Updated 30 June 2024
PDF version (with illustrations and additional infor-mation)
Bearded Sea Catfishes
Subfamily GALEICHTHYINAE Acero & Betancur-R. 2007
Galeichthys Valenciennes 1840 galeus, from galeós (Gr. Γαλεός), weasel; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish: Valenciennes explained that catfishes get their name from their cat-like whiskers (or barbels) and therefore named this genus after weasels, which also have whiskers
Galeichthys ater Castelnau 1861 Latin for black, referring to green-black (“vert noir”) upper body coloration (compared with bronze-green coloration of G. feliceps)
Galeichthys feliceps Valenciennes 1840 felis (L.), cat; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to the cat-like whiskers (barbels) that give catfishes their name
Galeichthys peruvianus Lütken 1874 –anus (L.), belonging to: Peru, referring to Callao, Peru, type locality
Galeichthys trowi Kulongowski 2010 in honor of the late Eugene Trow, Jr., a student studying the biology and ecology of Galeichthys in South Africa, who recognized the probable distinctiveness of this species, and of his late father, Eugene Trow, Sr., who collected much of the type series [preferably spelled troworum since name honors more than one person, but ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction]
Forktail Catfishes
Subfamily ARIINAE Bleeker 1858
Aceroichthys Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 in honor of Colombian ichthyologist Arturo Acero P. (b. 1954), for his “valuable” contributions to ariid taxonomy; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Aceroichthys dioctes (Kailola 2000) from dioktes (Gr. διωκτες), hunter or pursuer, referring to its “apparent hunting ability, diet and dentition”
Ariopsis Gill 1861 ópsis (Gr. ὄψις), appearance, presumably referring to previous placement of A. milberti (=A. felis) in, and presumed resemblance to, Arius
Ariopsis assimilis (Günther 1864) Latin for similar, described as “closely allied” to Hexanematichthys hymenorrhinos (=Sciades herzbergii) and A. seemanni
Ariopsis canteri Acero P., Betancur-R. & Marceniuk 2017 in honor of Diego Canter Ríos (1984–2007), a “young and talented” Colombian ichthyologist who died in a car accident near Santa Marta along with three other biologists; species delimitation in Ariopsis was part of Diego’s B.Sc. thesis in Marine Biology, which he could not complete due to his untimely death
Ariopsis felis (Linnaeus 1766) Latin for cat (i.e., catfish), manuscript name coined by Scottish physician-naturalist Alexander Garden (1730–1791), Charleston, South Carolina (USA), who sent fish skins to Linnaeus
Ariopsis gilberti (Jordan & Williams 1895) in honor of American ichthyologist and fisheries biologist Charles H. Gilbert (1859-1928), in whose laboratory the present paper was written, and who provided “much valuable aid in many ways”; in addition, Gilbert had previously collected this catfish, reported as A. assimilis
Ariopsis guatemalensis (Günther 1864) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Guatemala, where type specimen was purchased
Ariopsis jimenezi Marceniuk, Acero P., Cooke & Betancur-R. 2017 in honor of Máximo Jiménez Acosta, zooarchaeology technician at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama), who drew attention to the possible existence of a new species based on the examination of osteological characters in specimens formerly reported as A. seemanni
Ariopsis seemanni (Günther 1864) in honor of German botanist Berthold Carl Seemann (1825–1871), who collected holotype
Ariopsis simonsi (Starks 1906) in honor of the late Perry Oveitt Simons (1869–1901), American natural history collector in South America, who collected holotype (his guide murdered him while crossing the Andes of Argentina, presumably for his money and gear)
Arius Valenciennes 1840 tautonymous with Pimelodus arius Hamilton 1822; Latinization of Ari, from Ari gogora, local Bengali name for this fish in India [note: many sources state that Arius is derived from a Greek word meaning warrior, presumably referring to their strong dorsal- and pectoral-fin spines, but this interpretation is incorrect]
Arius acutirostris Day 1877 acutus (L.), sharp or pointed; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, referring to its “fleshy and elongated” snout, “extending some distance beyond the mouth”
Arius africanus Günther 1867 –icus (L.), belonging to: Africa, described as an African “variety” of the Asian A. falcarius (=A. arius)
Arius arenarius (Müller & Troschel 1849) Latin for of or pertaining to sand, probably referring to “strongly granular” head and “highly granular” occipital process (translations)
Arius arius (Hamilton 1822) Latinization of Ari, from Ari gogora, local Bengali name for this fish in India [note: many sources state that Arius is derived from a Greek word meaning warrior, presumably referring to their strong dorsal- and pectoral-fin spines, but this interpretation is incorrect]
Arius brunellii Zolezzi 1939 patronym not identified, probably in honor of Italian zoologist Gustavo Brunelli (1881–1960), who led expedition during which holotype was collected
