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Family AMBASSIDAE Asiatic Glassfishes
8 genera · 54 species · Taxonomic note: Some recent authors now use Chandidae instead of Ambassidae; the available names in date order are (1) Bogodidae Bleeker 1859, (2) Ambassidae Klunzinger 1870, and (3) Chandidae Fowler 1905.
Ambassis Cuvier 1828 tautonymous with Centropomus ambassis (see A. ambassis, below)
Ambassis ambassis (Lacepède 1802) latinization of l’ambasse (later spelled l’ambache), a manuscript name of unknown provenance coined by Commerçon that supposedly means “de deux sous” (two pennies); a sou is an old French coin of very little value and “deux sous” is a 19th-century French euphemism for a cheap or worthless thing, referring (per Valenciennes 1867) to this glassfish’s abundance at Bourbon, Reunion Island, Mascarenes (type locality)
Ambassis buruensis Bleeker 1856 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Buru Island, Molucca Islands, Indonesia, type locality (occurs from Thailand and Indonesia east to Philippines and New Guinea, north to southern Japan)
Ambassis buton Popta 1918 named for Buton (also spelled Butung), Indonesia, type locality
Ambassis dussumieri Cuvier 1828 in honor of Jean-Jacques Dussumier (1792–1883), French voyager and merchant, who provided holotype from the coast of Malabar, India
Ambassis fontoynonti Pellegrin 1932 in honor of pathologist Maurice Fontoynont (1869-1948), president of the Malagasy Academy (this glassfish is endemic to Madagascar)
Ambassis interrupta Bleeker 1853 interrupted, very similar to A. nalua but easily distinguished by its interrupted lateral line
Ambassis kopsii Bleeker 1858 in honor of its discoverer and Bleeker’s friend, George François de Bruijn (sometimes spelled Bruyn) Kops (1820-1881), a Dutch naval officer who studied the geology, history and ethnography of the Riau Archipelago
Ambassis macracanthus Bleeker 1849 macro-, long; acanthus, spine, related to A. commersonii (=ambassis) and A. nalua but distinguished by longer second spine on first dorsal fin
Ambassis marianus Günther 1880 –anus, belonging to: Mary River, near Tiaro, Queensland, Australia, type locality
Ambassis miops Günther 1872 mio-, less; ops, eye, referring to smaller eyes than the related A. urotaenia
Ambassis nalua (Hamilton 1822) from Nalua-chanda, Bengali vernacular for this glassfish
Ambassis natalensis Gilchrist & Thompson 1908 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Durban, Natal (now called KwaZulu-Natal), South Africa, type locality (but widely occurs in Red Sea and western Indian Ocean from South and East Africa, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Philippines, north to China and Taiwan, south to northern Australia)
Ambassis octava Ghazali, Lavoué, Nor, Muhammad-Rasul & Tan 2023 Latin for eighth, the eighth species of Ambassis documented from Peninsular Malaysia
Ambassis thermalis Cuvier 1829 Latin for hot spring, referring to occurrence in hot springs of Cania (now Kanniya), Sri Lanka (a nominal species, known only from original description)
Ambassis urotaenia Bleeker 1852 oura, tail; taenia, band, similar to A. commersonii (=ambassis) but “recognized at first glance” (translation) by a black, longitudinal band on either lobe of tail
Ambassis vachellii Richardson 1846 in honor of Rev. George Vachell (1799-1839), chaplain, British East India Company, who collected type
Chanda Hamilton 1822 local name for glassfishes in India (also spelled Channa, Channe and Chanaria, based on dialect)
Chanda baculis Hamilton 1822 Latin for stick or rod, allusion not explained nor evident
Chanda nama Hamilton 1822 from Namchanda, Assamese name for this glassfish in India
Chanda pulcinella (Kottelat 2003) named for Pulcinella (in English Punchinello), a humpbacked character of the comedia dell’arte, referring to conspicuous compressed hump in front of first dorsal-fin origin
Chanda ranga Hamilton 1822 from Ranga-chanda, local Bengali name for this glassfish in India
