COMMENTS
v. 21.0 – 27 June 2024 view/download PDF
16 families • 49 genera/subgenera • 299 species/subspecies
Family SYNODONTIDAE Lizardfishes
4 genera • 84 species
Subfamily SYNODONTINAE Lizardfishes
Synodus Scopoli 1777 tautonymous with Esox synodus (see S. synodus for an explanation of this ancient and enigmatic name)
Synodus binotatus Schultz 1953 bi-, two; notatus, marked, referring to two black spots at tip of snout
Synodus bondi Fowler 1939 in honor of ornithologist James Bond (1900-1989), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, who collected type (historical footnote: Bond’s name was appropriated by writer Ian Fleming for his fictional spy, 007 James Bond)
Synodus capricornis Cressey & Randall 1978 –is, genitive singular of: Capricorn, referring to type locality near the Tropic of Capricorn
Synodus dermatogenys Fowler 1912 dermatos, skin; genys, cheek, referring to scaleless lower cheek
Synodus doaki Russell & Cressey 1979 in honor of Wade Doak, “pioneer” New Zealand diver and underwater naturalist, who discovered this species at Poor Knights Islands, off eastern Northland, New Zealand
Synodus evermanni Jordan & Bollman 1890 in honor of ichthyologist Barton Warren Evermann (1853-1932), United States Fish Commission, which sponsored expedition that collected type
Synodus falcatus Waples & Randall 1989 curved or sickle-shaped, referring to curved shape of flap over anterior nares
Synodus fasciapelvicus Randall 2009 fascia, band; pelvicus, of the pelvis, referring to broad cross bands on pelvic fins in fresh specimens, with pigment on membranes as well as rays
Synodus foetens (Linnaeus 1766) odorous, allusion not explained (Linnaeus examined specimens sent from South Carolina, USA, preserved in rum; perhaps they were in a bad state when he received them)
Synodus fuscus Tanaka 1917 dark or dusky, referring to dark pectoral fin, dark margin of tail, and/or nine indistinct blotches on sides
Synodus gibbsi Cressey 1981 in honor of ichthyologist Robert H. Gibbs, Jr. (1929-1988), U.S. National Museum, “good friend and colleague and one of the early workers to show the value of peritoneal spots in identifying postlarval lizardfishes”
Synodus hoshinonis Tanaka 1917 –is, genitive singular of: Isaburo Hoshino (no other information available), who “procured” (translation) type
Synodus houlti McCulloch 1921 in honor of Captain (forename not given) Hoult of the Queensland Government trawler Bar-ea-mul, who secured type
Synodus indicus (Day 1873) Indian, referring to type locality off Madras (new Chennai), India, in the Indian Ocean
Synodus intermedius (Spix & Agassiz 1829) intermediate, allusion not explained, presumably intermediate in characters between Saurus longirostris (species inquirenda) and Saurus truncatus (=Trachinocephalus myops)
Synodus isolatus Randall 2009 isolated, referring to Easter Island, type locality, “the most isolated island of the Indo-Pacific region”
Synodus jaculum Russell & Cressey 1979 Latin for javelin, referring to peculiar behavior of launching itself off the bottom and swimming in midwater for prolonged periods
Synodus kaianus (Günther 1880) –anus, belonging to: Kai Islands, Molucca Islands, Indonesia, type locality
Synodus lacertinus Gilbert 1890 lizard-like, presumably referring to its lizard-like head and mouth (which give lizardfishes their vernacular name)
Synodus lobeli Waples & Randall 1989 in honor of ichthyologist Phillip S. Lobel, Boston University, who discovered this species and suspected it was new
Synodus lucioceps (Ayres 1855) lucius, pike; ceps, head, referring to “the very close resemblance which the head bears in form to that of a small Pike” (Esox)
Synodus macrocephalus Cressey 1981 macro-, long or large; cephalus, allusion not explained, but this species has one of the larger heads (measured in percentage of SL) among Indo-West Pacific lizardfishes covered in Cressey’s monograph
Synodus macrops Tanaka 1917 macro-, long; ops, eye, referring to eye as long as snout
Synodus macrostigmus Frable, Luther & Baldwin 2013 macro-, large; stigmus, mark, referring to its large, black scapular blotch
Synodus marchenae Hildebrand 1946 of Marchena Island, Galápagos, type locality
Synodus mascarensis Prokofiev 2008 –ensis, Mascarene Ridge, Western Indian Ocean, type locality
Synodus mundyi Randall 2009 in honor of fishery biologist Bruce C. Mundy (National Marine Fisheries Service, Honolulu Laboratory), for his extensive systematic research on the Hawaiian fish fauna
Synodus nigrotaeniatus Allen, Erdmann & Peristiwady 2017 niger, black; taeniatus, banded, referring to black midlateral stripe
Synodus oculeus Cressey 1981 full of eyes, referring to its relatively large eyes
Synodus orientalis Randall & Pyle 2008 eastern, referring to its occurrence in Taiwan and Japan
Synodus pacificus Ho, Chen & Shao 2016 –icus, belonging to: the western Pacific Ocean, collected off northern and southwestern Taiwan, the Philippines and New Caledonia
Synodus poeyi Jordan 1887 in honor of Cuban zoologist Felipe Poey (1799-1891), who discovered this lizardfish but reported it as S. intermedius in 1875
Synodus pylei Randall 2009 in honor of ichthyologist Richard L. Pyle (b. 1967), Bishop Museum (Honolulu), who collected type specimens and provided a color photograph of the holotype
Synodus randalli Cressey 1981 in honor of ichthyologist John E. Randall (1924-2020), Bishop Museum (Honolulu), who collected type and enthusiastically supported Cressey’s revision of the genus
Synodus rubromarmoratus Russell & Cressey 1979 ruber, red; marmoratus, marbled, referring to its red-marbled coloration in life
Synodus sageneus Waite 1905 net-like, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to scales “broadly margined with reddish brown,” which can be said to form a net-like pattern
Synodus sanguineus Randall 2009 blood red, referring to its predominantly deep-red color
Synodus saurus (Linnaeus 1758) lizard, presumably referring to its lizard-like head and mouth (which give lizardfishes their vernacular name)
Synodus scituliceps Jordan & Gilbert 1882 scitulus, slender; ceps, head, referring to its “very short and slender” head
Synodus sechurae Hildebrand 1946 of Sechura Bay, Peru, type locality
Synodus similis McCulloch 1921 like or resembling, described as “apparently very similar” to S. indicus
Synodus synodus (Linnaeus 1758) a name for an unknown fish dating to Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis historia (77-79 AD), presumably a combination syn, together, and odous, tooth, possibly referring to how the teeth meet evenly, those of one jaw interlocking with those of the other; the name was first applied to lizardfishes by Gronow in 1756, who later (1763) described the teeth of S. synodus as “crowded together in the jaws, palate, tongue and throat” (translation, emphasis added)
Synodus taiwanensis Chen, Ho & Shao 2007 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Taiwan, type locality
Synodus tectus Cressey 1981 disguised, referring to external similarity to S. hoshinonis
Synodus ulae Schultz 1953 Hawaiian common name for this species, meaning red, presumably referring to red-color phase in life
Synodus usitatus Cressey 1981 ordinary, referring to its lack of any outstanding markings
Synodus variegatus (Lacepède 1803) variable, referring to its “very varied” (translation) coloration: “Shades of light brown on the back are highlighted by red spots, and match well the red, yellow, and black of two longitudinal stripes symmetrically found on each side of the [fish], and also match the black and red colors of the fins” (translation)
Synodus vityazi Ho, Prokofiev & Shao 2010 in honor of the Russian research vessel Vityaz II, for its “great contribution to deep-sea fish research” and for collecting type