Arius burmanicus Day 1870 –icus (L.), belonging to: Burma (now Myanmar), where type locality (Salween) is situated
Arius dispar Herre 1926 Latin for dissimilar; Herre could “find no similar fish in the literature, the teeth and gill rakers separating it at once from anything described by Bleeker, Günther, Day, Vaillant, Sauvage, or Weber and Beaufort”
Arius gagora (Hamilton 1822) local Bengali name for this fish in India
Arius jatius (Hamilton 1822) Latinization of Jat from Jat gagora, local Bengali name for this fish in India [a noun in apposition, often incorrectly spelled jatia]
Arius jella Day 1877 from Deddi jellah, its local name at Vizagapatam on the Coromandel Coast of India, as reported by Russell (1803)
Arius macronotacanthus Bleeker 1846 macro-, from makrós (Gr. μακρός), long or large; nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back; acanthus (L.), from ákantha (Gr. ἄκανθα), thorn, referring to its thick dorsal spine
Arius maculatus (Thunberg 1792) Latin for spotted, referring to large black spot on adipose fin
Arius malabaricus Day 1877 –icus (L.), belonging to: Malabar (i.e., southern India), presumably referring to type locality in the Canara region of southwest India
Arius manillensis Valenciennes 1840 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Manila, Philippines, type locality
Arius microcephalus Bleeker 1855 small-headed, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, contained 4-41/5 times in SL, smaller than A. arius and A. pidada (=maculatus [in part] and A. utik [in part])
Arius subrostratus Valenciennes 1840 sub (L.), less or under (i.e., somewhat); rostratus (L)., beaked, referring to its less-elongate snout compared with A. rostratus (a junior synonym), described in the same publication
Arius utik Bleeker 1846 from Ikan (=fish) Manong utik, local Jakartan (Batavian) name for this catfish [also spelled oetik by Bleeker later in 1846, which is frequently used in modern literature, but utik was clearly Bleeker’s intent and appears to have priority by a few months]
Arius venosus Valenciennes 1840 Latin for veiny, venous or full of veins, referring to vein-like latero-sensory canals
Batrachocephalus Bleeker 1846 bátrachos (Gr. βάτραχος), frog; cephalus, from kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to frog-like head of B. ageneiosus (=mino)
Batrachocephalus mino (Hamilton 1822) presumably a local name for this fish along upper Ganges estuaries in India
Betancurichthys Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 in honor of Colombian ichthyologist Ricardo Betancur-R., for his “dedication to the knowledge of the taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography of marine catfishes”; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Betancurichthys festinus (Ng & Sparks 2003) Latin for quick or speedy, referring to its habitat, a swift-flowing river
Betancurichthys madagascariensis (Vaillant 1894) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: western Madagascar, where it is endemic
Betancurichthys uncinatus (Ng & Sparks 2003) Latin for barbed or hooked, referring to its curved snout
Bleekeriella Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 –ella (L.), diminutive connoting endearment: in honor of Dutch army surgeon and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker (1819–1878), who contributed “greatly” to our understanding of the taxonomy of ariids from the Indo-Malaysian archipelago
Bleekeriella leptaspis (Bleeker 1862) leptós (Gr. λεπτός), fine or thin; aspís (ἀσπίς), shield, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its triangular occipital process, longer rather than broad at its base
Brustiarius Herre 1935 brustia, Vulgar Latin for a brush, referring to slender, comb-like gill-rakers, originally proposed as a subgenus of Arius
Brustiarius nox (Herre 1935) Latin for night, referring to black color above and on sides in alcohol, and all-black fins except the ventrals
Brustiarius solidus (Herre 1935) Latin for entire, referring to entire palate “covered by a solid plate of finely granulose teeth”
Brustiarius utarus (Kailola 1990) Latinization of utara, meaning “north” in Bahasa Indonesia (official language of Indonesia), referring to its distribution (northern New Guinea) compared with the similar Bleekeriella leptaspis (southern New Guinea and northern Australia)
Carlarius Marceniuk & Menezes 2007 Carl, in honor of Carl Ferraris, Jr. (b. 1950), Research Associate, California Academy of Sciences, for his contribution to the knowledge of catfishes and continuous support and encouragement throughout the development of the authors’ work on ariid systematics; Arius, type genus of family
Carlarius gigas (Boulenger 1911) gígas (Gr. γίγας), giant, referring to “the large skeletons which were regarded by Günther as the adults” of A. latiscutatus, but which actually belong to this species
Carlarius heudelotii (Valenciennes 1840) in honor of the late French botanist Jean-Pierre Heudelot (1802–1837), who collected and/or supplied holotype
Carlarius latiscutatus (Günther 1864) latus (L.), wide or broad; scutatus (L.), armed with a long shield, referring to occipital process broader than long
