Updated 12 Aug. 2024
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Subfamily PSEUDOBUNOCEPHALINAE Carvalho, Arce H., Reis & Sabaj 2018
Acanthobunocephalus Friel 1995 acantho-, from ákantha (Gr. ἄκανθα), thorn or spine, referring to rigid, locking dorsal spine, i.e., a spiny Bunocephalus
Acanthobunocephalus nicoi Friel 1995 in honor of American ichthyologist Leo G. Nico, U.S. Geological Survey, who collected holotype
Acanthobunocephalus scruggsi Carvalho & Reis 2020 in honor of Earl Scruggs (1924–2012), a prominent American banjo player known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, known as the ‘‘Scruggs style,’’ which is characteristic of bluegrass music; name also alludes to the common name “banjo catfishes” and the “remarkable resemblance” of this species with this musical instrument
Pseudobunocephalus Friel 2008 pseudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false or deceptive, referring to fact that members of this genus have previously been mistaken for juveniles of various species of Bunocephalus
Pseudobunocephalus amazonicus (Mees 1989) –icus (L.), belonging to: Amazon River, referring to distribution in the middle Amazon basin (including Rio Madeira) of Bolivia and Brazil
Pseudobunocephalus bifidus (Eigenmann 1942) Latin for cleft, parted or split, referring to bifid postmental barbels
Pseudobunocephalus iheringii (Boulenger 1891) in honor of German-Brazilian zoologist Hermann von Ihering (1850-1930), who helped collect holotype
Pseudobunocephalus lundbergi Friel 2008 in honor of John G. Lundberg (b. 1942), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Friel’s Ph.D. advisor, for numerous contributions to neotropical ichthyology and the systematics of siluriform and gymnotiform fishes
Pseudobunocephalus quadriradiatus (Mees 1989) quadri-, from quattuor (L.), four; radiatus (L.), rayed, referring to four-rayed pectoral fin rather than the usual five
Pseudobunocephalus rugosus (Eigenmann & Kennedy 1903) Latin for wrinkled or shriveled, presumably referring to “very conspicuous” warts all over its skin
Pseudobunocephalus timbira Leão, Carvalho, Reis & Wosiacki 2019 named for the Timbira indigenous groups who live in the area (lower Tocantins and Mearim river basins in Maranhão, Pará and Tocantins states, Brazil) where this catfish occurs
Small Banjo Catfishes
Subfamily HOPLOMYZONTINAE Fernández-Yépez 1950
Dupouyichthys Schultz 1944 in honor of Venezuelan anthropologist-biologist Walter Dupouy (1906–1978), director of the Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Caracas), who was “especially helpful” in regard to Schultz’ work with fishes; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Dupouyichthys sapito Schultz 1944 common name of this catfish in the Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela
Ernstichthys Fernández-Yépez 1953 in honor of Prussian-born Venezuelan biologist Adolfo (also spelled Adolf) Ernst (1832–1899), Chair of Natural Science at the Central University of Venezuela; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Ernstichthys anduzei Fernández-Yépez 1953 in honor of Pablo J. Anduze (1902–1989), Venezuelan explorer, ethnologist and medical entomologist, and later governor of Amazonas State, Venezuela, whom Fernández-Yépez described as a “tireless researcher” (translation)
Ernstichthys intonsus Stewart 1985 Latin for unshaved or bearded, referring to “extreme proliferation of barbels”
Ernstichthys megistus (Orcés V. 1961) mégistos (Gr. μέγιστος), largest, referring to its large size (up to 67 mm SL) compared with Dupouyichthys sapito and Hoplomyzon atrizona, its presumed congeners at the time
Ernstichthys taquari Dagosta & de Pinna 2021 named for upper Rio Taquari drainage, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, where type locality (Rio Taquarizinho) is situated, from the Tupí word takwa’ri, combining ta’kwara (a common name for bamboo-like plants of family Poaceae) and a diminutive “i”
Hoplomyzon Myers 1942 hóplon (Gr. ὅπλον), shield or armor, referring to body of H. atrizona “armed with six longitudinal series of bony bucklers”; myzon, Latinized from mýzō (Gr. μύζω), to suck, presumably referring to resemblance to Asian (Exostoma) and Neotropical (Astroblepus) catfishes (as noted by Myers) that have sucker mouths (a resemblance mainly due to adnate maxillary barbels in Hoplomyzon )
