mirande, Aguilera & Azpelicueta 2004) Latin for hidden, referring to name of type locality (Arroyo El Oculto, Argentina), which means “hidden stream” in Spanish

Andromakhe paris (Azpelicueta, Almirón & Casciotta 2002) named for Paris (Gr. Πάρις), uncle of Astyanax, both of whom fought in the Trojan war, named for its original placement in Astyanax

Andromakhe stenohalina (Messner 1962) sténos (Gr. στένος), narrow; halós (Gr. ἁλός), genitive of háls (ἅλς), sea, i.e., stenohaline (intolerant of salt water), referring to its strictly freshwater habitat compared with Psalidodon fasciatus and P. eigenmanniorum (its presumed congeners at the time), both of which enter estuaries

Andromakhe tupi (Azpelicueta, Mirande, Almirón & Casciotta 2003 in honor of the Tupí indigenous people, who lived in northern Argentina, where this species occurs

Astyanax Baird & Girard 1854 Astyanax (Ἀστυάναξ, “city protector”), a Trojan warrior in Greek mythology, son of Hector, Prince of Troy, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to large silvery scales of A. argentatus, which could be said to resemble armor

Subgenus Astyanax

Astyanax abramis (Jenyns 1842) abramís (Gr. ἀβραμίς), bream or mullet, probably referring to its “subrhomboidal form,” similar to that of the Common Bream, Abramis brama (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae)

Astyanax acatlanensis Schmitter-Soto 2017 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Acatlán, Puebla, México, type locality

Astyanax aeneus (Günther 1860) Latin for brazen, referring to its uniform brown coloration

Astyanax altior Hubbs 1936 Latin for higher, probably referring to its “unusually high” fins

Astyanax anai Angulo, Santos, López, Langeani & McMahan 2018 in honor of the Asociación Anai, for their “exceptional work in support of the knowledge and conservation of aquatic environments and in the promotion and execution of sustainable development initiatives in the Talamanca region of eastern Costa Rica-western Panama (where this species occurs); name also represents a tribute to Ana Rosa RamírezCoghi, for her dedicated service, since the year 2000, as assistant collection manager of the Universidad de Costa Rica fish collection

Astyanax angustifrons (Regan 1908) angustus (L.), narrow; frons (L.), face, brow or forehead, allusion not explained, possibly referring to smaller snout compared with A. mexicanus

Astyanax apiaka Ferreira, Lima, Ribeiro, Flausino Junior, Machado & Mirande 2023 named for the Apiaká, an indigenous group who inhabit the region where this species was collected (Tapurah-Nova Paraná, Porto dos Gaúchos, Mato Grosso, Brazil), and the eponymous river from where it is endemic [see also Aphyodite apiaka]

Astyanax aramburui Protogino, Miquelarena & López 2006 in honor of Raúl H. Arámburu (1924–2004), researcher and professor of the Museo de La Plata, Buenos Aires, and founder of the first chair of ichthyology in Argentina, where this species is endemic

Astyanax argentatus Baird & Girard 1854 Latin for plated with silver, referring to its silvery sides

Astyanax argyrimarginatus Garutti 1999 árgyros (Gr. ἄργυρος), white metal (i.e., silver); marginatus (L.), edged or bordered, referring to silver edge around black lateral stripe

Astyanax bacalarensis Schmitter-Soto 2017 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lake Bacalar, Quintana Roo, Mexico, type locality

Astyanax bagual Bertaco & Vigo 2015 Tupí-Guaraní word meaning “wild horse, or what is mortal, or dangerous to mount,” an expression used to convey that a male horse is reproductively ready in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, where this species occurs, alluding to presence of bony hooks on all fins of mature males

Astyanax bahiensis (Steindachner 1877) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Bahia, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax baileyi (Rosen 1972) in honor of American ichthyologist Reeve M. Bailey (1911–2011), University of Michigan, “teacher, friend, and colleague of 26 years, and field companion in Guatemala during 1966, 1968, and 1971”

Astyanax belizianus (Bocourt 1868) –anus (L.), belonging to: Belize, where type locality (Mullins River) is situated

Astyanax bimaculatus (Linnaeus 1758) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to humeral and caudal spots

Astyanax boliviensis Ruiz-C., Román-Valencia, Taphorn, Buckup & Ortega 2018 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Bolivia, where type locality (Candelaria River at La Candelaria, Iturralde Province) is situated

Astyanax bourgeti Eigenmann 1908 in memory of French naturalist D. Bourget, a resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and member of the Thayer Expedition (1865–1866), who collected holotype

Astyanax brachypterygium Bertaco & Malabarba 2001 brachys (Gr. βραχύς), short; pterygium, from pterygion, diminutive of ptéryx (Gr. πτέρυξ), wing or fin, referring to its short anal fin

Astyanax bransfordii (Gill 1877) in honor of John F. Bransford (1846– 1911), Assistant Surgeon, U.S. Navy, who collected holotype and co-authored Gill’s paper on the fishes of Lake Nicaragua