Trachinocephalus Gill 1861 etymology not explained, probably referring to its Trachinus-like cephalus, head, Trachinus being the genus of weever-fishes (Perciformes: Trachinidae), an explanation corroborated by Gill’s 1862 comment that Synodus brevirostris (=T. myops) has an “abbreviated trachinoid muzzle” (emphasis added)
Trachinocephalus atrisignis Prokofiev 2019 ater, black; signum, mark, referring to black spot at tip of dorsal fin
Trachinocephalus gauguini Polanco Fernandez, Acero P. & Betancur-R. 2016 in honor of the French painter Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), who died in the Marquesas Islands (type locality) on 8 May 1903
Trachinocephalus myops (Forster 1801) short-sighted or blinking, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its anterior eyes, placed near tip of snout
Trachinocephalus trachinus (Temminck & Schlegel 1846) named for its resemblance to the weever-fishes, Trachinus (Perciformes: Trachinidae)
Subfamily HARPADONTINAE Bombay Ducks
Harpadon Lesueur 1825 harpe, sickle or hook; odon, tooth, presumably referring to “long, hooked” teeth of Salmo microps (=H. nehereus), “armed with one or two barbs at their extremities”
Harpadon erythraeus Klausewitz 1983 –eus, having the quality of: erythros, red, referring to the Red Sea, where it is endemic
Harpadon microchir Günther 1878 micro-, small; cheiros, hand, referring to “very short” pectoral fin compared to H. nehereus
Harpadon mortenseni Hardenberg 1933 in honor of echinoderm biologist Ole Theodor J. Mortensen (1868-1952), University of Copenhagen, who collected type
Harpadon nehereus (Hamilton 1822) latinization of Nehare, its local name at the mouth of the Ganges River in India
Harpadon nudus Ganga, Thomas & Sukumaran 2016 bare or naked, referring to absence of scales on body
Harpadon squamosus Alcock 1891 scaly, referring to deciduous cycloid scales covering body, posterior part of head, and cheeks, becoming less deciduous on posterior half of tail
Harpadon translucens Saville-Kent 1889 translucent, described as “remarkably transparent” in life
Saurida Valenciennes 1850 diminutive of Saurus (now a junior synonym of Synodus), referring to its similarity to that genus
Saurida argentea Macleay 1881 silvery, referring to silvery center on most of the scales
Saurida brasiliensis Norman 1935 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cape Frio, Brazil, type locality
Saurida caribbaea Breder 1927 named for the Caribbean Sea, presumably referring to its type locality, north of Glovers Reef, Belize
Saurida elongata (Temminck & Schlegel 1846) elongate, referring to its much more slender body compared to Aulopus filamentosus (Aulopidae), its presumed congener at the time
Saurida filamentosa Ogilby 1910 filamentous, referring to “more or less filamentous” third and fourth dorsal-fin rays, and produced second dorsal-fin ray, which reaches (when depressed) to or beyond base of adipose fin in male, and midway between adipose fin and tip of third dorsal-fin ray in females
Saurida flamma Waples 1982 fire, referring to the “striking” reddish-orange coloration on mouth and body
Saurida fortis Furuhashi, Russell & Motomura 2022 Latin for strong, referring to its “robust” size
Saurida golanii Russell 2011 in honor of Daniel Golani, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, for his “very significant” contribution to Red Sea ichthyology
Saurida gracilis (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) slender, referring to its slender body (“corpore gracili”) compared to the conical body (“corpore conico”) of Synodus variegatus, its presumed congener at the time
Saurida grandisquamis Günther 1864 grandis, large; squamis, scale, possibly referring to larger lateral-line scales compared to S. undosquamis
Saurida isarankurai Shindo & Yamada 1972 in honor of fisheries biologist Andhi Isarankura (1935-2006), Marine Fisheries Laboratory (Bangkok); he worked to establish sustainable fisheries in the Asia and Pacific Islands
Saurida lessepsianus Russell, Golani & Tikochinski 2015 Lessepsian, referring to its distribution in both the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean Sea, having migrated from the former to the latter via the Suez Canal, a phenomenon known as “Lessepsian migration” (after the French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, who supervised the construction of the canal)
Saurida longimanus Norman 1939 longus, long; manus, hand, referring to longer pectoral fin compared to S. undosquamis
Saurida macrolepis Tanaka 1917 macro-, large; lepis, scale, referring to larger scales compared to the similar S. argyrophanes (=tumbil)
Saurida microlepis Wu & Wang 1931 micro-, small; lepis, scale, referring to smaller, more numerous lateral-line scales compared to Chinese, Japanese and Indo-Australian congeners known at the time
Saurida micropectoralis Shindo & Yamada 1972 micro-, small; pectoralis, pectoral, referring to its “very short” pectoral fin, the shortest of all Indo-Pacific congeners known at the time
Saurida nebulosa Valenciennes 1850 cloudy or dark, presumably referring to blackish spots or blotches on back and sides
Saurida normani Longley 1935 in honor of J. R. (John Roxborough) Norman (1898-1944), British Museum (Natural History), for his contributions to ichthyology in general and to the knowledge of Synodontidae in particular
Saurida pseudotumbil Dutt & Sagar 1981 pseudo-, false, referring to its previous misidentification as and close relationship to S. tumbil
Saurida suspicio Breder 1927 suspicious, referring to its “curious upward glancing eyes”
Saurida tumbil (Bloch 1795) based on Tombili, its Tamil name in India, which Bloch decided to use since it is “easy to express in several European languages” (translation)
Saurida tweddlei Russell 2015 in honor of Denis Tweddle (b. 1949), Honorary Research Associate at South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, who collected this species during an exploratory fishing survey of the Mascarene Plateau by the research vessel Dr Fridtjof Nansen and brought it to Russell’s attention
Saurida umeyoshii Inoue & Nakabo 2006 in honor of Umeyoshi Yamada, formerly of the Fisheries Agency of Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute, who first recognized this species as new
Saurida undosquamis (Richardson 1848) undo-, presumably a variant or misspelling of undu-, undulate; squamis, scale, possibly referring to its lateral-line scales, “irregularly semicircular or semioval, the chord or base being divided by three furrows into four lobes, and the free margins, with the adjoining parts of the disk, being undulated”
Saurida wanieso Shindo & Yamada 1972 Japanese name for this species
Family AULOPIDAE Flagfins
4 genera • 16 species
Aulopus Cloquet 1816 according to Cloquet (who published Cuvier’s manuscript name), a Greek word for an unknown fish; perhaps derived from aulos, pipe or flute, referring to slender, cylindrical body of A. filamentosus
Aulopus bajacali Parin & Kotlyar 1984 of Baja Cali, short for Baja California Sur, México, referring to type locality off Alijos Rocks
Aulopus cadenati Poll 1953 patronym not identified but probably in honor of ichthyologist Jean Cadenat (1908-1992), Director, Marine Biological Section of the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (Gorée, Senegal)
Aulopus chirichignoae Béarez, Zavalaga & Miranda 2024 in honor of Peruvian ichthyologist Norma Chirichigno Fonseca (b. 1929), for her research on Peruvian marine fishes and the first to mention an Aulopus species in Peru
Aulopus filamentosus (Bloch 1792) with filaments, referring to extended first two rays of dorsal fin in males
Hime Starks 1924 Japanese name for H. japonica, which, according to Starks, means “Ladyfish”