Carlarius parkii (Günther 1864) patronym not identified, nor can identity be inferred based on available information; since lectotype was collected from the mouth of the Niger River in Nigeria, perhaps in honor of Scottish explorer Mungo Park (1771–1806), the first European to explore the central part of the Niger River
Cathorops Jordan & Gilbert 1883 kathoraō (Gr. καθοράω), to look down; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, ´referring to low eye placement of C. hypophthalmus
Subgenus Cathorops
Cathorops agassizii (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) in honor of Swiss-born American zoologist-geologist Louis Agassiz (1807–1873), who led expedition during which holotype was collected
Cathorops aguadulce (Meek 1904) Spanish for fresh water, where it occurs
Cathorops arenatus (Valenciennes 1840) Latin for sandy or sanded, presumably referring to “yellowish gray fins dusted with fine black dust” (translation)
Cathorops belizensis Marceniuk & Betancur-R. 2008 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Belize City, Belize, type locality
Cathorops festae (Boulenger 1898) in honor of Italian naturalist Enrico Festa (1868–1939), who collected holotype
Cathorops fuerthii (Steindachner 1876) in honor of Ignatius Fürth, Austrian consul at Panama (type locality), who collected and/or provided holotype
Cathorops higuchii Marceniuk & Betancur-R. 2008 in honor of Horácio Higuchi, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Belém, Brazil), for his contribution to the taxonomy, systematics and morphology of South American ariids
Cathorops hypophthalmus (Steindachner 1876) hypó (Gr. ὑπό), under or beneath; ophthalmós (Gr. ὀφθαλμός), eye, referring to low placement of eyes, their middle below level of angle of mouth
Cathorops kailolae Marceniuk & Betancur-R. 2008 in honor of Australian biologist Patricia J. Kailola, University of the South Pacific (Suva, Fiji), for her “enormous” contribution to ariid systematics
Cathorops liropus (Bristol 1897) liro-, from leirós (Gr. λειρός), pale; pus, from poús (Gr. πούς), foot (homologous to the ventral fins), referring to pale ventral fins, vs. black pelvic fins on the “allied” C. melanopus
Cathorops manglarensis Marceniuk 2007 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: off Cape Manglares, Pacific coast of Colombia, type locality; also refers to its habitat (Spanish for mangroves)
Cathorops mapale Betancur-R. & Acero P. 2005 from chivo mapalé, vernacular for this species among artisanal fishers in most Colombian localities; also the name of a Colombian rhythm of African origin typical of the fishery community of the Colombian Caribbean
Cathorops melanopus (Günther 1864) mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; poús (Gr. πούς), foot (homologous to the ventral fins), referring to deep black upper (inner) surface of ventral fins
Cathorops multiradiatus (Günther 1864) multi– (L.), many; radiatus (L.), rayed, referring to long anal fin, with up to 27 rays
Cathorops nuchalis (Günther 1864) Latin for of the neck or nape, presumably referring to elevated occipital process
Cathorops raredonae Marceniuk, Betancur-R. & Acero P. 2009 in honor of Sandra J. Raredon (b. 1954), Division of Fishes, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., for her valuable assistance in many curatorial duties
Cathorops spixii (Agassiz 1829) in honor of German biologist Johann Baptist von Spix (1781–1826), who explored Brazil and named this catfish Pimelodus albidus, which Agassiz believed was preoccupied by P. albidus Lesueur 1819 (=Ameiurus catus in Ictaluridae)
Cathorops steindachneri (Gilbert & Starks 1904) in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Franz Steindachner (1834–1919), who noted in 1876 that Panama specimens allied to C. melanopus did not agree with Günther’s description of that species
Cathorops taylori (Hildebrand 1925) in honor of American botanist and agronomist Frederic W. Taylor (1876–1944), director general of agriculture for the Government of El Salvador, under whose “immediate direction” this catfish was collected
Cathorops tuyra (Meek & Hildebrand 1923) named for the Río Tuyra, mouth of Río Yape, Darien, Panama, type locality
Cathorops wayuu Betancur-R., Acero P. & Marceniuk 2012 named for the Wayuu native American ethnic community from La Guajira peninsula (type locality) in northern Colombia and Venezuela
Subgenus Precathorops Betancur-R. & Acero P. 2007 pre-, primitive, referring to the basal position of C. dasycephalus
Cathorops dasycephalus (Günther 1864) coarse-headed, from dasýs (Gr. δασύς), hairy or shaggy, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to “coarsely granulated” crown of head
Cephalocassis Bleeker 1857 cephalo, from kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head; cassis (L.), metal helmet, presumably referring to the occipital process, which Bleeker (1858) called a “kopschild” (head shield)
Cephalocassis melanochir (Bleeker 1852) mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; cheír (χείρ), hand (homologous to the pectoral fin), referring to broad blackish stripe in middle of pectoral fin (in all fins, actually, except anal)