Astyanax brevimanus Günther 1864 brevis (L.), short; manus (L.), hand, homologous to the pectoral fin, which does not extend to ventral fin

Astyanax brevirhinus Eigenmann 1908 short-nosed, from brevis (L.), short, and rhinós (Gr. ῥινός), genitive of rhís (ῥίς), nose, referring to its blunt snout

Astyanax brevoortii (Gill 1858) in honor of James Carson Brevoort (1818–1887), “whose profound knowledge of the North American marine fishes, and especially those of the family of Scombroids, to which his memoir on the ‘lost fish,’ Selene argentea of Lacepede [=S. vomer], bears testimony, places him among the first of ichthyologists” (Brevoort was a businessman and philanthropist who supported various literary and scientific societies and institutions and was himself a fine amateur naturalist; his zoological library was then reputed to be the finest in America)

Astyanax caballeroi (Contreras-Balderas & Rivera-Teillery 1985) in memory of the “distinguished” (translation) Mexican biologist Eduardo Caballero y Caballero (1904–1974)

Astyanax caroni Ruiz-C, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2023 named for the Caroní River drainage, Venezuela, only known area of occurrence

Astyanax chaparae Fowler 1943 of Río Chapare, Cochabamba, Bolivia, type locality

Astyanax clavitaeniatus Garutti 2003 clava (L.), club; taeniatus (L.), banded, referring to black club-shaped lateral stripe

Astyanax cocibolca Bussing 2008 named for Lake Cocibolca, indigenous name for Lake Nicaragua (Nicaragua and Costa Rica) and rivers draining into it, where this species is endemic

Astyanax cordovae (Günther 1880) of the Río de Cordova, Argentina, type locality

Astyanax courensis Bertaco, Carvalho & Jerep 2010 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: rio dos Couros, upper rio Tocantins basin, Goiás, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax cubilhuitz Schmitter-Soto 2017 named for Cubilhuitz, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, type locality

Astyanax cuyuni Ruiz-C, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2023 named for the Cuyuni River drainage, Venezuela (and possibly adjacent Guyana), type locality

Astyanax depressirostris Miranda Ribeiro 1908 depressus (L.), pressed down; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, referring to its “highly depressed muzzle” (translation)

Astyanax dorioni (Rosen 1970) in honor of Robert C. Dorion (b. 1926), entrepreneur and investor, for “continuing assistance for our field efforts in Guatemala since 1963, and whose companionship and hard work during several field trips have always been greatly appreciated”

Astyanax douradilho Bertaco 2014 regional southern Brazilian name for a horse’s color pattern consisting of a reddish-brown or a golden-yellow, referring to the color of this fish’s fins in life

Astyanax elachylepis Bertaco & Lucinda 2005 élacho (Gr. ἐλαχύς), small or insignificant; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to small size of scales

Astyanax embera Ruiz-C., Román-Valencia, Taphorn, Buckup & Ortega 2018 named for the Embera, indigenous people who occupy type locality (Barbacoas Municipality, Nariño Department, Colombia)

Astyanax epiagos Zanata & Camelier 2008 epí– (Gr. ἐπί) or epi– (ἐπι), on top of; agos, from diasphágos (Gr. διασφάγος), genitive of diaspháx (διασφάξ), an opening, especially a gorge, through which a river runs (authors say “rocky cleft”), referring to area above waterfall and valley formed by rio Ferro Doido, Bahia, Brazil, where it is endemic

Astyanax eremus Ingenito & Duboc 2014 Latin for alone or uninhabited, referring to the absence of other fish species at the type locality

Astyanax fasslii (Steindachner 1915) in honor of Anton Heinrich Hermann Fassl (1876–1922), German commercial butterfly and beetle collector, who collected holotype

Astyanax finitimus (Bocourt 1868) Latin for adjoining, neighboring or bordering, described as very close (“très-voisine”) to Tetragonopterus macrophthalmus (=A. mexicanus)

Astyanax gandhiae Ruiz-C., Román-Valencia, Taphorn, Buckup & Ortega 2018 in honor of the late Maria Gandhi Calderon, mother of the first author

Astyanax garuttii Ruiz-C, Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2023 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Valdener Garutti, for his contribution to our knowledge and understanding of the A. bimaculatus species group

Astyanax gisleni Dahl 1943 in honor of Swedish zoologist Torsten Gislen (1893–1954), who gave Dahl the opportunity to work at the Zoological Institute of Lund, and for his kind interest in Dahl’s studies

Astyanax goyanensis (Miranda Ribeiro 1944) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Estado do Goiás, Brazil, where type locality (rio do Couro, Veadeiros) is situated

Astyanax gracilior Eigenmann 1908 Latin for slimmer, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps slenderer than the “closely related” Makunaima multidens, its presumed congener at the time

Astyanax guaricana Oliveira, Abilhoa & Pavanelli 2013 named for Guaricana Reservoir, Paraná State, Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil, type locality

Astyanax incaicus Tortonese 1942 –icus (L.), belonging to, the Incas, probably referring to its distribution in southeast Ecuador, which was part of the Inca Empire in the 15th century