Chanda siamensis Fowler 1937 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Siam (Thailand), type locality (occurs throughout Indo-Chinese Peninsula, from Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Viêt Nam, and peninsular Malaysia; introduced in Singapore and Indonesia)
Denariusa Whitley 1948 per Whitley (1964, Freshwater Fishes of Australia), denarius, a Roman silver coin, continuing the “joke” of Ambassis, said to mean “two sous,” a “trifling amount in French coinage, and probably indicating that they are not worth a penny as human food,” hence the common name Penny Fish
Denariusa australis (Steindachner 1867) southern, referring to type locality in Queensland, Australia (also occurs in New Guinea)
Denariusa bandata Whitley 1948 banded, referring to up to six vertical dark brown bars on body
Gymnochanda Fraser-Brunner 1955 gymnos, bare or naked, referring to its lack of scales; chanda, then placed in the centropomid subfamily Chandinae [Boeseman 1957 independently chose the same name for this genus and its type species]
Gymnochanda filamentosa Fraser-Brunner 1955 filamentous, referring to greatly elongated rays of first-dorsal and anal fins of males [Boeseman 1957 independently chose the same genus and species names for this glassfish]
Gymnochanda flamea Roberts 1995 flaming, presumably referring to red dorsal- and anal-fin extensions on males, and red chromatophores on snout, predorsum and spinous (first) dorsal fin
Gymnochanda limi Kottelat 1995 in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Kelvin K. P. Lim, Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, for his “enthusiastic” support of Kottelat’s visits and research
Gymnochanda ploegi Tan & Lim 2014 in memory of Dutch ichthyologist Alex Ploeg, a “good friend, fellow taxonomist, advisor and fellow conservationist against alien aquatic species; for his services to the ornamental fish trade in this region and abroad in his role as the Secretary General of the Ornamental Fish International” [Ploeg died, along with his wife and son and son’s friend, when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by a missile over the Ukraine on 17 July 2014]
Gymnochanda verae Tan & Lim 2011 in honor of Vera Kasim, wife of good friend and fish exporter Gunawan Kasim, for her generous assistance and logistic support
Parambassis Bleeker 1874 para-, near, similar to Ambassis but differing in their dentition
Parambassis alleni (Datta & Chaudhuri 1993) in honor of “noted” ichthyologist Gerald R. Allen (b. 1942), Western Australia Museum (Perth), “who had already contributed a worthy account of Australian ambassids”
Parambassis altipinnis Allen 1982 altus, high; pinnis, finned, referring to the exaggerated height” of its dorsal fin
Parambassis apogonoides (Bleeker 1851) –oides, having the form of: allusion not explained but almost certainly referring to its resemblance to cardinalfishes (Apogon)
Parambassis bistigmata Geetakumari 2012 bi-, two; stigmata, marks, referring to two distinct black spots at either side of anal-fin origin
Parambassis confinis (Weber 1913) Latin for bordering or adjoining, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how it is “conspicuously reminiscent” of the closely related Ambassis gigas (=P. gulliveri)
Parambassis dayi (Bleeker 1874) in honor of Francis Day (1829-1899), Inspector-General of Fisheries in India, who reported this species as Ambassis nalua in 1865
Parambassis gulliveri (Castelnau 1878) in honor of “Mr. Gulliver,” who collected holotype, probably Thomas Allen Gulliver (1847-1931), a post and telegraph worker who collected natural history specimens near his home on the Norman River, Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia (type locality)
Parambassis macrolepis (Bleeker 1856) macro-, long or large; lepis, scale, per Bleeker (1874), referring to its larger scales compared with Chanda nama, its presumed congener at the time [in 1874, when Bleeker reassigned the species to Parambassis, he attempted to change the spelling to microlepis (micro-, small) since its scales are smaller than other members of the genus, but his original spelling stands]