Hoplomyzon atrizona Myers 1942 ater, from ater (L.), black; zona (L.), belt or girdle (i.e., band), referring to three black crossbands on body, “very bold and striking”
Hoplomyzon cardosoi Carvalho, Reis & Friel 2017 in honor and in memory of Alexandre Rodrigues Cardoso, a “dear colleague who prematurely passed away … for his humbleness, positive attitude, and dedicated friendship,” and for his contributions to the taxonomy of neotropical fishes, including the family Aspredinidae
Hoplomyzon papillatus Stewart 1985 Latin for papillose (with buds), referring to numerous short, papillae-like mental barbels
Hoplomyzon sexpapilostoma Taphorn & Marrero 1990 sex (L.), six; papilo (=papilla, L.), bud or tubercle; stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to six buccal papillae (four on upper lip, one at each corner of mouth)
Micromyzon Friel & Lundberg 1996 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small, referring to size (<16 mm SL) of M. akamai; myzon, Latinized from mýzō (Gr. μύζω), to suck, but here referring to Hoplomyzon, type genus of tribe Hoplomyzontini
Micromyzon akamai Friel & Lundberg 1996 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Alberto Akama, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Belém, Pará), for his “enthusiastic help” in collecting the type series
Micromyzon orinoco Carvalho, Lundberg, Baskin, Friel & Reis 2016 named for the lower Río Orinoco, Venezuela, where it occurs
Banjo Catfishes
Subfamily ASPREDININAE Adams 1854
Amaralia Fowler 1954 -ia (L. suffix), belonging to: Brazilian herpetologist (and anti-venom serum expert) Afrânio do Amaral (1894–1982), in honor of his work in Brazilian natural history
Amaralia hypsiura (Kner 1855) high-tailed, from hypsēlós (Gr. ὑψηλός), high or tall, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to its thick (or high) caudal peduncle
Amaralia oviraptor Friel & Carvalho 2016 ovi-, from ovum (L.), egg; raptor (L.), robber or plunderer, often used as a term for predator, referring to apparent dietary specialization of Amaralia on eggs and developing embryos of other catfishes
Aspredinichthys Bleeker 1858 Aspredo, type genus of family and former genus of A. tibicen; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Aspredinichthys filamentosus (Valenciennes 1840) Latin for filamentous, referring to elongate first ray of dorsal fin
Aspredinichthys tibicen (Valenciennes 1840) Latinization of trompetter, or trompetfisi (trumpeter), Dutch-Surinamese local name for this and other aspredinid catfishes, alluding to the sound they make when taken out of the water
Aspredo Scopoli 1777 presumably tautonymous with Silurus aspredo (Scopoli [ex Gronow] did not indicate species), Latin for roughness, presumably referring to its tuberculate skin
Aspredo aspredo (Linnaeus 1758) Latin for roughness, presumably referring to its tuberculate skin
Bunocephalus Kner 1855 buno-, from bounós (Gr. βουνός), mound or knob; cephalus, from kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to rounded cusps or bumps on head of B. verrucosus
Bunocephalus aleuropsis Cope 1870 etymology not explained, perhaps a– (Gr. ἀ), negative prefix, e.g., not; leurós (Gr. λευρός), smooth; ópsis (Gr. ὄψις), appearance, referring to five series of “wartlets” each side of tail (another interpretation: áleuron (Gr. ἄλευρον), flour and opsis, appearance, referring to “head densely punctulated with white”)
Bunocephalus aloikae Hoedeman 1961 of Aloiké village, French Guiana, type locality
Bunocephalus amaurus Eigenmann 1912 amaurós (Gr. ἀμαυρός), dark, referring to its dark-chocolate coloration
Bunocephalus chamaizelus Eigenmann 1912 etymology not explained, perhaps chamaí (Gr. χαμαί), on the ground, and zḗlos (Gr. ζῆλος), zeal or fervor, referring to its sand-burrowing habits (described as having a “sand-like” general appearance
Bunocephalus colombianus Eigenmann 1912 –anus (L.), belonging to: Colombia, where it is endemic
Bunocephalus coracoideus (Cope 1874) etymology not explained, presumably adjectival form of coracoid, referring to longer postcoracoids compared with B. melas (=aleuropsis)