Astyanax integer Myers 1930 Latin for complete, whole or unbroken, probably referring to complete scalation of dorsal midline, a character that defines the subgenus Astyanax

Astyanax jacobinae Zanata & Camelier 2008 of municípo de Jacobina, where type locality (rio da Jaqueira, Bahia, Brazil) is situated

Astyanax jenynsii (Steindachner 1877) in honor of English clergyman and naturalist Leonard Jenyns (1800–1893), who described the similar A. scabripinnis in 1842

Astyanax joaovitori Oliveira, Pavanelli & Bertaco 2017 in honor of João Vitor Kadota Oliveira, son of the first author

Astyanax jordanensis Vera Alcaraz, Pavanelli & Bertaco 2009 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: rio Jordão, a tributary of the rio Iguaçu basin, Paraná, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax jordani (Hubbs & Innes 1936) in honor of Charles Basil Jordan (1902–1989), Texas Aquaria Fish Company (Dallas, Texas, USA), for the “gift” of the type specimens and for the “privilege of making his interesting discovery [first recorded blind characin] known to the scientific and aquarium world” [treated as a junior synonym of A. mexicanus by some workers]

Astyanax kennedyi Géry 1964 in memory of the late John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), 35th President of the United States of America

Astyanax keronolepis Silva, Malabarba & Malabarba 2019 kērṓnos (Gr. κηρών), genitive of kērṓn (κηρών), beehive; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to reticulation pattern of scales resembling a beehive

Astyanax kompi Hildebrand 1938 in honor of the “distinguished” medical entomologist William H. W. Komp (1893–1955), U.S. Public Health Service, who accompanied Hildebrand in his investigations in the Volcán region of Panama, where this species was discovered

Astyanax kullanderi Costa 1995 in honor of Swedish ichthyologist Sven O. Kullander (b. 1952), Swedish Museum of Natural History, who collected holotype and made it available for study, and for his contributions to Neotropical ichthyology

Astyanax lacustris (Lütken 1875) Latin for of or belonging to a lake (lacustrine), described from Lagoa Santa, Brazil

Astyanax leoni Ruiz-C., Román-Valencia & Taphorn 2023 in honor of Oscar León Mata (1964–2018), killifish collector and aquarist, environmental engineer, and fish curator (Museo de Ciencias Naturales in Guanare, Venezuela)

Astyanax leopoldi Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1988 in honor of King Léopold III of Belgium (1901–1983), an amateur entomologist who spent some of his post-abdication life exploring South America, for helping to collect holotype and for contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical fauna

Astyanax longior (Cope 1878) Latin for longer, described as one of the “more elongate forms of the genus”

Astyanax lorien Zanata, Burger & Camelier 2018 from the Quenya language meaning “Dream Land,” referring to “beautiful” areas on the Chapada Diamantina (Bahia, Brazil) inhabited by this species (Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien for his “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, spoken by the Elves)

Astyanax macal Schmitter-Soto 2017 named for the Macal River, Maya Mountains, Belize, type locality (probably from the Mayan makal, meaning yam)

Astyanax maculisquamis Garutti & Britski 1997 macula (L.), mark or stain; squamis, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of squama (L.), scale, referring to black spot on middle of each scale, creating a pattern of parallel longitudinal stripes

Astyanax maximus (Steindachner 1876) Latin for greatest, presumably referring to its large size for an Astyanax, up to 20 cm

Astyanax megaspilura Fowler 1944 mégas (Gr. μέγας), big; spílos (Gr. σπίλος), mark or spot; ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to “greatly conspicuous” black caudal blotch

Astyanax mexicanus (De Filippi 1853) –anus (L.), belonging to: Mexico, where type locality (probably Lake Tequesquitengo, Morelos) is situated

Astyanax microlepis Eigenmann 1913 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to smaller, more numerous scales compared with the similar A. (Zygogaster) caucanus

Astyanax microschemos Bertaco & Lucena 2006 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small (authors say low); schemos, from schḗma (Gr. σχῆμα), form or shape (authors say stature), referring to shallow body depth

Astyanax multidens (Pearson 1924) multi– (L.), many; dens (L.), tooth, described as having “3 or 4 teeth in the outer series of the premaxillary, 5 in the inner row; mandible with 4 large teeth in front and then followed abruptly by smaller teeth on the sides; maxillary with about 11 teeth along almost the entire border” [also known as A. bopiensis, but that replacement name is unnecessary since this species is no longer secondarily preoccupied in Astyanax by Makunaima multidens]

Astyanax myersi (Fernández-Yépez 1950) in honor of Stanford University ichthyologist George S. Myers (1905–1985), to whom Fernández-Yépez owed much of his “limited” (translation) knowledge of South American fishes

Astyanax nasutus Meek 1907 Latin for large-nosed, referring to its longer snout compared with A. aeneus

Astyanax nicaraguensis Eigenmann & Ogle 1907 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Nicaragua, where holotype was collected (probably from the Atlantic versant)