Parambassis notatus (Blyth 1860) marked, referring to a “large dusky” spot at humerus
Parambassis piratica (Roberts 1989) of pirates or piratical, referring to its lepidophagous diet
Parambassis robertsi (Datta & Chaudhuri 1993) in honor of “eminent” ichthyologist Tyson R. Roberts (b. 1940), then with the Tiburon Centre for Environmental Studies (California, USA) [misspelled “roberti” throughout description but “Roberts” is correctly spelled in the etymology]
Parambassis serrata Mayanglambam & Vishwanath 2015 serrated, referring to its serrated preopercular ridge
Parambassis tenasserimensis Roberts 1995 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Tenasserim River basin of Myanmar and India, where it is endemic
Parambassis thomassi (Day 1870) in honor of angler Henry Sullivan Thomas (1833-?), Madras Civil Service, “who has paid great attention to the fishy inhabitants of his range” and procured the “finest specimen” of this glassfish (Day credited “H. E. Thomas”; the “E.” is likely an error, but Day’s spelling of “thomassi” with an extra “s” appears to be intentional since he had spelled it that way for two other fishes, Hypselobarbus thomassi and Osteochilichthys thomassi, both cyprinids)
Parambassis vollmeri Roberts 1995 in honor of the late Ernest Vollmer, Jr. (San Luis Obispo, California, USA), for his “interest in ichthyological exploration”
Parambassis waikhomi Geetakumari & Basudha 2012 in honor of Waikhom Vishwanath (b. 1954), Manipur University, for his contributions to the ichthyology of freshwater fishes of northeastern India (where this glassfish occurs)
Parambassis wolffii (Bleeker 1850) in honor of Bleeker’s friend J. Wolff, military doctor, who collected type
Pseudambassis Bleeker 1874 pseudo, false, i.e., although this genus may superficially resemble Ambassis, such an appearance is false [not to be confused with Pseudoambassis]
Pseudambassis lala (Hamilton 1822) from Lal-chanda (also spelled Laal-chanda), local Bengali name for this glassfish in India
Pseudoambassis Castelnau 1878 pseudo, false, i.e., not a true Ambassis, referring to lack of recumbent pre-dorsal spine in P. elongata and P. macleayi [not to be confused with Pseudambassis, of which Castelnau was probably not aware]
Pseudoambassis agassizii (Steindachner 1867) patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of zoologist-geologist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873)
Pseudoambassis agrammus (Günther 1867) a-, without; grammus, line, referring to near-absence of lateral line (visible on foremost scale only)
Pseudoambassis elongata Castelnau 1878 elongate, referring to its more elongate body compared to P. macleayi, described in the same paper
Pseudoambassis jacksoniensis (Macleay 1881) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, type locality
Pseudoambassis macleayi Castelnau 1878 in honor of William John Macleay (1820-1891), Scotland-born Australian politician and zoologist, who has “done so much for the zoology of Australia, and who most nobly devotes a large fortune to promote the knowledge of the productions of his adopted country”
Tetracentrum Macleay 1883 tetra– four; centrum, spine, referring to four strong spines in anal fin of T. apogonoides
Tetracentrum apogonoides Macleay 1883 –oides, having the form of: Apogon (cardinalfishes), referring to its “general resemblance in form”
Tetracentrum caudovittatus (Norman 1935) caudo-, tail; vittatus, banded, referring to broad black longitudinal band extending from below middle of spinous (first) dorsal fin to base of caudal fin
Tetracentrum honessi (Schultz 1945) in honor of Capt. Ralph F. Honess, United States Navy Reserve, who collected type
Family GRAMMATIDAE Basslets
2 genera · 18 species
Gramma Poey 1868 line, referring to interrupted lateral line, almost touching outline of back, falling interrupted below last dorsal spine, then beginning again on caudal peduncle
Gramma brasiliensis Sazima, Gasparini & Moura 1998 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Brazilian [biogeographical] Province, where it is endemic