Chinchaysuyoa Marceniuk, Marchena, Oliveira & Betancur-R. 2019 name of the Inca Empire territory that comprised Ecuador (where C. labiata occurs) and Peru (where C. ortegai occurs)
Chinchaysuyoa labiata (Boulenger 1898) Latin for lipped, referring to its “very thick lips” (translation)
Chinchaysuyoa ortegai Marceniuk, Marchena, Oliveira & Betancur-R. 2019 in honor of Hernán Ortega, “the most important ichthyologist working in Peru”
Cinetodus Ogilby 1898 cinet-, from kinētós (Gr. κινητός), moveable; odus, from odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, referring to patch of palatine teeth “implanted upon a moveable cushion”
Cinetodus froggatti (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886) in honor of Austrian entomologist Walter Wilson Froggatt (1858–1937), “on whom the whole burden of collecting the zoological specimens obtained during the late expedition of the Bonito [to New Guinea] seems to have fallen”
Cochlefelis Whitley 1941 cochle, from cochlearium (L.), a small Roman spoon with a long tapering handle; felis (L.), cat, i.e., “spooncat,” referring to spatulate snout of C. spatula
Cochlefelis danielsi (Regan 1908) in honor of Maj. William Cooke Daniels (1871–1918), partner in a department store (Daniels and Fishers in Denver, Colorado, USA), who financed and led expedition during which holotype was collected and presented it to the British Museum (his military title dates from his service as a volunteer officer in the Spanish-American War in Cuba, 1898)
Cochlefelis insidiator (Kailola 2000) Latin for ambusher or lurker, referring to dorsally placed eyes and depressed body form (which suggest that it lies half-hidden in sediment) and strong teeth and jaws (which suggest that it is a predator)
Cochlefelis spatula (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886) Latin for paddle, spoon or broad blade used for stirring, from spáthē (Gr. σπᾰ́θη), referring to its spatulate snout (upper jaw much longer than lower jaw)
Cryptarius Kailola 2004 crypto, from kryptόs (Gr. κρυπτός), hidden or secret, i.e., a cryptic Arius, referring to its unique combination of characters having been ignored for a such a long time
Cryptarius daugueti (Chevey 1932) in honor of Paul Dauguet (1883–?), French merchant seaman and commander of the research vessel (De Lanessan) from which holotype was collected
Cryptarius truncatus (Valenciennes 1840) Latin for truncate, referring to its spoon-shaped snout
Doiichthys Weber 1913 doiḗ (Gr. δοιή), doubt or uncertainty, referring to its uncertain familial relationships at the time (Weber proposed its own family, Doiichthyidae); ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Doiichthys novaeguineae Weber 1913 of New Guinea, where type locality (Varen River, a tributary of Lorentz River) is situated
Genidens Castelnau 1855 from Pimelodus genidens Cuvier 1829 (which Castelnau renamed as G. cuvieri, apparently to avoid “Strickland tautonymy”: génys (Gr. γένυς), jaw; dens (L.), tooth, referring to moveable teeth on palate
Genidens barbus (Lacepède 1803) Latinization of barbue, vernacular among French sailors, probably referring to its six barbels (unusual for a marine fish)
Genidens genidens (Cuvier 1829) génys (Gr. γένυς), jaw; dens (L.), tooth, referring to moveable teeth on palate
Genidens machadoi (Miranda Ribeiro 1918) patronym not identified, probably in honor of Rev. Francisco Machado da Silva, who collected for and/or donated specimens to the Museo Urbis of Rio de Janeiro
Genidens planifrons (Higuchi, Reis & Araújo 1982) planus (L.), smooth; frons (L.), forehead, referring to flat dorsal profile of head
Hemiarius Bleeker 1862 hemi-, from hḗmisys (Gr. ἥμισυς), half, referring to similarity and/or close relationship to Arius
Hemiarius bleekeri (Popta 1900) in honor of Dutch army surgeon and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker (1819–1878), who collected holotype and forwarded it to the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden, Netherlands)
Hemiarius hardenbergi (Kailola 2000) in honor of Dutch biologist Johann Dietrich Frans Hardenberg (1902–1980), Laboratorium voor het Onderzoek der Zee (Batavia), who recognized this as a new species in 1931 and provided an unpublished museum name for it, for his “insightful” contributions to Indo-Australian ichthyology
Hemiarius harmandi Sauvage 1880 in honor of French Navy surgeon, naturalist and explorer François-Jules Harmand (1845–1921), who collected holotype
Hemiarius manillensis (Valenciennes 1840) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Manila, Philippines, type locality
Hemiarius stormii (Bleeker 1858) in honor of Frans Jonathan Pieter Storm van ‘s Gravesande (1812–1875), Dutch colonial administrator in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), who provided holotype
Hemiarius sumatranus (Anonymous [Bennett] 1830) –anus (L.), belonging to: Sumatra, Indonesia, type locality
Hemiarius verrucosus (Ng 2003) Latin for warty, referring to numerous small bumps on pectoral spines and dorsal surface of neurocranium