Astyanax novae Eigenmann 1911 of rio Nova, Goiás (spelled Goyaz by Eigenmann), Brazil, where 13 of the 26 type specimens were collected

Astyanax obscurus (Hensel 1870) Latin for dark, referring to its darker coloration compared with its silvery congener at the time, Tetragonopterus (=Cyanocharax) alburnus

Astyanax ocotal Valdez-Moreno, Rodiles-Hernández & Schmitter-Soto 2017 named for Laguna Ocotal, Lacandon region, Chiapas, Mexico, type locality

Astyanax orbignyanus (Valenciennes 1850) –anus (L.), belonging to: Alcide d’Orbigny (1802–1857), French explorer and naturalist, who provided holotype and information about its habitat and behavior [species inquirenda; may represent a valid species or a senior or junior synonym of A. lacustris]

Astyanax orstedii (Krøyer 1875) in honor of Danish botanist Anders Sandoe Ørsted (1816–1872), who collected holotype [sometimes incorrectly spelled oerstedii]

Astyanax orthodus Eigenmann 1907 orthós (Gr. ὀρθός), straight; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, referring to denticles on surface of teeth arranged in a line comparedwithto the nearly identical A. bimaculatus, in which the denticles are arranged in a curve

Astyanax panamensis (Günther 1864) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Pacific coast of Panama, co-type locality (also described from specimens collected in Guatemala)

Astyanax pardensis Salgado 2021 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Pardo River basin, Camacan, Bahia, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax petenensis (Günther 1864) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lake Petén, Guatemala, type locality

Astyanax pirabitira Lucena, Bertaco & Berbigier 2013 combination of pira and ybytyra, Tupí-Guaraní words for fish and mountain, respectively, referring to its occurrence at altitudes higher than 800 m

Astyanax poetzschkei Ahl 1932 in honor of Paul Pötzschke (1881–1957), co-owner of Scholze & Pötzschke, an aquarium supply and tropical fish importation firm in Berlin, who donated a large number of “valuable objects” (translation) to the Zoological Museum of Berlin, including holotype of this species [see also Hyphessobrycon scholzei]

Astyanax procerus Lucena, Castro & Bertaco 2013 Latin for high or tall, referring to its high body depth

Astyanax rioverde Lozano-Vilano & Schmitter-Soto 2017 named for Rioverde, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, type locality

Astyanax rupestris Zanata, Burger & Camelier 2018 Neo-Latin for living among rocks, referring to the rocky-bottomed rivers where it lives and the rocky environment characteristic of the Chapada Diamantina (Bahia, Brazil), where it occurs

Astyanax rupununi Fowler 1914 named for the Rupununi River, Guiana, where it is endemic to the river and its drainage

Astyanax saltor Travassos 1960 etymology not explained nor evident, perhaps derived from saltare (L.), to jump or leap

Astyanax salvatoris Valdez-Moreno, Lozano-Vilano & Schmitter-Soto 2017 –is, Latin genitive singular of: Mexican ichthyologist Salvador Contreras-Balderas (1936–2009), “one of the greatest students of Mexican fishes in general, and of Astyanax in particular”

Astyanax scabripinnis (Jenyns 1842) scaber (L.), rough; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to rough anal-fin rays, with a “scabrous harsh feel to the touch, when the finger is passed along them from the base upwards”

Astyanax scintillans Myers 1928 Latin for shiny or bright, referring to its “highly iridescent” coloration

Astyanax siapae Garutti 2003 of Rio Siapa and/or campamento (campsite) Siapa II, Amazonas, Venezuela, type locality

Astyanax sincora Burger, Carvalho & Zanata 2019 named for Serra do Sincorá, an orographic system situated on central portion of Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil; this species occurs at the base of its western slopes

Astyanax superbus Myers 1942 Latin for excellent, superior or splendid, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its intricate color pattern of wavy lines, unusual for the genus

Astyanax symmetricus Eigenmann 1908 Latin for symmetrical, referring to its nearly symmetrical caudal spot

Astyanax tamiahua Schmitter-Soto 2017 named for Tamiahua, northern Veracruz, Mexico, type locality

Astyanax taurorum Lucena, Zaluski & Lucena 2017 Latin for of the bulls, referring to rio dos Touros (“river of the bulls”), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax tehuacanensis Schmitter-Soto 2017 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Tehuacán, Papaloapan basin, Puebla, Mexico, type locality

Astyanax totae Ferreira Haluch & Abilhoa 2005 in honor of Tota, nickname of Brazilian biologist Adelinyr Azevedo de Moura Cordeiro, for her contribution to the fish collection at Museu de História Natural Capão, Parques de Curitiba, Imbuia de Prefeitura Municipal de Curitiba, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

Astyanax trierythropterus Godoy 1970 tri– (L.), three; erythrós (Gr. ἐρυθρός), red; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to its deep-red dorsal, anal and caudal fins

Astyanax turmalinensis Triques, Vono & Caiafa 2003 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Turmalina county, Minas Gerais, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax unitaeniatus Garutti 1998 uni-, from unus (L.), one; taeniatus (L.), banded, referring to single black stripe on sides