Gramma dejongi Victor & Randall 2010 in honor of marine aquarium-fish supplier Arie De Jong, De Jong Marinelife, who first recognized this new species and provided type specimens
Gramma linki Starck & Colin 1978 in honor of Edwin Link (1904-1981), developer of the diver lock-out submarine Deep Diver, which collected type; his “imaginative developments in undersea technology and generous support of marine science have made untouched realms of the sea accessible” (he also invented the flight simulator)
Gramma loreto Poey 1868 in honor of Loreto Martínez, who caught type specimen while fishing in the bay at Matanzas, Cuba, and who took advantage of the beach where she lived to enrich museums and educate lovers of natural history [presumably a noun in apposition, without the matronymic “ae”]
Gramma melacara Böhlke & Randall 1963 melas, black; kara, head, referring to black spot on top of head
Lipogramma Böhlke 1960 lipo-, lacking or wanting; gramma, line (and/or Gramma, type genus of family), referring to absence of lateral line
Lipogramma anabantoides Böhlke 1960 –oides, having the form of: with its “short, deep body, pointed face, small mouth and prolonged ventral fins, this species looks much more like an anabantid [Anabantiformes] than a bass—hence the specific name”
Lipogramma barrettorum Baldwin, Nonaka & Robertson 2018 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Craig Barrett (b. 1939), former chairman of Intel, and his wife Barbara (b. 1950), chairman of Aerospace Corporation, for their support of the Smithsonian’s Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP), during which type was collected
Lipogramma evides Robins & Colin 1979 comely, presumably referring to its coloration: pale buff or cream body crossed by three dark, violet-brown to brownish black crossbars
Lipogramma flavescens Gilmore & Jones 1988 yellowish, referring to prominent body coloration: yellow or yellowish
Lipogramma haberorum Baldwin, Nonaka & Robertson 2016 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Spencer (hedge fund manager) and Tomoko Haber, who funded and participated in a submersible dive by the Smithsonian’s Deep Reef Observation Project that resulted in the collection of a paratype [originally spelled “haberi,” but since name honors more than one person, emendment is necessary]
Lipogramma idabeli Tornabene, Robertson & Baldwin 2018 named for the Idabel submersible, which was used to collect the type series, recognizing the efforts of its owner-designer and pilot Karl Stanley and engineer Thomas Trudel, who made these and other collections of fishes possible by constructing a fish-catching system that converted Idabel from an observation-only vessel to one capable of collecting scientific specimens
Lipogramma klayi Randall 1963 in honor of aquarium-fish collector Gerrit Klay (later director of the Shark Quarium at Marathon, Florida, USA), who collected type
Lipogramma levinsoni Baldwin, Nonaka & Robertson 2016 in honor of fiber-optics entrepreneur Frank Levinson, for his generous, continuing support of research on neotropical biology at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (Panama), where the third author works
Lipogramma regia Robins & Colin 1979 royal, presumably referring to its coloration: head with four broad lines, body crossed by six broad bands with pale centers, ocellus on body and soft portion of dorsal fin
Lipogramma robinsi Gilmore 1997 in honor of C. Richard Robins (1928-2020), “whose work and students have contributed significantly to our understanding of the neritic, bathyal and abyssal faunas of the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean Sea” (where this basslet occurs)
Lipogramma rosea Gilbert 1979 rosy, referring to its body coloration
Lipogramma schrieri Baldwin, Nonaka & Robertson 2018 in honor of Adriaan (Dutch) Schrier, owner of Substation Curaçao, whose Curasub submersible collected type; although not built originally for scientific research, “Dutch’s enthusiastic support of research use of his sub has exponentially expanded our understanding of fish and invertebrate faunas of Caribbean mesophotic and deeper reefs”
