Updated 9 March 2024
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Alestes Müller & Troschel 1844 alestḗs (Gr. ἀλεστής), miller or grinder, presumably referring to inner row of premaxillary molariform teeth
Alestes ansorgii Boulenger 1910 in honor of British explorer and collector William John Ansorge (1850–1913), who collected holotype
Alestes baremoze (Joannis 1835) Arabic name for this species along the Nile in Egypt
Alestes dentex (Linnaeus 1758) from dens (L.), tooth; name coined by Hasselquist (1757) in a work edited by Linnaeus, described as a toothed Cyprinus, referring to inner row of premaxillary molariform teeth
Alestes inferus Stiassny, Schelly & Mamonekene 2009 Latin for below, lower or southern, referring to its occurrence below a series of rapids in a south-bank tributary on the lower Congo River
Alestes liebrechtsii Boulenger 1898 in honor of Belgian army officer and colonial administrator Charles Liebrechts (1858–1938), Secretary-General of Home and Military Affairs of the Congo Free State, and president of the Museum of the Belgian Congo, for his services to science
Alestes macrophthalmus Günther 1867 big-eyed, from makrós (Gr. μακρός), long or large, and ophthalmós (Gr. ὀφθαλμός), eye, referring to its “very large [eye], scarcely less than one-third of the length of the head, with broad adipose eyelids”
Alestes stuhlmannii Pfeffer 1896 in honor of Franz Stuhlmann (1863–1928), German zoologist and explorer of Africa, who collected holotype
Alestion Roberts 2019 diminutive of Alestes, this being a miniature paedomorphic species of alestid
Alestion rapax Roberts 2019 Latin for voracious, rapacious or predatory, referring to greatly enlarged conical teeth of adults
Alestopetersius Hoedeman 1951 etymology not explained, presumably a combination of Alestes (type genus of family) and Petersius (original genus of type species A. hilgendorfi)
Alestopetersius bifasciatus (Poll 1967) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; fasciatus (L.), banded, presumably referring to median black band extending to caudal-fin margin and flanked by dense black bands in both upper and lower fin lobes
Alestopetersius bleheri (Géry 1995) in honor of German explorer and ornamental fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944), who provided most of the specimens for Géry’s study, including holotype of this one
Alestopetersius brichardi Poll 1967 in honor of Belgian aquarium-fish exporter Pierre Brichard (1921–1990), who collected one of the paratypes
Alestopetersius caudalis (Boulenger 1899) Latin for of the tail, probably referring to silvery lateral band that becomes blackish on caudal peduncle and extends as a black band on the caudal fin
Alestopetersius compressus (Poll & Gosse 1963) Latin for squeezed or pressed together, referring to its more laterally compressed body shape compared with Petersius modestus (=A. hilgendorfi)
Alestopetersius conspectus Mbimbi Mayi Munene & Stiassny 2012 Latin for conspicuous, referring to conspicuous markings on caudal fin and striking, bright coloration in life
Alestopetersius hilgendorfi (Boulenger 1899) in honor of German zoologist and paleontologist Franz Hilgendorf (1839–1904), who established Petersius (original genus for this species) in 1894
Alestopetersius leopoldianus (Boulenger 1899) –anus (L.), belonging to: Lake Leopold (now Lake Mai-Ndombe), Democratic Republic of the Congo, type locality
Alestopetersius nigropterus Poll 1967 black-finned, from niger (L.), black or dark, and pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to intensely black dorsal and caudal fins and blackened pectoral and ventral fins
Alestopetersius smykalai Poll 1967 in honor of E. R. Smykala (no other information available), who collected holotype
Alestopetersius taeniatus (Géry 1996) Latin for striped or banded, referring to narrow, longitudinal band prolonged into middle caudal rays, a unique coloration in the tribe Petersiini
Alestopetersius tumbensis Hoedeman 1951 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lake Tumba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, type locality
Arnoldichthys Myers 1926 named for German aquarist Johann Paul Arnold (1869–1952), who sent types of A. spilopterus to George A. Boulenger; ichthýs (ἰχθύς), fish
Arnoldichthys spilopterus (Boulenger 1909) spot-finned, from spílos (Gr. σπίλος), mark or spot; ptera, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to large black spot on dorsal fin
Bathyaethiops Fowler 1949 bathýs (Gr. βαθύς), deep; aethiops, Fowler said “burned or glowing” but a more appropriate translation would be “black or scorched” considering that the “peculiar” color pattern (in alcohol) of the type species B. greeni is said to comprise blackish-gray blotches and bars on its sides; while aethiops can mean “fiery looking” or “sunburned,” Fowler may have simply repeated the adjective Aethiops, Latin for Ethiopian or Negro, possibly referring to Aethiopia, a classical term for Sub-Saharan Africa, which Günther used to form the names of Bryconaethiops and Nannaethiops (Distichodontidae)