Hemipimelodus Bleeker 1857 hemi-, from hḗmisys (Gr. ἥμισυς), half, referring to previous placement of H. borneensis in Pimelodus (then a catch-all genus for many catfishes)
Hemipimelodus borneensis (Bleeker 1851) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: western Borneo, Indonesia, where type locality (Sambas) is situated
Hexanematichthys Bleeker 1858 héx (Gr. ἕξ), six; nema (Gr. νῆμα), thread, referring to its six fleshy barbels of H. sundaicus (=sagor); ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Hexanematichthys sagor (Hamilton 1822) local Bengali name for this fish in India
Jayaramichthys Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 in honor of Indian ichthyologist Kottore Chidambaram Jayaram (1926–2011), who contributed “greatly” to our understanding of the taxonomy, evolution and biogeography of ariids from the Indian subcontinent; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Jayaramichthys leptonotacanthus (Bleeker 1849) leptós (Gr. λεπτός), fine or thin; nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back; acanthus (L.), from ákantha (Gr. ἄκανθα), thorn, referring to its slender dorsal spine
Ketengus Bleeker 1846 Latinization of Keteng, Madurese name for this fish in eastern Java, Indonesia
Ketengus typus Bleeker 1846 serving as type of genus
Kyataphisa Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 Bengali word meaning catfish
Kyataphisa nenga (Hamilton 1822) from Nenga gagora, local Bengali name for this fish in India
Megalosciades Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 mega, big, referring to “disproportionally” large head compared with those observed in Sciades and close relatives
Megalosciades augustus (Roberts 1978) Latin for stately, grand or venerable, allusion not explained; per Tyson R. Roberts (pers. comm.), “I named that species so long ago, I don’t really recall for sure why I named it augustus but I think because it appeared to be handsome, distinguished, and serene” (originally described as having a “graceful form, and vivid blue coloration in life”)
Nedystoma Ogilby 1898 nēdýs (Gr.νηδύς), womb; stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, presumably referring to mouthbrooding behavior of males, in which they carry eggs in their mouth until they hatch (a behavior found in many ariids)
Nedystoma dayi (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886) in honor of Francis Day (1829–1889), Inspector-General of Fisheries in India, “whose magnificent work on the fishes of India is indispensable to every student of Indo-Pacific ichthyology”
Nemapteryx Ogilby 1908 nema (Gr. νῆμα), thread; ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to long, filamentous first dorsal-fin ray of N. stirlingi (=armiger)
Nemapteryx armiger (De Vis 1884) arma (L.), weapons; –iger (L.), to have or bear, presumably referring to long dorsal spine (longer than head) and perhaps also to its pectoral spines
Neoarius Castelnau 1878 néos (Gr. νέος), new, i.e., a new genus of Arius
Neoarius berneyi (Whitley 1941) in honor of Australian ornithologist Frederick L. Berney (1865–1949), who “made a valuable collection of fishes in Central Queensland nearly thirty years ago”
Neoarius graeffei (Kner & Steindachner 1867) in honor of Swiss entomologist Eduard Heinrich Gräffe (1833–1916), who, while employed by Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy, a wealthy shipping magnate, curated a natural history collection that introduced several new species from the South Pacific to science, including this catfish
Neoarius hainesi (Kailola 2000) in honor of fisheries scientist Alan K. Haines, whose 1972–1976 surveys of river systems in Papua New Guinea and his “faithful recording” of ariid biology and ecology made a “significant” contribution to our knowledge of these fishes in the Australian and New Guinea region
Neoarius midgleyi (Kailola & Pierce 1988) in honor of Stephen Hamar Midgley (1918–2014), amateur ichthyologist and limnologist, and his wife Mary, for bringing this catfish to the attention of the senior author, and for their “enthusiastic and dedicated study” of the fresh waters of northern Australia [preferably spelled midgleyorum since name honors more than one person, but ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction]
Neoarius paucus (Kailola 2000) Latin for few or scanty, referring to fewer gill rakers and smaller eye compared with N. midgleyi
Neoarius pectoralis (Kailola 2000) Latin for pectoral, referring to strong serrae along inner pectoral-fin spine
Netuma Bleeker 1858 tautonymous with Bagrus netuma Valenciennes 1840 (=N. thalassina), derived from netouma kéléti, local name for this fish in Pondicherry, India
Netuma bilineata (Valenciennes 1840) bi-, from bis (L.), twice, two; lineata (L.), lined, allusion explained but unclear: “The epithet we give it refers to a kind of faintly marked curvilinear track produced on the skin of its sides at places where the ribs end” (translation), perhaps referring to visibly sloping line of the rib ends, which, when combined with lateral line, creates the appearance of two lines on sides of body (Patricia J. Kailola, pers. comm.)