Lipogramma trilineata Randall 1963 tri-, three; lineata, lined, referring to three dark-edged blue lines on head and anteriorly on body, one mid-dorsally and one on each side extending posteriorly from upper edge of eye
Family PLESIOPIDAE Roundheads
12 genera · 52 species
Subfamily PLESIOPINAE Roundheads or Longfins
Assessor Whitley 1935 counsellor (advisor) or helper, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to Francis (Frank) A. McNeill (1896-1969), Whitley’s colleague at the Australian Museum, who probably helped Whitley with his ichthyological collections (and for whom A. macneilli is named)
Assessor flavissimus Allen & Kuiter 1976 very yellow, referring to its “striking” yellow coloration
Assessor macneilli Whitley 1935 in honor of carcinologist Francis (Frank) A. McNeill (1896-1969, note latinization of “Mc” to “Mac”), Australian Museum, who collected type
Assessor randalli Allen & Kuiter 1976 in honor of ichthyologist John E. Randall (1924-2020), Bishop Museum (Honolulu), who collected type
Calloplesiops Fowler & Bean 1930 callos, beautiful, presumably referring to large white spots on C. niveus (=altivelis), a “very handsome fish”; Plesiops, type genus of family
Calloplesiops altivelis (Steindachner 1903) altus, high; velum, sail, presumably referring to slightly elevated (and therefore sail-like) dorsal and/or anal fins
Calloplesiops argus Fowler & Bean 1930 Argus, mythical hundred-eyed guardian of Io, whose eyes after death were transformed into the feathers of a peacock, referring to numerous small blue-gray dots on body and fins (except pectorals)
Fraudella Whitley 1935 etymology not explained, perhaps fraudis, deceit, and –ella, a diminutive suffix, i.e., a small deceit, referring to how specimens of F. carassiops were initially labeled as Paraplesiops and Pseudochromis (Pseudochromidae) in the collections of the fisheries research vessel Endeavour
Fraudella carassiops Whitley 1935 Carassius, goldfish genus; ops, appearance, referring to “brilliant” color in life, “like the rich reddish orange of a goldfish”
Paraplesiops Bleeker 1875 para-, near, referring to resemblance to and/or affinity with Plesiops, in which type species (P. bleekeri) had originally been placed
Paraplesiops alisonae Hoese & Kuiter 1984 in honor of the junior author’s wife, Alison; “She was the one who saw it first,” he said in a 2004 news article
Paraplesiops bleekeri (Günther 1861) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker (1819-1878), who described Plesiops corallicola and P. oxycephalus, its presumed congeners at the time
Paraplesiops meleagris (Peters 1869) guinea fowl, presumably referring to numerous bluish pearlescent spots on head, body and fins, resembling color pattern of a guinea fowl
Paraplesiops poweri Ogilby 1908 in honor of Percy Power, who caught type and presented it to the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of Queensland
Paraplesiops sinclairi Hutchins 1987 in memory of Nick Sinclair, who, while a member of the Western Australian Museum’s Department of Ichthyology, was involved in the collection of the holotype and two paratypes
Plesiops Oken 1817 based on “Les Plésiops” of Cuvier (1816), plesio-, close; ops, eye, referring to close-set eyes of unnamed species (possibly P. nigricans)
Plesiops auritus Mooi 1995 eared, referring to dark spot at upper edge of opercle
Plesiops cephalotaenia Inger 1955 cephalus, head; taenia, band, referring to black stripe from center of orbital border to end of opercle
Plesiops coeruleolineatus Rüppell 1835 coerulea, blue; lineatus, lined, presumably referring to blue lines on dorsal and anal fins
Plesiops corallicola Bleeker 1853 museum name coined by van Hasselt, who provided a figure identified as Cirriptera corallicola at least 18 years before Bleeker’s description; –icola, dweller or inhabitant, i.e., coral dwelling, presumably referring to its habitat