Bathyaethiops atercrinis Mamonekene & Stiassny 2012 ater (L.), black; crinis, comet tail (L.), referring to “striking” black markings on caudal peduncle and anal fin of mature males
Bathyaethiops baka Moritz & Schliewen 2016 named after the Baka people, the native hunter-gatherer tribe in southeastern Cameroon, where this species occurs
Bathyaethiops breuseghemi (Poll 1945) in honor of mycologist Raymond Van Breuseghem, Belgian Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp), who collected holotype
Bathyaethiops caudomaculatus (Pellegrin 1925) cauda (L.), tail; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to oval black spot at beginning of caudal peduncle
Bathyaethiops flammeus Moritz & Schliewen 2016 Latin for flaming or fiery, referring to bright-red spot on nape in front of dorsal fin
Bathyaethiops greeni Fowler 1949 in honor of Harold T. Green (1896–1967), Curator of Exhibits, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, who cared for the fish specimens collected by William K. Carpenter during his African expeditions (1946–1948), including holotype of this one
Brachyalestes Günther 1864 brachýs (Gr. βραχύς), short, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to shorter body length (16.4–25 cm TL) compared with the two species of Alestes (43–55 cm TL) Günther included in his account
Brachyalestes abeli (Fowler 1936) in honor of Henri Abel, Administrator at Fort Sibut, Central African Republic, type locality, “who developed native interest and materially assisted the expedition” during who holotype was collected
Brachyalestes affinis (Günther 1894) Latin for related, described as “allied to” B. imberi
Brachyalestes bimaculatus (Boulenger 1899) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to two large, round, highly reflective and metallic spots on each side of body, one between lateral line and last rays of dorsal fin, other at base of caudal fin
Brachyalestes carolinae (Paugy & Lévêque 1981) matronym not explained but in honor of the senior author’s wife at the time, Caroline (D. Paugy, pers. comm.)
Brachyalestes comptus (Roberts & Stewart 1976) Latin for ornamented or adorned, referring to iridescent golden band and iridescent violet and bluish-green bands on sides
Brachyalestes epuluensis (Decru, Vreven, Sadio & Snoeks 2016) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Epulu River, Middle Congo basin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, type locality
Brachyalestes ferox (Hopson & Hopson 1982) Latin for fierce, referring to its large teeth
Brachyalestes fwaensis (Géry 1995) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lake Fwa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, only known area of occurrence
Brachyalestes humilis (Boulenger 1905) Latin for modest or unassuming, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its modest coloration (olive above, silvery below, black spot on caudal peduncle extending to median caudal-fin rays)
Brachyalestes imberi (Peters 1852) etymology not explained, presumably from imberi or mberi, local name for this species in central and southeast Africa
Brachyalestes jackiae Stiassny & Melo 2023 in honor of Jackie Black, for her support and encouragement to the senior author and her Congolese colleagues over many years of work in the Congo basin
Brachyalestes jacksonii (Boulenger 1912) in honor of Frederick John Jackson (1859–1929), English administrator, explorer and ornithologist, who collected holotype
Brachyalestes kingsleyae (Günther 1896) in honor of English writer, explorer and ethnographer Mary Henrietta Kingsley (1862–1900), who “obtained” holotype [see essay in Mormyridae]
Brachyalestes lateralis (Boulenger 1900) Latin for of the side, presumably referring to dark lateral band on sides
Brachyalestes minutus (Hopson & Hopson 1982) Latin for small, referring to its small size, males reaching 3.3 cm SL
Brachyalestes nigricauda (Thys van den Audenaerde 1974) nigri, from niger (L.), black; cauda (L.), tail, referring to black caudal-fin margin
Brachyalestes nurse (Rüppell 1832) etymology not explained, presumably a local name for this species along the Nile River in Egypt
Brachyalestes opisthotaenia (Boulenger 1903) ópisthen (Gr. ὄπισθεν), behind; taenia (L.), from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, referring to black lateral band on posterior half of body, extending into middle rays of caudal fin
Brachyalestes peringueyi (Boulenger 1923) patronym not identified but probably in honor of French entomologist Louis Péringuey (1855–1924), director of the South African Museum, where type is housed and in whose publication this species was described