Netuma patriciae Takahashi, Kimura & Motomura 2019 in honor of Australian biologist Patricia J. Kailola, University of the South Pacific (Suva, Fiji), for her research on ariid catfishes
Netuma thalassina (Rüppell 1837) –ina (L. suffix), pertaining to: thálassa (Gr. θάλασσα), of the sea, a marine and brackish-water catfish described from the Red Sea
Notarius Gill 1863 etymology not explained, perhaps nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back, referring to oblong occipital process (as opposed to transverse in Ariopsis, proposed in the same publication) of N. grandicassis, formerly placed in Arius
Notarius armbrusteri Betancur-R. & Acero P. 2006 in honor of Jonathan W. Armbruster (b. 1969), Curator of Fishes, Auburn University Museum (Alabama, USA), for his important contributions to the taxonomy of neotropical catfishes
Notarius biffi Betancur-R. & Acero P. 2004 in honor Eldredge (Biff) Bermingham, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, for his important contribution to the knowledge of neotropical fish biogeography
Notarius bonillai (Miles 1945) in honor of Colombian veterinarian Heliodoro Bonilla Guzmán (1908–1961), Director of the Department of the Ministry (Colombia) that deals with fishes
Notarius cookei (Acero P. & Betancur-R. 2002) in honor of British archaeologist Richard Cooke (1946–2023), Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, for his contribution to the knowledge of eastern Pacific ariids (he also provided the type series)
Notarius grandicassis (Valenciennes 1840) grandis (L.), large; cassis (L.), metal helmet, presumably referring to very large bony plate (occipital process) in front of dorsal fin
Notarius insculptus (Jordan & Gilbert 1883) Latin for engraved with markings, i.e., sculpted, probably referring to its highly developed, sculptured (grooved and granulated) epioccipital bones
Notarius kessleri (Steindachner 1876) patronym not identified, possibly in honor of Russian-German zoologist Karl Fedorovich Kessler (1815–1881)
Notarius lentiginosus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) Latin for freckled (“the sides freckled”)
Notarius luniscutis (Valenciennes 1840) luna (L.), moon; scutis, scientific Neo-Latin adjectival form of scutum (L.), shield, i.e., moon-shielded, referring to lunate bony plate (occipital process) in front of dorsal fin
Notarius neogranatensis (Acero P. & Betancur-R. 2002) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: New Granada, oldest name given to Colombia (where it appears to be endemic) by Spanish conquerors
Notarius osculus (Jordan & Gilbert 1883) diminutive of os (L.), mouth, referring to its small mouth (but with thick lips)
Notarius parmocassis (Valenciennes 1840) parma (L.), a small round shield; cassis (L.), metal helmet, referring to bony plate (occipital process) in front of dorsal fin
Notarius phrygiatus (Valenciennes 1840) variant or misspelling of phrygianus (L.), belonging to the art of embroidery (i.e., embroidered), derived from phrýgios (Gr. Φρύγιος), belonging to Phrygia, a kingdom in ancient Greece celebrated for their skill in embroidery, referring to this fish’s latero-sensory canals, “which form a sort of embroidery pleasant to the eye” (translation)
Notarius planiceps (Steindachner 1876) planus (L.), flat or level; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to forehead, “perfectly flat across, wide, covered with thick skin” (translation)
Notarius quadriscutis (Valenciennes 1840) quadrus (L.), square; scutis, scientific Neo-Latin adjectival form of scutum (L.), shield, i.e., square-shielded, referring to square shape of bony plate (occipital process) in front of dorsal fin
Notarius rugispinis (Valenciennes 1840) ruga (L.), wrinkle or crease; spinis, from spinus (L.), thorn, referring to granulated sides of dorsal and pectoral spines
Notarius troschelii (Gill 1863) in honor of German zoologist Franz Hermann Troschel (1810–1882), who, with Johann Müller, described Sciades (in which this species was originally placed)
Occidentarius Betancur-R. & Acero P. 2007 occidentalis (L.), western, referring to distribution of O. platypogon in the Eastern Pacific, the western-most region occupied by ariids; Arius, type genus of family
Occidentarius platypogon (Günther 1864) platýs (Gr. πλατύς), flat; pṓgōn (Gr. πώγων), beard, presumably referring to its basally “compressed” maxillary barbels
Osteogeneiosus Bleeker 1846 ostéon (Gr. ὀστέον), bone; geneiosus, Latinized adjective from géneion (Gr. γένειον), chin or beard (i.e., bearded), referring to stiff and bony maxillary barbels