Plesiops facicavus Mooi 1995 facies, face; cavus, excavated, referring to large sensory pores on head
Plesiops genaricus Mooi & Randall 1991 genys, cheek; rica, veil, referring to expansion of skin on cheek that covers a large portion of the cheek scales
Plesiops gracilis Mooi & Randall 1991 slender, referring to elongate and thin first pelvic-fin ray
Plesiops insularis Mooi & Randall 1991 of islands, referring to its occurrence off islands in the Coral and Tasman seas, including Lord Howe Island and the nearby Elizabeth and Middleton reefs, Norfolk Island, New Caledonia, and Chesterfield Bank
Plesiops malalaxus Mooi 1995 mala, jaw; laxus, loose, referring to its maxilla, which lacks fibers of the adductor mandibulae attaching it to the skull, otherwise present in most congeners
Plesiops multisquamata Inger 1955 multi-, many; squamata, scaled, referring to more upper lateral-line scales compared to congeners known at the time
Plesiops mystaxus Mooi 1995 moustache, referring to unique dark dorsal margin of maxilla
Plesiops nakaharae Tanaka 1917 in honor of Mr. Kōsaku Nakahara (no other information available), who was “fortunate enough to obtain this rare species” from a fish monger at Tomita, Ise Province, Japan [although named after a man, some classically trained zoologists latinized the names of individuals whose names ended with the letter “a” by adding an “e” to the spelling]
Plesiops nigricans (Rüppell 1828) blackish, presumably referring to its dark coloration
Plesiops oxycephalus Bleeker 1855 oxy, sharp or pointed; cephalus, head, referring to its pointed snout
Plesiops polydactylus Mooi 1995 poly, many; daktylos, finger, referring to high number of pectoral-fin rays compared to congeners
Plesiops thysanopterus Mooi 1995 thysanos, tassle or fringe; pteryx, fin, referring to relatively high number of free, branched rays on pectoral fin
Plesiops verecundus Mooi 1995 unassuming, referring to lack of distinguishing or obvious features that make it different from congeners
Steeneichthys Allen & Randall 1985 in honor of Australian naturalist and underwater photographer Roger C. Steene (b. 1942), who greatly assisted the authors on numerous expeditions in the Indo-Pacific region, usually at his own expense, and helped collect type of S. plesiopsus; ichthys, fish
Steeneichthys nativitatus Allen 1987 nativity, referring to Christmas Island, type locality
Steeneichthys plesiopsus Allen & Randall 1985 Plesiops-like, referring to its similar appearance with members of that genus
Trachinops Günther 1861 etymology not explained; none of three possible explanations seem to apply: (1) trachys, rough and ops, eye; (2) trachys, rough and ops, appearance; (3) Trachinus, genus of weever-fishes (Perciformes: Trachinidae) and ops, appearance
Trachinops brauni Allen 1977 in honor of John Braun (Perth, Australia), for his “much appreciated assistance in the field” (Braun, who ran a marine aquarium-fish business from his home, was Allen’s friend and dive buddy; he died “long before his time” after suffering a heart attack while playing racquetball [Gerald R. Allen, pers. comm.])
Trachinops caudimaculatus McCoy 1890 caudi-, tail; maculatus, spotted, referring to large blackish blotch at base of caudal fin
Trachinops noarlungae Glover 1974 of Port Noarlunga, St. Vincent Gulf, South Australia, type locality
Trachinops taeniatus Günther 1861 banded, referring to white band commencing above orbit, running along upper part of back into base of soft portion of dorsal fin
Subfamily ACANTHOCLININAE Spiny Basslets
Acanthoclinus Jenyns 1841 acanthus, spine, referring to “sharp and moderately strong” dorsal- and anal-fin spines; Clinus, presumed to be related to the blennies of that genus (Blenniiformes: Clinidae)
Acanthoclinus fuscus Jenyns 1841 dark or dusky, referring to its “nearly uniform bister brown” color in spirits
Acanthoclinus littoreus (Forster 1801) littoral (i.e., close to shore), allusion not explained, possibly referring to its occurrence in shallow water (up to 15 m)
Acanthoclinus marilynae (Hardy 1985) in honor of Hardy’s wife Marilyn, “whose encouragement and help have continued unabated over the years”