Hime capitonis Gomon & Struthers 2015 one with a large head, referring to large head relative to congeners
Hime caudizoma Gomon & Struthers 2015 cauda, tail; zoma, that which is girded, referring to numerous red bands on each lobe of tail in both sexes
Hime curtirostris (Thomson 1967) curtus, short; rostris, snout, referring to short snout, shorter than eye
Hime diactithrix (Prokofiev 2008) di-, two; actis, ray; thrix, filament, referring to highly elongated second ray of dorsal fin in males
Hime formosanus (Lee & Chao 1994) –anus, belonging to: Formosa (Taiwan), type locality (but occurs throughout western Pacific)
Hime japonica (Günther 1877) Japanese, referring to type locality, a market in Yokohama, Japan
Hime microps Parin & Kotlyar 1989 micro-, small; ops, eye, referring to its “comparatively small” eyes, smaller than those of the related H. japonicus and H. curtirostris
Hime pyrhistion Gomon, Struthers & Stewart 2013 pyro-, fire; histion, sail, referring to red-and-yellow patterned dorsal fin
Hime surrubea Gomon & Struthers 2015 reddish, referring to its reddish hue
Latropiscis Whitley 1931 etymology not explained, perhaps latro, hireling, robber or brigand, and piscis, fish, or perhaps la-, very, tropis, keel and piscis, fish; in either case, allusion not evident
Latropiscis purpurissatus (Richardson 1843) clothed in purple, referring to several series of purple spots on dorsal and anal fins
Leptaulopus Gomon, Struthers & Stewart 2013 leptos, slender, Aulopus, type genus of family, referring to the slender form of its species
Leptaulopus damasi (Tanaka 1915) presumably derived from its Japanese name, Eso-damashi
Leptaulopus erythrozonatus Gomon, Struthers & Stewart 2013 erythros, red; zonatus, banded, referring to distinctive red bands on dorsal and caudal fins
Family PSEUDOTRICHONOTIDAE Sand-diving Lizardfishes
Pseudotrichonotus Yoshino & Araga 1975 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may superficially resemble Trichonotus (Gobiiformes: Trichonotidae), such an appearance is false
Pseudotrichonotus altivelis Yoshino & Araga 1975 altus, high; velum, sail, referring to shape of dorsal fin, the first four rays much higher than the following rays
Pseudotrichonotus belos Gill & Pogonoski 2016 Greek for arrow or dart, referring to its dart-like appearance
Pseudotrichonotus caeruleoflavus Allen, Erdmann, Suharti & Sianipar 2017 caeruleus, blue; flavus, yellow, referring to blue-margined, yellow mid-lateral stripe
Pseudotrichonotus xanthotaenia Parin 1992 xanthos, yellow; taenia, band, referring to yellow band running along entire body from snout, through eyes and along lateral line
Family PARAULOPIDAE Cucumberfishes
1 genus • 14 species
Paraulopus Sato & Nakabo 2001 para-, near, referring to its relationship with Aulopus
Paraulopus atripes Sato & Nakabo 2003 atri-, black; pes, foot, referring to uniformly black pelvic fin in males
Paraulopus balteatus Gomon 2010 belted or banded, referring to distinctive broad brown bands on sides
Paraulopus brevirostris (Fourmanoir 1981) brevis, short; rostris, snout, referring to its blunt snout
Paraulopus filamentosus (Okamura 1982) with filaments, referring to its greatly prolonged dorsal-fin rays
Paraulopus japonicus (Kamohara 1956) Japanese, referring to type locality off Okitsu, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
Paraulopus legandi (Fourmanoir & Rivaton 1979) in honor of Michel Legand, director, ORSTOM (Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique d’Outre-Mer), who studied for many years the meso-bathypelagic and deep-benthic fishes of New Caledonia
Paraulopus longianalis Sato, Gomon & Nakabo 2010 longus, long; analis, anal, referring to enlarged anal fin in males
Paraulopus maculatus (Kotthaus 1967) spotted, referring to black spot behind isthmus
Paraulopus melanogrammus Gomon & Sato 2004 melanos, black; gramme, line, referring to distinctive black leading edge of dorsal fin
Paraulopus melanostomus Sato, Gomon & Nakabo 2010 melanos, black; stomus, mouth, referring to its black buccal cavity
Paraulopus nigripinnis (Günther 1878 )niger, black; pinnis, fin, referring to top of dorsal fin and extremity of each caudal lobe a deep black
Paraulopus novaeseelandiae Sato & Nakabo 2002 of New Zealand, where almost all of the type material was collected
Paraulopus oblongus (Kamohara 1953) oblong, presumably referring its “elongate, subcylindrical” body
Paraulopus okamurai Sato & Nakabo 2002 in honor of Osamu Okamura (Kochi University), who described P. filamentosus in 1982 and was the first to recognize this species as unique
Family IPNOPIDAE Deepsea Tripod Fishes
8 genera/subgenera • 34 species/subspecies
Subfamily IPNOPINAE
Bathymicrops Hjort & Koefoed 1912 bathys, deep, presumably referring to habitat of B. regis, collected at 5000 m; micro-, small and ops, eye, probably referring to its “vestigeal” [sic] and “inconsiderable” eyes (per Koefoed 1927)
Bathymicrops belyaninae Nielsen & Merrett 1992 in honor of Dr. Tania Belyanina, colleague and former shipmate, for kindly providing her illustrations of larval Bathymicrops
Bathymicrops brevianalis Nielsen 1966 brevis, short; analis, anal, referring to 9-10 anal-fin rays, compared to 12-15 on B. regis
Bathymicrops multispinis Nielsen & Merrett 1992 multi-, many; spinus, spine, referring to more numerous gill rakers compared to congeners
Bathymicrops regis Hjort & Koefoed 1912 genitive of rex, king, allusion not explained nor evident
Bathypterois Günther 1878 bathys, deep, referring to their deep-sea habitat; pteron, fin, perhaps specifically referring to Pterois (Scorpaenidae), the lionfishes, another genus with long pectoral filaments, i.e., a deep-sea Pterois
Subgenus Bathypterois
Bathypterois atricolor Alcock 1896 ater, black, referring to uniform black coloration (except for pectoral-fin filaments)
Bathypterois dubius Vaillant 1888 doubtful, reflecting Vaillant’s provisional belief that this species is distinct from B. longipes
Bathypterois longifilis Günther 1878 longus, long; filum, thread, referring to uppermost pectoral-fin ray, longer than the fish itself
Bathypterois mediterraneus mediterraneus Bauchot 1962 referring to the Mediterranean Sea, where it is endemic
Bathypterois mediterraneus algeriensis Bauchot 1962 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Chenoua Point, Algeria, type locality
Bathypterois parini Shcherbachev & Sulak 1988 in honor of ichthyologist Nikolai Vasil’evich Parin (1932-2012), Russian Academy of Sciences
Bathypterois pectinatus Mead 1959 raked or combed, referring to “strongly pectinate” scales beneath proximal part of pectoral fin
Bathypterois perceptor Sulak 1977 one who perceives, referring to sensory function of “elaborate” pectoral fins of the genus, which are “undoubtedly employed as sensory devices to detect the presence of its planktonic prey”
Bathypterois phenax Parr 1928 imposter or cheat, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its proposal as a “possible” subspecies of B. atricolor, in which differences between the forms could be regarded as “individual variations only”
Bathypterois quadrifilis Günther 1878 quadri-, four; filum, thread, presumably referring to prolonged or filiform rays, one each on pelvic and caudal fins and two on pectoral fin
Bathypterois ventralis Garman 1899 presumably referring to how individuals “vary much in the length of the ventrals; on some they reach but little if any behind the anal, on others considerably behind the base of the caudal”
Subgenus Bathycygnus Sulak 1977 bathys, deep, referring to their deep-sea habitat; cygnus, swan, referring to manner in which some tripodfishes hold their sensory pectoral fins (erect, spread, curved and aimed forward toward the head), similar to wing posture of a displaying male swan (Ken Sulak, pers. comm.)