Astyanax utiariti Bertaco & Garutti 2007 Utiariti (“place of clever people”), e.g., Salto Utiarity, or Utiarity Falls, indigenous Pareci name for the upper rio Tapajós drainage, Mato Grosso, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax validus Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1991 Latin for strong, vigorous or robust, referring to its “vigorous appearance” (translation)

Astyanax varii Zanata, Burger, Vita & Camelier 2019 in honor of Richard P. Vari (1949–2016), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA), for his “friendship, mentoring, and outstanding contribution to the systematic of South American freshwater fishes”

Astyanax villwocki Zarske & Géry 1999 in honor of ichthyologist Wolfgang Villwock (1930–2014), University of Hamburg, who collected some of the type series and made them available for study

Astyanax viridis Salgado 2021 Latin for green, referring to greenish color of dorsal and lateral body regions

Astyanax yariguies (Torres-Mejia, Hernández & Senechal 2012) named for the Yariguíes, an indigenous group who inhabited the Río Cascajales watershed, Colombia, where it is endemic; their fierce defense of their territory for 400 years likely contributed to the protection of this species, but they eventually succumbed to invasion and extermination in the mid-20th century [placed in Astyanacinus by some workers, treated as a junior synonym here]

Subgenus Zygogaster Eigenmann 1913 zygón (Gr. ζυγόν), yoke; gastḗr (Gr. γαστήρ), belly or abdomen, allusion not explained, presumably referring in some way to “peculiar” preventral scalation of A. filiferus, in which the lowest row of scales on sides nearly meet in front of the ventral fins

Astyanax caucanus (Steindachner 1879) –anus (L.), belonging to: Río Cauca, Colombia, type locality

Astyanax filiferus (Eigenmann 1913) filum (L.), thread; ferus (L.), bearing or carrying, referring to prolonged (“filiform”) outer rays of ventral fins and first ray of dorsal fin in males

Astyanax stilbe (Cope 1870) stílbē (Gr. στίλβη), lamp or mirror (i.e., shining), presumably referring to its “very distinct” silver lateral band

Subgenus Incertae sedis

Astyanax brucutu Zanata, Lima, Di Dario & Gerhard 2017 Portuguese adjective meaning a strong and rough person, referring to blunt and massive general aspect of anterior portion of cranium and lower jaw

Astyanax daguae Eigenmann 1913 of the Dagua River, Colombia, type locality [probably belongs in Hyphessobryconinae; provisionally retained here pending future studies]

Astyanax dolinae da Graça, Oliveira, Lima, da Silva & Fernandes 2017 of Dolina Água Milagrosa, Cáceres, Mato Grosso, Brazil, type locality

Astyanax lineatus (Perugia 1891) Latin for lined, referring to 10–12 black narrow longitudinal bands on body

Astyanax metae Eigenmann 1914 of the Río Meta, Orinoco system, Colombia, presumably the type locality

Astyanax nobre Dagosta & Marinho 2022 named for the municipality of Nobres (Mato Grosso State, Brazil), where it occurs; additionally, nobre means noble in Portuguese, in allusion to the beauty of the type locality and of being a “noteworthy” species of Astyanax (discovered in an underwater tourist point near a large urban center)

Astyanax pirapuan Tagliacollo, Britzke, Silva & Benine 2011 combination of pira and apu, Tupí-Guaraní words for fish and mountain, respectively, referring to geological characteristics of type locality, Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Astyanax pirauba (Zanata, Birindelli & Moreira 2010) pira and aúaba, Tupí words for fish and false, respectively, referring to its apparent mimicry with species of Jupiaba

Astyanax tarpon (Eigenmann 1912) referring to its large, oblique mouth, a “duplicate of that of the Tarpon” (Megalopidae)

Astyanax venezuelae Schultz 1944 of Venezuela, where type locality (Río Torbes, 1 km above Táriba, Orinoco system) is situated

Ctenobrycon Eigenmann 1908 cteno-, from ktenós (Gr. κτενός), comb, referring to ctenoid scales of C. hauxwellianus, which are “especially rough” on the breast; brycon, generalized term used in generic names of many characiform fishes, derived from brýchō (Gr. βρύχω), to bite, gnash teeth or eat greedily, originally an allusion to fully toothed maxillae

Ctenobrycon hauxwellianus (Cope 1870) –anus (L.), belonging to: English commercial natural history collector John Hauxwell (1827–1919), who “procured” most of the species described in Cope’s paper on the fishes of Marañón River, Peru, including holotype of this one [treated as a junior synonym of C. spilurus by some workers]

Ctenobrycon kennedyi (Eigenmann 1903) in honor of Eigenmann’s student Clarence Hamilton Kennedy (1879–1952), later a renowned entomologist, who co-authored paper on Paraguayan fishes in which this description appeared

Ctenobrycon magdalenae (Eigenmann & Henn 1916) of the Río Magdalena basin, Colombia, type locality