Brachyalestes sadleri (Boulenger 1906) in honor of British Army officer James Hayes Sadler (1827–1910), Commissioner of the Uganda Protectorate when holotype was collected
Brachyalestes taeniurus (Günther 1867) ribbon-tailed, from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to black streak on posterior part of body that extends into middle rays of caudal fin
Brachypetersius Hoedeman 1956 brachýs (Gr. βραχύς), short, allusion not explained nor evident; since genus was originally (but invalidly) proposed by Hoedeman in 1951 as a subgenus of Alestopetersius, name could refer to smaller size of B. altus (3.9–6.5 cm) compared with A. hilgendorfi (10 cm)
Brachypetersius altus (Boulenger 1899) Latin for high, probably referring to concave dorsal profile and subsequent high body depth
Brachypetersius cadwaladeri (Fowler 1930) in honor of amateur ornithologist Charles M. B. Cadwalader (1885–1959), Managing Director, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, to whom Fowler is “indebted for much encouragement in ichthyology”
Brachypetersius gabonensis Poll 1967 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Gabon, West Central Africa, where it is endemic
Brachypetersius huloti (Poll 1954) in honor of André Hulot, Institut National pour l’Etude Agronomique du Congo, who collected holotype
Brachypetersius notospilus (Pellegrin 1930) back-spotted, from nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back (i.e., rear, or back, portion of fish), and spílos (Gr. σπίλος), mark or spot, probably referring to large peduncular spot
Brachypetersius pseudonummifer Poll 1967 pesudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false, apparently referring to Poll’s 1945 classification of this species as a juvenile Micralestes nummifer (=Phenacogrammus altus)
Brycinus Valenciennes 1850 etymology not explained, possibly –inus (L.), adjectival suffix, i.e., Brycon-like, referring to Brycon Müller & Troschel 1844, a Neotropical genus (Bryconidae) considered confamilial at the time, derived from brychō (Gr. βρύχω), to bite, gnash teeth or eat greedily, an allusion to well-developed teeth in both jaws
Brycinus batesii (Boulenger 1903) in honor of George Latimer Bates (1863–1940), Cameroon farmer and ornithologist, who collected specimens for the Natural History Museum (London), including holotype of this species [treated as a synonym of B. macrolepidotus by some workers]
Brycinus brevis (Boulenger 1903) Latin for short, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “rather short and thin” gill rakers
Brycinus carmesinus (Nichols & Griscom 1917) Medieval Latin for crimson, referring to rose-red cheeks and lower sides
Brycinus grandisquamis (Boulenger 1899) grandis (L.), large; squamis, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of squama (L.), scale referring to larger lateral-line scales compared with B. macrolepidotus
Brycinus leuciscus (Günther 1867) from leukískos (Gr. λευκίσκος), a “white mullet” (often applied to Alburnus alburnus, Leuciscidae), diminutive of leukós (λευκός), white, referring to its “bright silvery” coloration
Brycinus luteus (Roman 1966) Latin for yellow, referring to lemon-yellow dorsal, anal and adipose fins, caudal fin lobes, and upper part of eye
Brycinus macrolepidotus Valenciennes 1850 macro-, from makrós (Gr. μaκρóς), long or large; lepidōtós (Gr. λεπιδωτός), scaly, referring to its “très-grandes” scales
Brycinus poptae (Pellegrin 1906) in honor of Dutch biologist Canna Maria Louise Popta (1860–1929), Curator of Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden, Netherlands), and “ichtyologiste distinguée”
Brycinus rhodopleura (Boulenger 1906) rhódon (Gr. ῥόδον), rose; pleurá (Gr. πλευρά), side, referring to pink band on sides
Brycinus schoutedeni (Boulenger 1912) in honor of Belgian zoologist Henri Schouteden (1881–1972), who collected many new species in the Belgian Congo (but not this one)
Bryconaethiops Günther 1873 Brycon, described as an “African representative” of this South American genus (Bryconidae); Aethiops, Latin for Ethiopian or Negro, from aíthein (Gr. αἴθειν), to burn (intransitive), and ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), face or appearance, possibly referring to Aethiopia, a classical term for Sub-Saharan Africa, i.e., a small “Ethiopian”
Bryconaethiops boulengeri Pellegrin 1900 in honor of Belgian-born British ichthyologist-herpetologist George A. Boulenger (1858–1937), who provided an illustration of this species in 1899 but considered it a variety of B. microstoma
Bryconaethiops macrops Boulenger 1920 macro-, from makrós (Gr. μακρός), long or large; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to larger eye compared with B. microstoma