Bathypterois andriashevi Sulak & Shcherbachev 1988 in honor of Soviet ichthyologist Anatoly Petrovich Andriashev (1910-2009), for his “significant” contributions to the knowledge of marine fishes, including deep-sea species
Bathypterois bigelowi Mead 1958 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of marine biologist Henry B. Bigelow (1879-1967), Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Bathypterois filiferus Gilchrist 1906 filum, thread; fero, to bear, referring to long upper ray of pectoral fin, nearly twice length of the body
Bathypterois insularum Alcock 1892 of an island, referring to Laccadive Sea near the Laccadive Islands, Indian Ocean, type locality
Bathypterois longicauda Günther 1878 longus, long; cauda, tail, referring to “prolonged” lobes of “deeply forked” caudal fin
Bathypterois longipes Günther 1878 longus, long; pes, foot, referring to “much prolonged” outer ventral-fin ray
Bathypterois oddi Sulak 1977 in honor of the legendary Icelandic hero of Bandamanna Saga, Odd, symbol of good fortune and of the Scandinavian seafaring spirit; Sulak selected this name for two reasons: 1) since many taxa are named after Greek and Roman gods and classical heroes, he thought it was time for an Icelandic tradition to receive some recognition, and 2) he liked the play on words because tripodfishes are indeed rather “odd” fishes (Ken Sulak, pers. comm.)
Subgenus Benthosaurus Goode & Bean 1886 benthos, of the deep; saurus, lizard, i.e., a deep-sea lizardfish, then a member of the family Synodontidae
Bathypterois grallator (Goode & Bean 1886) one who walks on stilts, referring to how it appears to stand on the sea floor using its pelvic fins and elongated rays in the tail (the “tripod” of the family’s vernacular name)
Bathypterois guentheri Alcock 1889 in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830-1914), “to whose monumental works all students of ichthyology must ever remain grateful debtors”
Bathypterois viridensis (Roule 1916) –ensis, suffix denoting place: referring to type locality, southwest of Isla de Sal, Cape Verde Islands
Bathytyphlops Nybelin 1957 bathy, deep, referring to deep-sea habitat of B. sewelli (collected at 3840-3872 m); typhlos, blind and ops, eye, referring to its lack of eyes
Bathytyphlops marionae Mead 1958 in honor of Marion Grey (1911-1964), Chicago Natural History Museum, for her contributions to the ichthyology of the deep sea
Bathytyphlops sewelli (Norman 1939) in honor of Lieut.-Col. R. B. Seymour Sewell (1880-1964), British military physician and amateur naturalist (and later Director, Zoological Survey of India), leader of the John Murray Expedition to the Indian Ocean, which collected type
Discoverichthys Merrett & Nielsen 1987 Discovery, Royal Research Ship from which type was caught; ichthys, fish
Discoverichthys praecox Merrett & Nielsen 1987 premature, referring to progenetic features evident in the sexually mature holotype
Ipnops Günther 1878 ipnos, lantern; ops, eye, referring to their extremely modified eyes, described as flat, cornea-like organs that cover most of upper surface of head
Ipnops agassizii Garman 1899 in honor of Alexander Agassiz (1835-1910), Curator, Museum of Comparative Zoology (Harvard), and supervisor of the dredging and trawling expedition that collected type
Ipnops meadi Nielsen 1966 in honor of Giles W. Mead (1928-2003), Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, who described several ipnopids in the 1950s
Ipnops murrayi Günther 1878 in honor of John Murray (1841-1914, later the founder of modern oceanography), of the HMS Challenger, which secured type
Ipnops pristibrachium (Fowler 1943) pristis, saw; brachium, arm, referring to its “dentated or irregularly serrated” upper edge of pectoral-fin ray
Subfamily BATHYSAUROPSINAE
Bathysauropsis Regan 1911 –opsis, appearance, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to superficial resemblance of B. gracilis with Bathysaurus (Bathysauridae)
Bathysauropsis gracilis (Günther 1878) slender, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to thinner body compared to Paraulopus nigripinnis (Paraulopidae), its presumed congener at the time
Bathysauropsis malayanus (Fowler 1938) –anus, belonging to: Malaya, presumably referring to type locality (Gulf of Boni, Sulawesi, Indonesia) and general area where it occurs
Family GIGANTURIDAE Telescopefishes
Gigantura Brauer 1901 giganteus, giant; ouros, tail, referring to greatly elongated, ribbon-like lower half of caudal fin, comprising half or more of body length
Gigantura chuni Brauer 1901 in honor of German marine biologist Carl Chun (1852-1914), who led the deep-sea Valdivia expedition that collected type
Gigantura indica Brauer 1901 Indian, referring to the Indian Ocean, type locality (but circumglobal in tropical and subtropical seas)
Family BATHYSAUROIDIDAE Largescale Deepsea Lizardfish
Bathysauroides Baldwin & Johnson 1996 bathys, deep, referring to deep-sea habitat; –oides, having the form of: saurus, lizard, referring to superficial resemblance to lizardfishes
Bathysauroides gigas (Kamohara 1952) large, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “very large” eye, “large teeth on tongue,” “large” ventral fin, and/or its larger size (285 mm) compared to Bathysauropsis malayanus (Ipnopidae, 244 mm), its presumed congener at the time
Family BATHYSAURIDAE Deepsea Lizardfishes
Bathysaurus Günther 1878 bathys, deep, referring to deep-sea habitat of both species (up to 2385 fathoms in B. mollis); saurus, lizard, but here likely referring to its similar body shape to Saurus (=Saurida)
Bathysaurus ferox Günther 1878 fierce, probably referring to its enormous mouth, filled with multiple series of long, needle-like teeth
Bathysaurus mollis Günther 1878 soft, probably referring to adipose fin, which B. ferox lacks
Family CHLOROPHTHALMIDAE Greeneyes
2 genera • 22 species
Chlorophthalmus Bonaparte 1840 chloros, green; ophthalmus, eye, referring to green eyes of C. agassizi
Chlorophthalmus acutifrons Hiyama 1940 acutus, sharp or pointed; frons, face, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to more pointed head compared to the similar C. albatrossis
Chlorophthalmus agassizi Bonaparte 1840 in honor of zoologist-geologist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), “whose antediluvian research will yield his a more lasting name for centuries” (translation)
Chlorophthalmus albatrossis Jordan & Starks 1904 –is, genitive singular of: U.S. Fish Commission steamer Albatross, which dredged type off coast of Japan
Chlorophthalmus atlanticus Poll 1953 –icus, belonging to: referring to distribution in the tropical Atlantic (now known to be cosmopolitan)
Chlorophthalmus borealis Kuronuma & Yamaguchi 1941 northern, referring to its northernly distribution compared to two congeners in Japanese waters, C. albatrossis and C. acutifrons
Chlorophthalmus brasiliensis Mead 1958 –ensis, suffix denoting place: off northern Brazil at 200 fathoms, type locality
Chlorophthalmus chalybeius (Goode 1881) steel-colored, described as “grayish mottled with brown, scales metallic silvery”
Chlorophthalmus corniger Alcock 1894 cornis, horn; -iger, to bear, referring to “pair of strong flat spines on either side of the salient mandibular symphysis”
Chlorophthalmus ichthyandri Kotlyar & Parin 1986 in honor of the fishery research vessel Ichthyandr (also spelled Ikhtiandr), which collected the first specimens
Chlorophthalmus imperator Fujiwara, Wada & Motomura 2019 emperor, referring to Emperor Seamount Chain, central North Pacific, type locality
Chlorophthalmus mascarensis Kobyliansky 2013 –ensis, suffix denoting place: submarine rises of the Mascarene Ridge, Western Indian Ocean, type locality
Chlorophthalmus mento Garman 1899 mentum, chin, referring to how produced chin forms an angle at its extremity
Chlorophthalmus nigromarginatus Kamohara 1953 nigro-, black; marginatus, margined, referring to dorsal and caudal fins edged with black
Chlorophthalmus pectoralis Okamura & Doi 1984 named for its long pectoral fins, nearly equal to length of head