Osteogeneiosus militaris (Linnaeus 1758) Latin for of a soldier or warlike, perhaps referring to bony (and hence sharp) maxillary barbels, which can be said to “arm” it like a solider
Pachyula Ogilby 1898 pachýs (Gr. παχύς), thick; oula (Gr. ὀυλα), gums, referring to thick lips of P. crassilabris, the upper lip “terminating in a broad free lobe”
Pachyula conorhynchus (Weber 1913) conus, from kṓnos (Gr. κῶνος), cone; rhynchus, from rhýnchos (Gr. ῥύγχος), snout, referring to its bluntly conical snout
Pachyula crassilabris (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886) crassus (L.), stout or thick; labris, plural of labrum (L.), lip, referring to its “very thick” lips
Papuarius Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 Papua, a common element of the names of the six Indonesian provinces as well as the independent country that together compose the island group called New Guinea, where P. latirostris occurs; Arius, type genus of family
Papuarius latirostris (Macleay 1883) latus (L.), wide or broad; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, referring to its “broadly rounded” snout
Paracinetodus Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 pará (Gr. παρά), beside or near, “highlighting its morphological similarity with the genus Cinetodus”
Paracinetodus carinatus (Weber 1913) Latin for keeled, referring to “sharply keeled” (translation) occipital process in young specimens, its posterior end broadly truncated
Paragenidens Marceniuk, Ingenito, Lima, Gasparini & Oliveira 2019 pará (Gr. παρά), beside or near; Genidens, the sister group of this genus, alluding to their close relationship
Paragenidens grandoculis (Steindachner 1877) grandis (L.), large; oculis, from oculus (L.), eye, referring to large eye, the forehead equal to 1⅔ of eye length
Pararius Whitley 1940 pará (Gr. παρά), beside or near, presumably referring to how P. proximus resembles Arius australis (=Neoarius graeffei)
Pararius mastersi (Ogilby 1898) in honor of English-born Australian entomologist George Masters (1837–1912), Curator of the Macleay Museum, Sydney University, to whom Ogilby was “indebted for much valuable information on the fine collection under his charge, and whose general knowledge of the Australian fauna is possibly exceeded by none”
Pararius proximus (Ogilby 1898) Latin for nearest or next, referring to its “outward resemblance” to Arius australis (=Neoarius graeffei)
Plicofollis Kailola 2004 plico, from plica (L.), a fold or ridge of tissue; follis (L.), bellows or windbag, referring to creased or scalloped swim bladder, characteristic of genus
Plicofollis argyropleuron (Valenciennes 1840) árgyros (Gr. ἄργυρος), white metal (i.e., silver); pleuron (L.), rib (i.e., side), referring to silver belly and sides
Plicofollis crossocheilos (Bleeker 1846) crosso, from krossós (Gr. κροσσός), fringe or tassel; cheī́los (Gr. χεῖλος), lip, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to maxillary barbels reaching humeral bone or gill covers
Plicofollis dussumieri (Valenciennes 1840) in honor of Jean-Jacques Dussumier (1792–1883), French voyager and merchant, who reported on this fish from off the Malabar coast of India
Plicofollis layardi (Günther 1866) in honor of Edgar Leopold Layard (1824–1900), Ceylon Civil Service, who presented holotype to the British Museum
Plicofollis magatensis (Herre 1926) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Magat River, Luzon Island, Philippines, type locality
Plicofollis nella (Valenciennes 1840) from nalla-jella, local name for this catfish in Vizagapatam, India
Plicofollis platystomus (Day 1877) wide-mouthed, from platýs (Gr. πλατύς), wide or broad, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, width of gape of mouth 4/7 length of head
Plicofollis polystaphylodon (Bleeker 1846) poly– (Gr. πολύ), many; staphylo-, from staphylḗ (Gr. σταφυλή), a cluster of grapes (i.e., bunched or clustered); odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, referring to palatine teeth arranged in four patches: a small ovate patch on each side of the vomer, and an elongate patch along each palatine bone
Plicofollis tenuispinis (Day 1877) tenuis (L.), thin or slender; spinis, from spinus (L.), thorn, referring to its “very weak and thin” dorsal-fin spine
Plicofollis tonggol (Bleeker 1846) from Ikan (=fish) Manjong tonggol, local Jakartan (Batavian) name for this fish and similar species [see also Thunnus tonggol, Scombridae]
Potamarius Hubbs & Miller 1960 potamos (Gr. ποταμός), river, referring to occurrence in fresh water, i.e., a riverine genus of Arius [note: authors erroneously believe that Arius is derived from a Greek word meaning warrior]