Bryconaethiops microstoma Günther 1873 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός); stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, presumably referring to “very small toothless maxillary”
Bryconaethiops quinquesquamae Teugels & Thys van den Audenaerde 1990 quinque (L.), five; squamae (L.), scales, referring to five scales between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin
Bryconaethiops yseuxi Boulenger 1899 in honor of physician-zoologist Emile Yseux (1835–1915), Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)
Bryconalestes Hoedeman 1951 etymology not explained, probably a combination of the Neotropical Brycon (Bryconidae) or Brycinus and Alestes, i.e., a Brycon– or Brycinus-like alestid
Bryconalestes bartoni (Nichols & LaMonte 1953) in honor of Otis Barton (1899–1992), American deepsea diver, inventor and actor, “whose unconquerable spirit of adventure has taken him many places, and who has brought back to the American Museum [of Natural History] various new or little-known fishes from diverse parts of the world,” including holotype of this one
Bryconalestes derhami (Géry & Mahnert 1977) in honor of Swiss ichthyologist and aquarist Patrick de Rham (1936–2022), who collected holotype
Bryconalestes intermedius (Boulenger 1903) Latin for intermediate, described as intermediate between B. longipinnis and B. tholloni, with smaller scales than the former and fewer anal rays than the latter
Bryconalestes longipinnis (Günther 1864) longus (L.), long; pinnis, scientific Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), referring to filamentous fourth and fifth dorsal-fin rays on adults
Bryconalestes tessmanni (Pappenheim 1911) in honor of German explorer, ethnographer and plant collector Günter Tessmann (1884–1969), who collected holotype
Bryconalestes tholloni (Pellegrin 1901) in honor of French botanist François-Romain Thollon (1855–1896), Muséum d’histoire Naturelle (Paris), who collected holotype
Clupeocharax Pellegrin 1926 clupea (L.), herring, referring to its herring-like appearance; 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
Clupeocharax schoutedeni Pellegrin 1926 in honor of Belgian zoologist Henri Schouteden (1881–1972), who collected many new species in the Belgian Congo, including holotype of this one
Hemigrammopetersius Pellegrin 1926 hemi-, from hḗmisys (Gr. ἥμισυς), half; grammḗ (Gr. γραμμή), line or stroke of the pen, i.e., similar to Petersius but with an incomplete lateral line [treated as a synonym of Phenacogrammus by Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes but retained here pending a thorough review of the genus]
Hemigrammopetersius barnardi (Herre 1936) in honor of UK-born South African marine biologist and museum director Keppel Harcourt Barnard (1887-1964), “whose publications are invaluable to the student of South and East African fishes” [provisionally placed in Rhabdalestes by Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes but retained here pending a thorough review of the genus]
Hemigrammopetersius pulcher (Boulenger 1909) Latin for beautiful, presumably referring to its coloration (greenish-yellow above and silvery below, fins tinged with orange) and markings (oval black spot on shoulder and broad black band on sides of tail) [placed in Phenacogrammus by some workers]
Hydrocynus Cuvier 1816 hydro, water; kyon, dog, transliteration of local Egyptian name Kelb el bahr, or water dog, referring to voracious behavior of H. forskahlii
Hydrocynus brevis (Günther 1864) Latin for short, referring to its shorter body compared with H. forskahlii
Hydrocynus forskahlii (Cuvier 1819) in honor of Swedish explorer and naturalist Peter Forsskål (also spelled Forsskåhl, 1732–1763), who reported this species as Salmo (=Alestes) dentex in 1775
Hydrocynus goliath Boulenger 1898 the giant slain by David in the biblical book of Samuel, now a synonym for “giant,” presumably referring to its large size, up to 1.5 m and 50 kg
Hydrocynus tanzaniae Brewster 1986 of Tanzania, where it is endemic
Hydrocynus vittatus Castelnau 1861 Latin for banded, referring to seven bright blue longitudinal stripes on sides
Ladigesia Géry 1968 –ia (L.), belonging to: Werner Ladiges (1910–1984), German icthyologist, aquarist and director, Zoologisches Staatsinstitut und Zoologischen Museum (Hamburg), who “kindly loaned the type material”
Ladigesia roloffi Géry 1968 in honor of German aquarist Erhard Roloff (1903–1980), who collected holotype
Lepidarchus Roberts 1966 lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale; archós (Gr. ἀρχός), anus, referring to presence of one cycloid scale on either side of anterior part of anal-fin base [not to be confused with Lepidarcus Marshall 1948 in Insecta]
Lepidarchus adonis Roberts 1966 Adonis, from Greek mythology, a beautiful youth beloved by Venus, “because the males are handsome” (Tyson R. Roberts, pers. comm.)