Chlorophthalmus productus Günther 1887 produced, referring to longer snout compared to C. agassizi
Chlorophthalmus proridens Gilbert & Cramer 1897 prora, prow; dens, tooth, presumably referring to anterior series of symphyseal teeth, “directed horizontally forward”
Chlorophthalmus punctatus Gilchrist 1904 spotted, referring to minute black spots that cover head, body and fins, and cause the scale rows “to stand out very markedly”
Chlorophthalmus vityazi Kobyliansky 2013 in honor of the research vessel Vityaz (also spelled Vitiaz), from which type was collected
Chlorophthalmus vulcanus Fricke & Durville 2020 –anus, belonging to: Vulcan, Roman God of Fire (including the fire of volcanos), referring to type locality on slope of La Réunion volcano
Chlorophthalmus zvezdae Kotlyar & Parin 1986 in honor of the fishing trawler Zvezda (meaning “star”), from which type was collected
Parasudis Regan 1911 para-, near, presumably referring to close relationship to and/or similarity with Sudis (Sudidae), which were placed in the same family at the time
Parasudis fraserbrunneri (Poll 1953) in honor of ichthyologist Alec Fraser-Brunner (1906-1986), British Museum (Natural History), who compared this species to P. truculenta and determined they are distinct
Parasudis truculenta (Goode & Bean 1896) truculent, allusion not explained nor evident
Family NOTOSUDIDAE Paperbones or Waryfishes
3 genera • 17 species
named for the genus Notosudis Waite 1916, a junior synonym of Scopelosaurus, but its use as a family name is retained due to prevailing usage: notos, south, referring to subantarctic type locality (Macquarie Island) of S. hamiltoni; sudis, pike or spear, ancient name for the barracuda (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae) and common suffix for several aulopiform fishes (referring to their barracuda-like shape), but in this case probably referring to original placement of Notosudis in Sudidae
Ahliesaurus Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 Ahl, in honor of ichthyologist Elbert H. Ahlstrom (1910-1979), Southwest Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service; saurus, lizard, a common suffix for aulopiform fishes
Ahliesaurus berryi Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of marine biologist Frederick H. Berry (1927-2001), U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, whose 1964 work on upper-jaw development in teleosts is cited by the authors
Ahliesaurus brevis Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 short, referring to its shorter length compared to A. berryi
Luciosudis Fraser-Brunner 1931 lucius, pike, presumably referring to long pike-like snout; sudis, presumed to be closely related to Sudis (Sudidae) at the time
Luciosudis normani Fraser-Brunner 1931 in honor of ichthyologist J. R. (John Roxborough) Norman (1898-1944), British Museum (Natural History), for his “many kindnesses” towards Fraser-Brunner
Scopelosaurus Bleeker 1860 a combination of Scopelus (=Myctophum, Myctophiformes) and Saurus (=Synodus, Synodontidae), having the dentition of the former and the shape of the latter
Scopelosaurus adleri (Fedorov 1967) in honor of the Adler, fishery research trawler that collected type
Scopelosaurus ahlstromi Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of ichthyologist Elbert H. Ahlstrom (1910-1979), Southwest Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, whose 1972 work on fish larvae of the eastern tropical Pacific is cited by the authors
Scopelosaurus argenteus (Maul 1954) silvery, referring to “very bright silvery” body of paratype; however, according to Bertelsen et al. (1976), Maul’s paratype actually represents S. smithii, while holotype of S. argenteus did not show any trace of silvery coloration (and is now completely bleached)
Scopelosaurus craddocki Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of oceanographer James E. Craddock (1937-2009), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, whose 1970 work on midwater fishes of the South Pacific is cited by the authors
Scopelosaurus gibbsi Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of ichthyologist Robert H. Gibbs, Jr. (1929-1988), U.S. National Museum
Scopelosaurus hamiltoni (Waite 1916) in honor of Harold Hamilton (1885-1937), zoologist for the Macquarie Island expedition during which type (a mutilated specimen, presumably partially digested and ejected by a seal, found on the beach) was collected; he was the son of Waite’s “old friend,” the late Augustus Hamilton, Director of the Dominion Museum (Wellington, New Zealand), and by a lengthened stay on the island carried into effect his father’s wish to study there after a “disastrous” and abbreviated trip in 1894
Scopelosaurus harryi (Mead 1953) in honor of Robert R. Harry (1928-2015), later known as Robert R. Rofen), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for his work on the fishes of the order Iniomi (an obsolete name that historically encompassed Aulopiformes and Myctophiformes)
Scopelosaurus herwigi Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but probably in honor of the Walther Herwig, German research vessel that collected type (ship is named for a Prussian lawyer and pioneer of German fisheries science who lived 1838-1912)
Scopelosaurus hoedti Bleeker 1860 in honor of Dirk Samuel Hoedt (1815-1893), Secretary of the Government of the Moluccans, who provided type and to whom “ichthyology owes the knowledge of many of the rarest fishes of the Moluccan archipelago” (translation)
Scopelosaurus hubbsi Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but probably in honor of ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894-1979)
Scopelosaurus lepidus (Krefft & Maul 1955) pleasant, elegant or fine, referring to its extremely slender shape
Scopelosaurus mauli Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of ichthyologist-taxidermist Günther Edmund Maul (1909-1997), Museu Municipal do Funchal (Portugal)
Scopelosaurus meadi Bertelsen, Krefft & Marshall 1976 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of ichthyologist Giles W. Mead (1928-2003), whose 1953 work on oceanic fishes from off northeastern Japan is cited by the authors, and who described S. argenteus in 1954
Scopelosaurus smithii Bean 1925 in honor of ichthyologist Hugh M. Smith (1865-1941), who procured type while returning to the USA from Argentina via steamer; he was handed a “Rare Fish” that had been brought on board by a large suction hose
Family SCOPELARCHIDAE Pearleyes
5 genera • 18 species
Benthalbella Zugmayer 1911 etymology not explained, presumably benthos, of the deep, referring to deep-sea habitat of larvae (usually 300-600 m), and albella, a diminutive of albus, white, perhaps referring to yellowish-white color in alcohol of B. infans
Benthalbella dentata (Chapman 1939) toothed, the bones of the mouth bearing a “surprising array of teeth”
Benthalbella elongata (Norman 1937) elongate, referring to its longer body compared to Scopelarchus guentheri, its presumed congener at the time
Benthalbella infans Zugmayer 1911 immature, described from a very young or larval specimen
Benthalbella linguidens (Mead & Böhlke 1953) lingua, tongue; dens, tooth, referring to 6-8 “distinctive” teeth on tongue, with sharp tips “hooked strongly” backwards
Lagiacrusichthys Davis 2015 Lagiacrus, name of a wyvern, a dragon-like creature from mythology known for its fierceness and inhabiting the deep; ichthys, fish
Lagiacrusichthys macropinna (Bussing & Bussing 1966) macro-, long or large; pinna, fin, presumably referring to higher anal-fin ray count compared to congeners in Benthalbella (genus at time of description)
Rosenblattichthys Johnson 1974 named for Richard H. Rosenblatt (1930-2014), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, for his numerous contributions to both ichthyology and ichthyologists; ichthys, fish
Rosenblattichthys alatus (Fourmanoir 1970) winged, referring to its very long pectoral and ventral fins