Ctenobrycon multiradiatus (Steindachner 1876) multi– (L.), many; radiatus (L.), rayed, presumably referring to 40–41 anal-fin rays [treated as a junior synonym of C. spilurus by some workers]

Ctenobrycon oliverai Benine, Lopes & Ron 2010 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Claudio de Oliveira, who collected holotype and is a “great contributor” to our knowledge of Neotropical ichthyology

Ctenobrycon spilurus (Valenciennes 1850) spot-tailed, from spílos (Gr. σπίλος), mark or spot, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to black spot near base of caudal fin

Oligosarcus Günther 1864 olígos (ὀλίγος), small, few or scanty; arcus (L.), bow, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps referring in some way to “compressed, oblong” shape of O. argenteus

Oligosarcus acutirostris Menezes 1987 acutus (L.), sharp or pointed; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, referring to its “sharply acute muzzle” (translation)

Oligosarcus amome Almirón, Casciotta, Piálek, Doubnerová & Říčan 2015 Guaraní word for rare or once in a while, referring to its low occurrence in the localities where types were captured

Oligosarcus argenteus Günther 1864 Latin for silvery, referring to its “shining silvery” color in spirits, with a silvery band down middle of body

Oligosarcus bolivianus (Fowler 1940) –anus (L.), belonging to: Bolivia, referring to country where type locality (Río Lipeo) is situated

Oligosarcus brevioris Menezes 1987 brevis (L.), short; oris (L.), mouth, referring to its proportionally smaller mouth compared with congeners

Oligosarcus hepsetus (Cuvier 1829) etymology not explained, probably from hepsētós (Gr. ἑψητός), perhaps alluding to the Greek poet Archippus (late 5th-century BC), who wrote: “An hepsetus fell in with an anchovy / And quick devoured him,” referring to this species’ piscivorous nature

Oligosarcus itau Mirande, Aguilera & Azpelicueta 2011 named for a small tributary of the Río Itau, Río Bermejo basin, Argentina, type locality; name probably derives from the Guaraní words itá, stone and y (pronounced as the German ü), water

Oligosarcus jacuiensis Menezes & Ribeiro 2010 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: rio Jacuí, Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, type locality

Oligosarcus jenynsii (Günther 1864) in honor of English clergyman and naturalist Leonard Jenyns (1800–1893), who reported this species as Hydrocyon (=Oligosarcus) hepsetus in 1842

Oligosarcus longirostris Menezes & Géry 1983 longus (L.), long; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, referring to pointed and long snout, equal or larger than orbital diameter in specimens 100 mm SL or larger

Oligosarcus macrolepis (Steindachner 1877) makrós (Gr. μaκρóς), long or large; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to its “rather large” (translation) scales, 44 along the lateral line

Oligosarcus menezesi Miquelarena & Protogino 1996 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Naércio Aquino Menezes (b. 1937), presumably for his taxonomic work on the genus

Oligosarcus oligolepis (Steindachner 1867) olígos (ὀλίγος), small, few or scanty; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to its small scales, 75 along the lateral line

Oligosarcus paranensis Menezes & Géry 1983 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: upper Paraná River basin (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay), where it is endemic

Oligosarcus perdido Ribeiro, Cavallaro & Froehlich 2007 Portuguese for lost, referring to rio Perdido, Mato Grosso, Brazil, type locality

Oligosarcus pintoi Amaral Campos 1945 in honor of Brazilian zoologist Olivério Mário de Oliveira Pinto (1896–1981)

Oligosarcus planaltinae Menezes & Géry 1983 of Córrego Planaltina, tributary of rio São Bartolomeu, rio Paraná system, Goiás, Brazil, type locality

Oligosarcus platensis (Messner 1962) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: La Plata River basin, Uruguay, where it is endemic

Oligosarcus robustus Menezes 1969 Latin for of oak or oaken and, by extension, hard, firm or solid (but often used by ichthyologists to mean fat or stout), referring to its “large and massive” body

Oligosarcus schindleri Menezes & Géry 1983 in honor of the late Otto Schindler (1906–1959), curator, Ichthyology Department, Zoologische Staatssammlung (Munich), who helped collect holotype in 1953

Oligosarcus solitarius Menezes 1987 Latin for alone or isolated, referring to its distribution in an isolated system of lakes, Vale do Río Doce, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Oligosarcus varii Menezes & Ribeiro 2015 in honor of Richard P. Vari (1949–2016), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA), for his “outstanding” contribution to the knowledge of South American freshwater fishes

Psalidodon Eigenmann 1911 psalís (Gr. ψαλίς), a pair of shears or scissors; odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, referring, per Eigenmann and Myers (1929), to “nipper-like dentition” of P. gymnodontus

Psalidodon alleni (Eigenmann & McAtee 1907) in honor of American zoologist Joel Asaph Allen (1838–1921), American Museum of Natural History

Psalidodon anisitsi (Eigenmann 1907) in honor of Hungarian-born Paraguayan botanist and collector Juan Daniel Anisits (1856–1911), National University of Paraguay, who collected holotype