Lepidarchus adonis signifer Isbrücker 1970 signum (L.), mark; –fer, from fero (L.), to have or bear, referring to horizontal, straight, dark-brown bar and dark-brown spot on anal fin of males, absent on the nominate form
Micralestes Boulenger 1899 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small; Alestes, type genus of family, referring to smaller size of N. humilis compared with other alestid species
Micralestes acutidens (Peters 1852) acutus (L.), sharp or pointed; dens (L.), tooth, referring to internal row or eight sharp multicuspid teeth
Micralestes ambiguus Géry 1995 Latin for uncertain, referring to Géry’s difficulty in placing it in the proper genus
Micralestes argyrotaenia Trewavas 1936 argýreios (Gr. ἀργύρειος), white metal (i.e., silver); taenia (L.), from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, referring to its silvery lateral band with dark upper edge
Micralestes comoensis Poll & Roman 1967 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Comoe (also spelled Komoé) River, Burkina Faso, type locality
Micralestes congicus Poll 1967 –icus (L.), belonging to: Congo River basin, where it is endemic
Micralestes eburneensis Daget 1965 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: eburneus (L.), of ivory, referring to Ivory Coast, where type locality (Cavally, near Toulépleu) is situated
Micralestes elongatus Daget 1957 Latin for prolonged, referring to its more elongate body compared with M. acutidens
Micralestes fodori Matthes 1965 in honor of “Dr. Fodor,” who collected holotype, possibly Hungarian philologist-linguist István Fodor, who visited the Belgian Congo (type locality) and studied a number of Congolese languages
Micralestes holargyreus (Günther 1873) hólos (Gr. ὅλος), whole or entire; argýreios (Gr. ἀργύρειος), white metal (i.e., silver), referring to its bright silvery coloration, without spots
Micralestes humilis Boulenger 1899 Latin for modest or unassuming, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its small size (type specimen 48 mm)
Micralestes lualabae Poll 1967 of the Lualaba River, Democratic Republic of the Congo, type locality
Micralestes occidentalis (Günther 1899) Latin for western, described as a western representative of the East African Petersius
Micralestes pabrensis (Roman 1966) -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Reservoir of Pabré, White Volta basin, 22 kilometers northeast of Ouagodougou, Burkina Faso, type locality
Micralestes schelly Stiassny & Mamonekene 2007 in honor of American ichthyologist Robert C. Schelly, American Museum of Natural History, colleague and “intrepid” collector of the type series [presumably a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Micralestes stormsi Boulenger 1902 in honor of Lieut. Maurice Joseph Auguste Marie Raphael Storms (1875–1941), Belgian Army, who collected holotype and presented it to the Brussels Museum; Boulenger said he is cousin of the late Raymond Storms, “so well known for his important contributions to paleoichthyology”
Micralestes vittatus (Boulenger 1917) Latin for banded, referring to blackish lateral band that widens from gill cover to below dorsal fin
Nannopetersius Hoedeman 1956 nánnos (Gr. νάννος), dwarf, allusion not explained nor evident, and Petersius, original genus of type species N. ansorgii; since genus was originally (but invalidly) proposed by Hoedeman in 1951 as a subgenus of Alestopetersius, name could refer to smaller size of N. ansorgii (3.8–6.0 cm) compared with A. hilgendorfi (10 cm)
Nannopetersius ansorgii (Boulenger 1910) in honor of British explorer and collector William John Ansorge (1850–1913), who collected holotype
Nannopetersius lamberti Poll 1967 in honor of Poll’s frequent collaborator, Belgian ichthyologist Jacques G. Lambert (1923–2013), who collected holotype
Nannopetersius mutambuei Wamuini Lunkayilakio & Vreven 2008 in honor of biologist and aquarist Mutambue Shango, General Academic Secretary, École Régionale post-universitaire d’Aménagement et gestion Intégrée des Forêts et territoires Tropicaux (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo), who collected many fishes from the Inkisi River basin in 1985 and 1986