Rosenblattichthys hubbsi Johnson 1974 in honor of ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894-1979), for his numerous contributions to the science
Rosenblattichthys nemotoi Okiyama & Johnson 1986 in honor of Takahisa Nemoto (1930-1990), Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, for great contributions to Antarctic biology, including direction of the cruise during which type was collected
Rosenblattichthys volucris (Rofen 1966) swift (the bird), allusion not explained, perhaps referring to long (and therefore wing-like) pectoral fins, extending almost to or beyond anus [author previously known as Harry]
Scopelarchoides Parr 1929 –oides, having the form of: “obviously very recently derived or at least only little differentiated” from Scopelarchus
Scopelarchoides climax Johnson 1974 named for the Climax Expeditions to the central Pacific Ocean (during which type was collected), and for John McGowan, their leader, and for the participating scientists and crews
Scopelarchoides danae Johnson 1974 in honor of the Danish fishery research vessel Dana (which collected some of the paratypes), “used during the major expeditions of the Carlsberg Foundation, her scientific parties and crews, and the continuing work of the Carlsberg Foundation that has so greatly enhanced our knowledge of the deepsea fauna”
Scopelarchoides kreffti Johnson 1972 in honor of Gerhard Krefft (1912-1993), Institute für Seefischerei (Hamburg), whose efforts upon the research vessel Walther Herwig have contributed greatly to our knowledge of the midwater fauna of the Atlantic Ocean
Scopelarchoides nicholsi Parr 1929 in honor of John Treadwell Nichols (1883-1958), curator of fishes at the American Museum of Natural History
Scopelarchoides signifer Johnson 1974 signum, mark; fero, to bear, referring to distinctive flag-like pattern of pigment on dorsal lobe of caudal fin
Scopelarchus Alcock 1896 Scopelus (=Myctophum), a genus of lanternfishes (Myctophiformes), referring to casual resemblance between them and S. guentheri; archos, anal, referring to long anal fin, “occupying the greater part of the tail”
Scopelarchus analis (Brauer 1902) referring to long anal fin, ⅓ length of body, nearly reaching tail
Scopelarchus guentheri Alcock 1896 patronym not identified but clearly in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830-1914)
Scopelarchus michaelsarsi Koefoed 1955 in honor of the Michael Sars, Norwegian research vessel from which type was collected (named after Norwegian theologian and biologist Michael Sars [1805-1869])
Scopelarchus stephensi Johnson 1974 in honor of environmental biologist John S. Stephens, Jr. (b. 1932), for his numerous contributions to the biology of fishes and to the education of scientists
Family EVERMANNELLIDAE Sabertooth Fishes
3 genera • 8 species
Coccorella Roule 1929 –ella, diminutive connoting endearment: named for Italian naturalist-pharmacist Anastasio Cocco (1799-1854), who proposed the genus Odontostomus (preoccupied in Mollusca, replaced by Evermannella) in 1838
Coccorella atlantica (Parr 1928) –ica, belonging to: the Atlantic, described as an Atlantic subspecies of the Pacific C. atrata (but now known to occur in subtropical and temperate seas worldwide)
Coccorella atrata (Alcock 1894) dressed in black, referring to its “jet black” color in spirits
Evermannella Fowler 1901 –ella, diminutive connoting endearment: in honor of “distinguished” ichthyologist Barton Warren Evermann (1853-1932), United States Fish Commission, and joint author of the “monumental” four-volume Fishes of North and Middle America (1896-1990) [replacement name for Odontostomus Cocco 1838, preoccupied in Mollusca]
Evermannella ahlstromi Johnson & Glodek 1975 in honor of ichthyologist Elbert H. Ahlstrom (1910-1979), Southwest Fisheries Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, for many contributions to the study of pelagic fishes and pelagic fish larvae, particularly from the eastern Pacific area
Evermannella balbo (Risso 1820) etymology not explained but, based on numerous mentions of the man in the same volume, almost certainly named in honor of Prospero Balbo (1762-1837), Italian intellectual, politician and president of the Turin Academy of Sciences
Evermannella indica Brauer 1906 Indian, referring to its occurrence in the Indian Ocean, North of Cocos Islands, Seychelles, type locality (but likely occurs throughout Indo-West Pacific)
Evermannella megalops Johnson & Glodek 1975 mega-, large; ops, eye, referring to its extremely large tubular eyes, unique among known evermannellids
Evermannella melanoderma Parr 1928 melanos, black; derma, skin, proposed as a dark-skinned subspecies of the light-skinned E. indica
Odontostomops Fowler 1934 Odontostomus (odonto, tooth; stomus, mouth, referring to enlarged teeth at front of mouth), original name of Evermannella (see above); ops, eye, referring to “normal” eye of O. normalops compared to elliptical and semi-telescopic eyes of presumed congeners in Evermannella
Odontostomops normalops (Parr 1928) normalis, according to rule; ops, eye, referring to having “perfectly normal, lateral eyes” compared to elliptical and semi-telescopic eyes of other species in Evermannella, its presumed genus at the time
Family SUDIDAE
Sudis Rafinesque 1810 pike or spear, ancient name for the barracuda (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae), presumably referring to barracuda-like body of S. hyalina
Sudis atrox Rofen 1963 cruel, harsh or horrible, referring to its “formidable appearance” [author previously known as Harry]
Sudis hyalina Rafinesque 1810 glassy or transparent, described as “Hyaline with various hues” (translation)
Family PARALEPIDIDAE Barracudinas
6 genera • 28 species/subspecies
Arctozenus Gill 1864 arcto-, north; xenos, strange or foreign, proposed as a subgenus of Paralepis, referring to “remarkable distribution” of the genus, with P. coregonoides borealis from Greenland and the rest of the genus then known only from the Mediterranean
Arctozenus australis Ho & Duhamel 2019 southern, referring to its distribution, which appears to be restricted to the Southern Ocean
Arctozenus risso (Bonaparte 1840) in honor of French naturalist Antoine Risso (1777-1845), who described Paralepis coregonoides (its presumed congener at the time) in 1820 [note: Risso named a spiny eel, Notacanthus bonaparte, in honor of Bonaparte the same year]
Dolichosudis Post 1969 dolichos, long, referring to elongate, slender and strongly compressed body; sudis, pike or spear, ancient name for barracuda (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae) and common suffix for family, referring to superficial resemblance between the two families
Dolichosudis fuliginosa Post 1969 sooty, referring to its “shiny black” (translation) coloration
Notolepis Dollo 1908 etymology not explained, perhaps notos, south, referring to distribution of N. coatsi in Southern Ocean and lepis, a suffix representing Paralepis, i.e., a southern Paralepis; name could translate as notos, back and lepis, scale, but dorsal scales are not mentioned in description and do not appear to be a differentiating character in this genus
Notolepis annulata Post 1978 ringed, referring to long dorsal and ventral extensions of lateral-line scales, which create the appearance that its body is divided into light and dark rings
Notolepis coatsi Dollo 1908 in honor of James Coats, Jr. (1834-1913), Paisley cotton thread manufacturer, and his brother Major Andrew Coats, who together donated £30,000 towards the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, during which holotype was collected [preferably spelled coatsorum since name honors more than one person, but ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction]
Paralepis Cuvier 1816 para-, side; lepis, scale, referring to body covered with deciduous scales, those of the lateral line being the largest
Paralepis brevirostris (Parr 1928) brevis, short; rostris, snout, referring to shorter snout compared to P. speciosa