Psalidodon argentum (Salgado 2021) Latin for silver (noun), referring to silver band longitudinal to the body [described in Astyanax but placed in Psalidodon by Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes based on its relationship with P. fasciatus; description is no longer available online so perhaps it has been withdrawn]

Psalidodon atratoensis (Eigenmann 1907) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Colombia, where it is endemic to the Atrato River basin

Psalidodon balbus (Myers 1927) Latin for stammering or stuttering, referring to its usually incomplete lateral line

Psalidodon bifasciatus (Garavello & Sampaio 2010) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; fasciatus (L.), striped, referring to two vertical dark brown bars crossing humeral region

Psalidodon biotae (Castro & Vari 2004) in honor of Biota, i.e., the BIOTA/FAPESP—The Virtual Biodiversity Institute Program (www.biota.org.br), for its “pioneering role” in the inventory, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity resources in São Paulo, Brazil; in addition, the special research program of the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) supported the collecting efforts that yielded all known specimens of this species

Psalidodon bockmanni (Vari & Castro 2007) in honor of Flávio A. Bockman, Universidade de São Paulo, who collected much of the type series, for his contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical catfishes and fishes of the upper rio Paraná basin, Brazil

Psalidodon chico (Casciotta & Almirón 2004) in honor of Francisco Alves “Chico” Mendes (1944–1988), Brazilian rubber tapper and union leader who fought to preserve the Amazonian rainforest; he was assassinated by a rancher whom Mendes had prevented from logging a protected area, while gaining a warrant for the rancher’s arrest for a murder committed elsewhere [presumably a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]

Psalidodon correntinus (Holmberg 1891) –inus (L.), belonging to: Corrientes, a city at Río Paraná, Argentina, type locality

Psalidodon cremnobates (Bertaco & Malabarba 2001) krēmnós (Gr. κρημνός), steep slope; bátēs (Gr. βάτης), one who treads, a “frequenter of steep places” per the authors, referring to its occurrence at elevations higher than 800 m

Psalidodon dissensus (Lucena & Thofehrn 2013) Latin for disagreement, referring to larger maxillary heptacuspid tooth peculiar to this species and unusual in the genus

Psalidodon dissimilis (Garavello & Sampaio 2010) Latin for unlike or dissimilar, referring to “differences of this species in relation to the remaining species of Astyanax” described in the same publication

Psalidodon eigenmanniorum (Cope 1894) –orum, commemorative suffix (L.), plural: in honor of Carl H. Eigenmann (1863–1927) and his wife Rosa (1858–1947), University of Indiana, for their work on the fishes of South America

Psalidodon endy (Mirande, Aguilera & Azpelicueta 2006) Chiriguano (Guaraní-speaking Indians of Bolivia and Argentina, the latter country being where this fish is endemic) word meaning flame, referring to color of caudal fin in life

Psalidodon erythropterus (Holmberg 1891) red-finned, from erythrós (Gr. ἐρυθρός), red, and pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to its bright-red, almost vermilion, paired fins in life

Psalidodon fasciatus (Cuvier 1819) Latin for banded, referring to band-like blackish spot at root of caudal fin which sometimes extends forward to humeral spot (sometimes blackish band is entirely or partly replaced by a silvery band or absent)

Psalidodon goyacensis (Eigenmann 1908) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Goiás (spelled Goyaz by Eigenmann), Brazil, where it is endemic to the rio Tocantins basin

Psalidodon gymnodontus Eigenmann 1911 gymnós (Gr. γυμνός), bare or naked; odontus, from odontos, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, probably referring to the absence of lips (“the teeth exposed”)

Psalidodon gymnogenys (Eigenmann 1911) gymnós (Gr. γυμνός), bare or naked; génys (Gr. γένυς), cheek or chin, presumably referring to “naked area” on second suborbital bone

Psalidodon hamatus (Bertaco & Malabarba 2005) Latin for hooked, referring to hooks on all fins (except for caudal) of males

Psalidodon henseli (de Melo & Buckup 2006) in honor of German zoologist-paleontologist Reinhold Friedrich Hensel (1826–1881), for his contributions to ichthyology in southern Brazil (Hensel described this species in 1870 but used a preoccupied name, Tetragonopterus aeneus)

Psalidodon hermosus (Miquelarena, Protogino & López 2005) –osus (L.), adjectival suffix: referring to town of Valle Hermoso, Córdoba Province, Argentina, type locality

Psalidodon ita (Almirón, Azpelicueta & Casciotta 2002) itá, Guaraní word meaning stone, referring to its rocky bottom habitat

Psalidodon jequitinhonhae (Steindachner 1877) of the rio Jequitinhonha, Brazil, type locality

Psalidodon kalunga (Bertaco & Carvalho 2010) named for Comunidade Quilombo Kalunga, descendents of African slaves who live in the upper rio Tocantins basin (Cavalcante, Teresina de Goiás, and Monte Alegre de Goiás municipalities), Goiás, Brazil, near type locality; Kalunga, in Bantu language, means “protected sacred place”