Petersius Hilgendorf 1894 –ius (L.), pertaining to: Wilhelm Peters (1815–1883), German naturalist who traveled to Africa and returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens; Hilgendorf noted that it was surprising that Peters had heretofore been honored in botany (Petersia) but not zoology
Petersius conserialis Hilgendorf 1894 con– (L. prefix), together or with; serialis (L.), rowed, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to two rows of intermaxillary teeth, the anterior row pressed into the gap of the posterior row
Phenacogrammus Eigenmann 1907 phénakos (Gr. φένακος), genitive of phénax (φέναξ), cheat or imposter; grammus, scientific Neo-Latin derived from grammḗ (Gr. γραμμή), line or stroke of the pen, referring to incomplete lateral line of P. interruptus
Phenacogrammus aurantiacus (Pellegrin 1930) Latin for orange-colored, referring to its overall body coloration
Phenacogrammus concolor Stiassny, Alter, Monsembula Iyaba & Liyandja 2021 Latin for colored uniformly, referring to uniform absence of prominent pattern of black pigmentation along flanks and caudal peduncle (like that of P. flexus)
Phenacogrammus deheyni Poll 1945 in honor of diplomat-naturalist Jean Jacques Deheyn (1914–2009), Agricultural Officer, Leopoldville, Belgian Congo, who collected holotype
Phenacogrammus flexus Stiassny, Alter, Monsembula Iyaba & Liyandja 2021 Latin for winding, zigzag or sharp turn, referring to prominent pattern of black pigmentation along flanks and caudal peduncle
Phenacogrammus interruptus (Boulenger 1899) Latin for interrupted, referring to its incomplete lateral line
Phenacogrammus major (Boulenger 1903) Latin for greater, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to greater number of scales and anal-fin rays compared with Alestopetersius caudalis, its presumed congener at the time
Phenacogrammus polli Lambert 1961 in honor of Belgian ichthyologist Max Poll (1908–1991), for his help and “friendly advice” (translation)
Phenacogrammus stigmatura (Fowler 1936) stígma (Gr. στίγμα), mark or spot; ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to black spot at base of lower caudal lobe [Fowler treated name as a noun, not an adjective]
Phenacogrammus urotaenia (Boulenger 1909) ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail; taenia (L.), from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, referring to blackish streak on caudal part of body, extending to median rays of caudal fin
Rhabdalestes Hoedeman 1951 rhábdos (Gr. ῥάβδος), rod or wand, allusion not explained nor evident from Hoedeman’s brief description within a key; Alestes, type genus of family
Rhabdalestes aeratis Stiassny & Schaefer 2005 Latin for of copper, bronze or brassy, referring to its bronze flank coloration
Rhabdalestes brevidorsalis (Pellegrin 1921) brevis (L.) short; dorsalis (L.), of the back, referring to its shorter dorsal fin compared with Hemigrammopetersius pulcher, its presumed congener at the time
Rhabdalestes maunensis (Fowler 1935) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Maun, Botswana, where Thamalakane River (type locality) is situated
Rhabdalestes rhodesiensis (Ricardo-Bertram 1943) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), referring to type localities at Chambezi River and swamps and edge of Lake Bangweulu
Rhabdalestes septentrionalis (Boulenger 1911) Latin for northern, being the northernmost species of Petersius (original genus)
Rhabdalestes tangensis (Lönnberg 1907) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Tanga, Tanzania, type locality
Rhabdalestes yokai IbalaZamba & Vreven 2008 in honor of Paul Yoka, Director of the Institut de Développement Rural at the University of Brazzaville (Republic of the Congo), for his administrative help during the Léfini 2004–2008 Expeditions, during which holotype was collected
Tricuspidalestes Poll 1967 tri-, from tres (L.), three, and cuspidatus (L.), pointed; Alestes, type genus of family, i.e., an alestid with tricuspid teeth (although some teeth are pentacuspid)
Tricuspidalestes caeruleus (Matthes 1964) Latin for dark blue (but used here to mean blue in general), referring to brilliant blue reflections on head, back and sides