Acanthoclinus matti (Hardy 1985) in honor of Hardy’s son Matthew, “who, even from an early age, has shown considerable awareness and appreciation of his natural surroundings”
Acanthoclinus rua (Hardy 1985) Maori word variously meaning fish, two and pit, i.e., a New Zealand fish and only member of its genus with two sensory pits at the lower jaw symphysis
Acanthoplesiops Regan 1912 combination of Acanthoclinus and Plesiops, two related genera
Acanthoplesiops cappuccino Gill, Bogorodsky & Mal 2013 referring to its various brown and white markings, reminiscent of a cappuccino
Acanthoplesiops echinatus Smith-Vaniz & Johnson 1990 spiny, referring to superficially spine-like papillae that cover much of head of some specimens
Acanthoplesiops hardyi Fujiwara & Shinohara 2022 in honor of New Zealander ichthyologist Graham S. Hardy, for his “significant contribution” to the taxonomy of Acanthoclininae
Acanthoplesiops hiatti Schultz 1953 in honor of zoologist Robert W. Hiatt (1913-1997), University of Hawaii, part of Schultz’ team to the Marshall Islands in connection with the atom-bomb tests of Operation Crossroads (1946); he collected some paratypes and was one of three biologists Schultz praised for their skill in “swimming, diving, and collecting unusual fishes”
Acanthoplesiops indicus (Day 1888) Indian, referring to Madras, India, type locality (and endemic to Indian Ocean)
Acanthoplesiops jessicae Allen, Erdmann & Brooks 2020 in honor of Jessica Jean Levy, the third author’s stepdaughter
Acanthoplesiops naka Mooi & Gill 2004 derived from the first letters of the authors’ children’s names, Aaron and Adam (Mooi) and Nat and Kelly (Gill); minute size (9.9 mm SL) of holotype is reflective of the “still comparatively small sizes” of their children
Acanthoplesiops psilogaster Hardy 1985 psilos, smooth; gaster, belly, referring to absence of scales from most of its ventral surface anterior to the vent
Beliops Hardy 1985 combination of the names Beloneplerygion and Acanthoplesiops, referring to how it incorporates a number of characteristics from both genera
Beliops batanensis Smith-Vaniz & Johnson 1990 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Batan Island, Philippines, type locality, and also acknowledging the authors’ appreciation of the friendly and hospitable people of the Batanes Province
Beliops xanthokrossos Hardy 1985 xanthos, yellow; krossos, tassel, referring to yellow fleshy appendages on tips of dorsal- and anal-fin spines
Belonepterygion McCulloch 1915 belone, needle; pterygion, diminutive of pteryx, fin, allusion not explained nor evident
Belonepterygion fasciolatum (Ogilby 1889) banded, referring to 9-16 narrow dark bands on body
Notograptus Günther 1867 notos, back; graptus, marked, presumably referring to numerous blue spots on dorsal fin and upper and lateral parts of body of N. guttatus
Notograptus gregoryi Whitley 1941 in honor of John Gregory, who “greatly assisted” Whitley in his capacity as Fisheries Officer at Shark Bay, Western Australia, type locality
Notograptus guttatus Günther 1867 spotted, referring to numerous blue spots on dorsal fin and upper and lateral parts of body
Family OPISTOGNATHIDAE Jawfishes
4 genera · 109 species
Anoptoplacus Smith-Vaniz 2017 anoptos, unseen; plakos, flat round plate, referring to its externally hidden and plate-like infraorbital bones
Anoptoplacus pygmaeus Smith-Vaniz 2017 dwarf or pygmy-like, referring to its diminutive size (20.5-22.5 mm SL)
Lonchopisthus Gill 1862 lonchos, spear; opisthen, behind, referring to lanceolate caudal fin of O. micrognathus
Lonchopisthus ancistrus Smith-Vaniz & Walsh 2017 ankistron, Greek for fish hook, referring to strongly hooked posterior end of maxilla
Lonchopisthus higmani Mead 1959 in honor of James B. Higman (1922-2009), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, whose efforts aboard the Coquette, a shrimp trawler, helped secure a collection of fishes off Suriname, including type of this species