Paralepis coregonoides coregonoides Risso 1820 –oides, having the form of: Coregonus (whitefishes, Salmonidae); according to Cuvier (1829), he had sent a specimen to Risso under the name Coregonus paralepis, mistaking his specimen’s frail (“frêle”) second dorsal fin for an adipose fin and thereby believing it was a whitefish
Paralepis coregonoides borealis Reinhardt 1837 northern, referring to its occurrence off the coast of Julianehåb, Greenland, type locality
Paralepis elongata (Brauer 1906) elongate, presumably referring to its more elongate body compared to Omosudis lowii (Alepisauridae), its presumed congener at the time
Paralepis speciosa Bellotti 1878 beautiful or showy, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its milky white body in life with seven large black spots on sides
Stemonosudis Harry 1951 etymology not explained, perhaps stemonos, thread, referring to “eel-like, very elongate and thin” body of S. intermedius; sudis, pike or spear, ancient name for the barracuda (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae) and common suffix for family, referring to superficial resemblance between the two families [author later known as Rofen]
Stemonosudis bullisi Rofen 1963 in honor of marine biologist Harvey R. Bullis, Jr. (1924-1992), to whom many American ichthyologists, Rofen included, are “greatly indebted” for supplying valuable marine collections from the cruises of the Oregon and other vessels of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife service, including type of this species [author previously known as Harry]
Stemonosudis distans (Ege 1957) distant or standing apart, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how it differs from S. similis and/or other closely related congeners [note: Ege also used the distans/similis naming pair in Lestidiops, Lestidiidae, also without explanation]
Stemonosudis elegans (Ege 1933) fine, choice or select, allusion not explained nor evident (perhaps Ege, who measured body proportions in great detail, considered it to be well-proportioned)
Stemonosudis elongata (Ege 1933) allusion not explained, but it is an elongate fish, its maximum body height (of an adolescent specimen) ~3% of SL
Stemonosudis gracilis (Ege 1933) slender, allusion not explained, but it is a slender fish, its maximum height (of an adolescent specimen) ~4% of SL
Stemonosudis intermedia (Ege 1933) allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps intermediate in one or more characters among its congeners
Stemonosudis macrura (Ege 1933) macro-, long; oura, tailed; according to Ege (1957): “the preanal length takes in only a little more than half of standard length, a relationship which has led to the choice of the species name” (in other words, longer postanal length compared to congeners then placed in Macroparalepis) [may belong in Lestidiops (Lestidiidae)]
Stemonosudis miscella (Ege 1933) mixed, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps reflecting a “mix” or combination of characters found among its congeners
Stemonosudis molesta (Marshall 1955) troublesome or irksome, allusion not explained, probably referring to its “awkwardly intermediate” position between Stemonosudis and Macroparalepis (its original genus)
Stemonosudis multifasciatus Ho, Russell, Graham & Psomadakis 2019 multi-, many; fasciatus, banded, referring to 16 dorsal saddles and 9 ventral saddles
Stemonosudis retrodorsalis Ho, Russell, Graham & Psomadakis 2019 retro-, behind; dorsalis, of the back, referring to posterior position of dorsal fin
Stemonosudis rothschildi Richards 1967 in honor of Brian J. Rothschild (b. 1934), Bureau of Commercial Fisheries (Honolulu, Hawaii), who supplied type (which was taken from the stomach of a lancetfish, presumably Alepisaurus ferox)
Stemonosudis siliquiventer Post 1970 siliqua, pod or husk; venter, belly, referring to striking pattern of peritoneal septum (or abdominal membrane), which resembles the infructescence (fruiting head) of numerous legumes or cruciferous vegetables
Stemonosudis similis (Ege 1957) like or resembling, allusion not explained, a curious choice for its name since Ege did not compare this species to its congeners because only young postlarval specimens were available
Uncisudis Maul 1956 uncus, hook, referring to “sturdy, hook-shaped teeth of the lower jaw and palatines” of U. longirostra; sudis, pike or spear, ancient name for the barracuda (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae) and common suffix for family, referring to the superficial resemblance between the two families
Uncisudis advena (Rofen 1963) a stranger, allusion not explained, possibly referring to its color pattern (solid black spot on back before adipose fin) and prolonged dorsal and ventral fins, described as “unique and approaching nothing else in the family” [author previously known as Harry]
Uncisudis longirostra Maul 1956 longus, long; rostra, snout, referring to its “very long” snout its length 1.7 in head
Uncisudis posteropelvis Fukui & Ozawa 2004 postero-, posterior; pelvis, pelvic, referring to its posteriorly located pelvic fins
Uncisudis quadrimaculata (Post 1969) quadri-, four; maculata, spotted, referring to four blackish spots on dorsal surface
Family ALEPISAURIDAE Lancetfishes
4 genera • 9 species
Alepisaurus Lowe 1833 a-, without and lepis, scale, referring to their scaleless bodies; saurus, lizard, perhaps referring to lizard-like shape of A. ferox
Alepisaurus brevirostris Gibbs 1960 brevis, short; rostris, snout, referring to shorter snout compared to A. ferox
Alepisaurus ferox Lowe 1833 fierce or ferocious, referring to its “wide gape, and long formidable teeth”
Anotopterus Zugmayer 1911 a-, without; notos, back; pterus, fin, referring to absence of dorsal fin [often placed in its own family, Anotopteridae]
Anotopterus nikparini Kukuev 1998 in honor of ichthyologist Nikolai Vasil’evich Parin (1932-2012), Russian Academy of Sciences, “who invested much into the study of the World Ocean ichthyofauna” (translation)
Anotopterus pharao Zugmayer 1911 pharaoh, referring to how lower jaw exceeds upper jaw and ends in a tip, recalling the beard of Egyptian pharaohs
Anotopterus vorax (Regan 1913) voracious or gluttonous, referring to “much produced” snout and lower jaw and/or pointed teeth
Magnisudis Harry 1953 magnus, large, referring to size of M. barysoma (=atlantica), at 30-50 cm, the largest barracudinas known at the time; sudis, pike or spear, ancient name for the barracuda (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae) and common suffix for family, referring to superficial resemblance between the two families [author later known as Rofen]
Magnisudis atlantica (Krøyer 1868) –ica, belonging to: presumably referring to its occurrence in the northeastern Atlantic, near type locality at Skagen, Denmark (but occurs circumglobally in warm to cold temperate seas, including the Hawaiian Islands)
Magnisudis indica (Ege 1953) Indian, referring to its distribution in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Malayan Archipelago
Magnisudis prionosa (Rofen 1963) saw-like, referring to its teeth [author previously known as Harry]
Omosudis Günther 1887 omo-, shoulder, presumably referring to supraclavicle and postclavicle, which “form a long rod extending from the occiput on each side downwards to the abdomen, and partly free, not covered by skin”; sudis, pike or spear, ancient name for the barracuda (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae) and common suffix for several aulopiform fishes (referring to their barracuda-like shape), but in this case probably referring to to its presumed relationship with sudid fishes
Omosudis lowii Günther 1887 in honor of British clergyman Richard Thomas Lowe (1802-1874), an expert on the flora and fauna of the Madeira Islands, who sent a specimen of this species to Günther in 1868 (but it was “so much distorted and injured” that it could not be used as the type)
Family LESTIDIIDAE Naked Barracudinas
4 genera • 38 species • Taxonomic note: placed in Paralepididae by some workers.