Psalidodon laticeps (Cope 1894) latus (L.), broad or wide; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, presumably referring to wider “frontal region” compared with P. fasciatus

Psalidodon leonidas (Azpelicueta, Casciotta & Almirón 2002) named for the Spartan King Leonidas (d. 480 BC), who fought a “million-man” (actually 70,000–300,000) Persian army with only 300 soldiers; this epithet is “dedicated to all the academic teachers of Argentina that stand in defense of a free and independent education”

Psalidodon marionae (Eigenmann 1911) in honor of Marion Durbin Ellis (1887–ca. 1972), Eigenmann’s student and “collaborator in monographing the minute” species of Tetragonopterinae (then a catch-all subfamily), and later a limnologist and environmental toxicologist, University of Missouri in Columbia

Psalidodon minor (Garavello & Sampaio 2010) Latin for less, referring to its small body size compared with congeners in the Iguaçu River basin of Brazil

Psalidodon ojiara (Azpelicueta & Garcia 2000) name of spirit (in Tupí-Guaraní language) that protects fresh waters

Psalidodon pampa (Casciotta, Almirón & Azpelicueta 2005) Quichua word for one of the aboriginal groups who lived in the plain regions of Buenos Aires (Argentina) province where this species occurs

Psalidodon parahybae (Eigenmann 1908) of the rio Paraíba (spelled Parahyba by Eigenmann), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, type locality

Psalidodon paranae (Eigenmann 1914) of Paraná, Brazil, type locality

Psalidodon pellegrini (Eigenmann 1907) patronym not identified, probably in honor of French ichthyologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873–1944) [spelled pelegrini by Eigenmann but prevailing usage favors the “corrected” spelling]

Psalidodon powelli (Terán, Butí & Mirande 2017) in honor and memory of Jaime Eduardo Powell (1953–2016), “prominent paleontologist, dear friend, and colleague”

Psalidodon puka (Mirande, Aguilera & Azpelicueta 2007) Quichua word for red, referring to its intensely red anal and caudal fins

Psalidodon pynandi (Casciotta, Almirón, Bechara, Roux & Ruíz Díaz 2003) Guaraní word for people without shoes, in honor of the “‘descalzos’ [of Argentina] that every day struggle to recover their dignity in an unjust world”

Psalidodon rioparanaibanus Alves, Oliveira, Pasa & Kavalco 2020 –anus (L.), belonging to: municipality of Rio Paranaíba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, type locality

Psalidodon rivularis (Lütken 1875) Latin for of a small brook or rivulet, allusion not explained nor evident, presumably referring to habitat of type locality

Psalidodon rutilus (Jenyns 1842) Latin for red, golden red or reddish yellow, probably referring to “dirty orange” fins

Psalidodon saguazu (Casciotta, Almirón & Azpelicueta 2003) from the Guaraní words sa, eye, and guazú, large, referring to its large eye, 41–45% HL

Psalidodon schubarti (Britski 1964) in honor of the late Otto Schubart (1900–1962), German myriapodist, Estação Experimental de Biologia e Piscicultura do Ministério de Agricultura (São Paulo, Brazil), who provided railway access for Britski’s research

Psalidodon serratus (Garavello & Sampaio 2010) Latin for serrated, referring to numerous fin hooks on pelvic fin of males, “resembling the profile of a serrae”

Psalidodon togoi (Miquelarena & López 2006) in honor of Argentine ichthyologist and friend Carlos Togo, “a great expert and pioneer of ichthyofaunal research in pampasic lagoons”

Psalidodon troya (Azpelicueta, Casciotta & Almirón 2002) Spanish for Troy, named for the mythological Troy as an allusion to its original genus, Astyanax, named for Astyanax, one of the sons of Hector, prince of Tro

Psalidodon tumbayaensis (Miquelarena & Menni 2005) -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Tumbaya village, Grande River basin, Jujuy Province, Argentina, type locality

Psalidodon uaiso (Carvalho & Langeani 2013) from the Portuguese uai sô, a common colloquial interjection used by most people living in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, to express surprise, confirmation, awe or amazement, particularly those from the Triângulo Mineiro region, where this species is found

Psalidodon uberaba (Serra & Langeani 2015) named for the headwaters of the rio Uberaba (Minas Gerais, Brazil), only known area of occurrence

Psalidodon varzeae (Abilhoa & Duboc 2007) of the rio da Várzea drainage, Paraná State, Brazil, type locality

Psalidodon vermilion (Zanata & Camelier 2009) vermilion or orange-red (derived from the Latin vermiculus, a small worm that yields red dye), referring to red coloration of posterior body portion in life

Psalidodon xavante (Garutti & Venere 2009) named for the Xavante ethnic group, who inhabit the Serra do Roncador and middle rio Araguaia, Mato Grosso, Brazil, where this species occurs

Psalidodon xiru (Lucena, Castro & Bertaco 2013) Tupí-Guaraní word for “an old wise Indian,” an honorific used in the countryside of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, where this species occurs