Potamarius izabalensis Hubbs & Miller 1960 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lago de Izabal, Guatemala, type locality
Potamarius nelsoni (Evermann & Goldsborough 1902) in honor of American naturalist-ethnologist Edward William Nelson (1855–1934), Division of Biological Survey, U.S. Department of Agriculture, who helped collect holotype (and called it the best freshwater food fish in México)
Potamarius usumacintae Betancur-R. & Willink 2007 of the Río Usumacinta basin, Guatemala and México, where it is endemic
Potamosilurus Marceniuk & Menezes 2007 potamos (Gr. ποταμός), river, referring to all species occurring in fresh water; silurus, from sílouros (Gr. σίλουρος), a word of uncertain origin historically applied to catfishes
Potamosilurus coatesi (Kailola 1990) in honor of marine biologist and limnologist David C. Coates, formerly of the Department of Fisheries & Marine Resources, Papua New Guinea, who collected most of type series and provided information on its biology
Potamosilurus macrorhynchus (Weber 1913) big-snouted, from makrós (Gr. μακρός), long or large, and rhýnchos (Gr. ῥύγχος), snout, referring to its conical snout, which forms a prominent cone
Potamosilurus taylori (Roberts 1978) in honor of American ichthyologist William Ralph Taylor (1919–2004), a student of Ariidae [also known as P. robertsi (Kailola 1990), an unneeded replacement name now that P. taylori is no longer preoccupied by Arius (now Cathorops) taylori Hildebrand 1925]
Potamosilurus velutinus (Weber 1907) Latin for velvety, referring to its “velvet-like” (translation) premaxillary teeth
Pseudosciades Marceniuk, Oliveira & Ferraris 2023 pseudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false, referring to its “convergent morphology” with the Neotropical Sciades
Pseudosciades sona (Hamilton 1822) presumably a local Bengali name for this fish in India
Sciades Müller & Troschel 1849 skiádos (Gr. σκιάδος), genitive of skiás (σκιάς), canopy or umbrella; –des, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: probably referring to occipital process, described as a “distinct bony helmet” (translation)
Sciades couma (Valenciennes 1840) from couma-couma, local name for this fish in French Guiana, onomatopoeic for the sound it makes when pulled from the water
Sciades dowii (Gill 1863) in honor of John Melmoth Dow (1827–1892), Panama Railroad Company, American ship captain and amateur naturalist, who presented holotype to the Smithsonian Institution
Sciades herzbergii (Bloch 1794) patronym not identified, possibly in honor of Count Ewald Friedrich von Herzberg (also spelled Hertzberg, 1725–1795), a Prussian statesman who was one of Bloch’s sponsors
Sciades parkeri (Traill 1832) in honor of Traill’s friend Charles Stewart Parker (1800–1868), British merchant who “favoured” the author with a drawing of the catfish and its skin
Sciades passany (Valenciennes 1840) local name for this species at Cayenne, French Guiana, type locality
Sciades proops (Valenciennes 1840) pro– (L.), in front of or before; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to eye nearer to snout than to preopercle, compared with Bagrus mesops (=S. herzbergii), on which eye is midway between snout and preopercle
Whiskered Sea Catfishes
Subfamily BAGREINAE Schultz 1944
Bagre Cloquet 1816 tautonymous with Silurus bagre Linnaeus 1766; per Marcgrave (or Markgraf, Historia Naturalis Brasiliae, 1648), a Portuguese word for catfish in Brazil, presumably first applied to this species; another explanation is from the Dutch bagger, mud, referring to benthic habits of many catfishes
Bagre bagre (Linnaeus 1766) per Marcgrave (or Markgraf, Historia Naturalis Brasiliae, 1648), a Portuguese word for catfish in Brazil, presumably first applied to this species; another explanation is from the Dutch bagger, mud, referring to benthic habits of many catfishes
Bagre filamentosus Swainson 1839 Latin for filamentous, referring to its “dorsal and pectoral fins with the spines serrated, and surmounted by cartilaginous and articulated filaments”
Bagre marinus (Mitchill 1815) Latin for “of the sea,” the “Salt-water Catfish” of New York State (USA)
Bagre panamensis (Gill 1863) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Panama, presumably referring to type locality although that country is not specifically mentioned (occurs along Pacific coast of Central America and northern South America)
Bagre pinnimaculatus (Steindachner 1876) pinna (L.), fin; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to oval blackish spot on anal, ventral and caudal fins