Lestidiops Hubbs 1916 ops, appearance, referring to close relationship with (and presumed similarity to) Lestidium
Lestidiops affinis (Ege 1930) related, referring to close relationship with L. sphyrenoides and L. pseudosphyraenoides, so close “that only a more thorough comparative investigation can establish the actual differences” between them
Lestidiops bathyopteryx (Fowler 1944) bathy, deep; pteryx, fin, referring to deep anal fin, “greatly higher than body depth”
Lestidiops blanci (Kartha 1971) in honor of ichthyologist Maurice Blanc (1923-2015), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Paris), “whose help in identifying the specimen and the preparation of this paper was invaluable”
Lestidiops cadenati (Maul 1962) in honor of ichthyologist Jean Cadenat (1908-1992), Director, Marine Biological Section of the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (Gorée, Senegal)
Lestidiops distans (Ege 1953) distant or standing apart, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how it differs from the sympatric L. similis and/or other closely related congeners [note: Ege also used the distans/similis naming pair in Stemonosudis, Paralepididae]
Lestidiops extrema (Ege 1953) outermost, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how the oldest postlarval specimen examined “shows some proportional values that differ so much from the corresponding values” of L. mirabili
Lestidiops gracilis (Ege 1953) slender, described as “much more slender” (among younger post-larvae) than L. sphyrenoides
Lestidiops indopacifica (Ege 1953) referring to its distribution limited to the Indo-Pacific area
Lestidiops jayakari (Boulenger 1889) in honor of Atmaram Sadashiva Grandin Jayakar (1844-1911), surgeon, Indian Medical Service, and collector of natural history, who presented type to the British Museum
Lestidiops mirabilis (Ege 1933) wonderful, strange, striking or remarkable, allusion not explained nor evident
Lestidiops neles (Harry 1953) ruthless, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its well-armed mouth and/or predatory behavior [author later known as Rofen]
Lestidiops pacificus (Parr 1931) –icus, belonging to: the Pacific Ocean, where it occurs
Lestidiops pseudosphyraenoides (Ege 1918) pseudo-, false, named “in order to suggest that it is closely related” to L. sphyrenoides
Lestidiops ringens (Jordan & Gilbert 1880) gaping, referring to its large, horizontal mouth, “the gape extending more than half the length of the head”
Lestidiops similis (Ege 1933) like or resembling, “rather closely related” to L. pseudosphyraenoides
Lestidiops sphyraenopsis Hubbs 1916 etymology not explained, probably –opsis, appearance, perhaps referring to similarity and/or close relationship to L. sphyrenoides
Lestidiops sphyrenoides (Risso 1820) –oides, having the form of: allusion not explained but probably referring to its superficial resemblance to barracudas (Carangiformes: Sphyraenidae, genus Sphyraena)
Lestidium Gilbert 1905 lestes, plunderer or pirate, allusion not explained, possibly referring to fang-like teeth and/or predatory behavior; –idium, diminutive connoting resemblance
Lestidium atlanticum Borodin 1928 –icum, belonging to: only known species of genus that occurs in the Atlantic Ocean
Lestidium bigelowi Graae 1967 in honor of Henry B. Bigelow (1879-1967), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, for his “kindness and generosity”
Lestidium longilucifer Ho, Graham & Russell 2020 longus, long; lucifer, light bearer, referring to long luminescent duct that extends well in front of eye
Lestidium nigrirostrum Ho, Graham & Russell 2020 niger, black; rostrum, snout, referring to blackish anterior portions of snout and lower jaw [erroneously called “australis” in the description’s abstract]
Lestidium nudum Gilbert 1905 naked or bare, “skin wholly naked, except for a series of small scales along course of lateral line, which are wholly embedded and concealed beneath the skin”
Lestidium orientale Ho, Tsai & Li 2019 eastern, referring to its occurrence in the northwestern Pacific (e.g., Taiwan) in contrast to its similar congener in the Atlantic, L. atlanticum
Lestidium prolixum Harry 1953 stretched out or attenuate, referring to its elongate form [author later known as Rofen]
Lestidium rofeni Ho, Graham & Russell 2020 in honor of Robert R. Rofen (formerly Harry, 1925-2015), former research director of George Vanderbilt Foundation, Stanford University, for his contributions to the knowledge of paralepidid (including Lestidiidae) fishes
Lestrolepis Harry 1953 lestro, pirate (according to Harry), but probably referring to its relationship and/or similarity to Lestidium; lepis, scale (which it lacks), allusion not explained nor evident [author later known as Rofen]
Lestrolepis intermedia (Poey 1868) intermediate, allusion not explained, perhaps intermediate in form among its presumed congeners in Paralepis at time of description
Lestrolepis japonica (Tanaka 1908) Japanese, referring to type locality at Sagami Sea, Japan (but occurs elsewhere in Indo-West Pacific)
Lestrolepis luetkeni (Ege 1933) in honor of the late Danish zoologist Christian Frederik Lütken (1827-1901)
Lestrolepis luxiocula Ho & Golani 2019 lux, light; oculus, eye, referring to single light organ at front margin of orbit
Lestrolepis nigroventralis Ho, Tsai & Li 2019 nigro-, black; ventralis, ventral, referring to broad black margin on abdominal ridge
Lestrolepis pofi (Harry 1953) named after POFI, Pacific Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (Honolulu, Hawai‘i), part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which conducted oceanographic surveys of the tropical and subtropical central Pacific and collected type [author later known as Rofen]
Macroparalepis Harry 1953 macro-, long, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to longer, more elongate body compared to Paralepis (name proposed by Ege in 1933 but unavailable since he included multiple species without designating which one was the type; many sources credit authorship to Burton 1934 (an entry in the Zoological Record for 1933, published 1934), but Burton merely repeated Ege’s list of species without designating type; Harry was the first to designate a type and hence becomes the author of the genus) [author later known as Rofen]
Macroparalepis affinis Ege 1933 related, presumably referring to similarity to M. brevis
Macroparalepis brevis Ege 1933 short, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to shorter anal fin compared to the similar M. affinis
Macroparalepis danae Ege 1933 in honor of the Danish fishery research vessel Dana, which procured “a very comprehensive material of fishes” belonging to the family, including type of this species and several others
Macroparalepis johnfitchi (Rofen 1960) in honor of John E. Fitch (1918-1982), marine and fisheries biologist, California Department of Fish and Game, “indefatigable researcher” of the California marine fauna, who provided type and helped Rofen in his investigations of iniomous fishes [author previously known as Harry]
Macroparalepis longilateralis Post 1973 longus, long; lateralis, of the side, referring to lateral line extending to base of caudal-fin rays
Macroparalepis macrogeneion Post 1973 macro-, long; geneion, cheek or goatee, referring to long, unossified process at tip of lower jaw
Macroparalepis nigra (Maul 1965) black, referring to “uniform deep black” coloration of body, head and more basal parts of all fins