Bunocephalus doriae Boulenger 1930 in honor of Italian herpetologist Giacomo Doria (1840–1913), “eminent Director of the Genoa Civic Museum” (translation) [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from a masculine noun that ends in “a”]
Bunocephalus erondinae Cardoso 2010 in memory of the author’s mother, Erondina Rodrigues Cardoso
Bunocephalus hartti Carvalho, Cardoso, Friel & Reis 2015 in honor of Charles Frederick Hartt (1840–1878), Canadian geologist, paleontologist and naturalist; his notable accomplishments include the publication of “Geology and physical geography of Brazil” (1870), and serving as founder and director of the section of geology at the Museu Nacional of Brazil from 1866 to 1867
Bunocephalus hertzi Esguícero, Castro & Pereira 2020 in honor of Hertz Figueiredo dos Santos, Laboratório de Ictiologia de Ribeirão Preto (Universidade de São Paulo), co-discoverer of this species, “in deep appreciation for his approximately three decades of unfailing contribution” to the study of neotropical fishes
Bunocephalus knerii Steindachner 1882 patronym not identified but clearly in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Rudolf Kner (1810–1869), who was Steindachner’s teacher and friend
Bunocephalus larai Ihering 1930 in honor of Rodolpho Lara Campos, sponsor of expedition during which holotype was collected
Bunocephalus minerim Carvalho, Cardoso, Friel & Reis 2015 typically regional way of pronouncing the Portuguese word mineirinho, diminutive of mineiro, a person from Minas Gerais, Brazil, referring to region where it is found and to its relatively small size compared with congeners
Bunocephalus verrucosus (Walbaum 1792) Latin for covered with verrucae, or warts, referring to warty tubercles on body
Platystacus Bloch 1794 platýs (Gr. πλατύς), flat, referring to short and flat body; acus (L.), needle, referring to long and compressed tail
Platystacus cotylephorus Bloch 1794 cup-bearing, from cotyle, from kotúlē (Gr. κοτύλη), cup or bowl, and phoreús (Gr. φορεύς), bearer or carrier, referring to cup-like hollows (now called cotylephores) on abdomen (to which developing embryos are attached, a fact not known at the time
Pterobunocephalus Fowler 1943 pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), wing or fin, referring to large anal fin of Bunocephalus (subgenus Pterobunocephalus) albifasciatus (=P. depressus)
Pterobunocephalus depressus (Haseman 1911) Latin for pressed down, referring to its “greatly depressed” body
Pterobunocephalus dolichurus (Delsman 1941) long-tailed, from dolichós (Gr. δολιχός), long, and urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to its “very long” tail relative to others then classified in the short-tailed subfamily Bunocephalinae
Xyliphius Eigenmann 1912 etymology not explained, perhaps from xylódis (Gr. ξυλώδης), woody, possibly referring to cryptic coloration of X. magdalenae, which can be said to resemble a small piece of wood
Xyliphius anachoretes Figueiredo & Britto 2010 anachōrētḗs (Gr. ἀναχωρητής), “one that retired from the world” (i.e., hermit or recluse), referring to the rarity of the two known specimens, each one found alone and far apart
Xyliphius barbatus Alonso de Arámburu & Arámburu 1962 Latin for bearded, referring to 30 dendritic papillae on lower lip
Xyliphius kryptos Taphorn & Lilyestrom 1983 kryptόs (Gr. κρυπτός), hidden, referring to its difficult-to-sample habitat, at the “bottom of turbulent rivers with strong currents, in total darkness” (translation)
Xyliphius lepturus Orcés V. 1962 thin-tailed, from leptós (Gr. λεπτός), fine or thin, and urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to comparatively slender caudal peduncle, its depth about 1/20 of SL
Xyliphius magdalenae Eigenmann 1912 of the Magdalena River basin, Colombia, where it is endemic
Xyliphius melanopterus Orcés V. 1962 black-finned, from mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black, and pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), wing or fin, referring to its predominantly black fins
Xyliphius sofiae Sabaj Pérez, Carvalho & Reis 2017 in honor of the first author’s daughter, Sofia, “for inspiring wisdom in her father”