Lonchopisthus lemur (Myers 1935) ghost, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “very large” (i.e., lemur-like) eyes and/or the fact that the color of the type specimen was “mostly lost” due to its poor condition
Lonchopisthus micrognathus (Poey 1860) micro-, small; gnathus, jaw, presumably referring to its shorter maxillary compared to Opistognathus macrognathus (described by Poey in the same paper), its presumed congener at the time
Lonchopisthus sinuscalifornicus Castro-Aguirre & Villavicencio-Garayzar 1988 –icus, belonging to: sinus, gulf, referring to Gulf of California, type locality
Opistognathus Cuvier 1816 opisthen, behind; gnathus, jaw, referring to very large upper jaw of O. nigromarginatus, prolonged backward in a long, flexible lamina, reaching to about base of pectoral fin
Opistognathus abei Fujiwara & Ikeda 2024 in honor of Kazuto Abe, Okinokuni Diving, for his assistance in collecting the type specimens
Opistognathus adelus Smith-Vaniz 2010 dim or obscure, referring to its uncertain phylogenetic relationships
Opistognathus afer Smith-Vaniz 2010 African, referring to type locality, Maputoland Reef, off the coast of South Africa
Opistognathus albicaudatus Smith-Vaniz 2011 albus, white; caudatus, tailed, referring to its “abruptly white” caudal fin
Opistognathus albomaculatus Smith-Vaniz 2023 albo, from albus, white; maculatus, referring to double row of white spots on sides
Opistognathus alleni Smith-Vaniz 2004 in honor of ichthyologist Gerald R. Allen (b. 1942), Western Australia Museum (Perth), who recognized the undescribed status of this species, generously made his material available to the author, and whose publications have contributed significantly to the knowledge of Indo-Pacific fishes
Opistognathus annulatus (Eibl-Eibesfeldt & Klausewitz 1961) ringed, proposed as a subspecies of G. rosenbergii with dark-rimmed, bright ocellar patches along bases of dorsal and anal fins
Opistognathus asper Smith-Vaniz 2023 rough, referring to an irregular row of scales above the lateral line anteriorly
Opistognathus aurifrons (Jordan & Thompson 1905) aureus, gold; frons, forehead, referring to large golden (actually yellow) patch on top of head in living specimens
Opistognathus aurolineatus Smith-Vaniz 2023 auro-, gold; lineatus, lined, referring to three golden-orange stripes on sides
Opistognathus bathyphilus Smith-Vaniz 2023 bathys, deep; philus, loving, captured in “relatively deep” water (120–150 m)
Opistognathus biporus Smith-Vaniz 2023 bi-, two; porus, hole, referring to its bipored preopercular pore positions
Opistognathus brasiliensis Smith-Vaniz 1997 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Brazil, off whose coast it appears to be endemic
Opistognathus brochus Bussing & Lavenberg 2003 projecting, referring to teeth in both jaws slightly protruding and interlocking, visible when mouth is closed
Opistognathus castelnaui Bleeker 1859 in honor of French naturalist Francis de Castelnau (1810-1880), who provided the illustration from which Bleeker proposed the name [often dated to 1860]
Opistognathus challenger Smith-Vaniz 2023 named for the “famous Challenger expedition of 1872–1876 that provided the foundation for modern oceanography and the discovery of many new marine organisms,” including this jawfish, described more than a century after its collection
Opistognathus crassus Smith-Vaniz 2010 thick, fat or stout, referring to its general appearance
Opistognathus ctenion Fujiwara, Motomura & Shinohara 2023 Greek for a small comb, referring its low number of gill rakers, one of the lowest recorded for Indo-Pacific congeners
Opistognathus cuvierii Valenciennes 1836 in honor of Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), who proposed the genus in 1816 and “marked its true natural affinities” (translation); in addition, Valenciennes was Cuvier’s pupil and successor as author of the 22-volume Histoire Naturelle des Poissons (1828-1850)
Opistognathus cyanospilotus Smith-Vaniz 2009 cyaneus, dark blue; spilotus, spotted, referring to characteristic blue markings on head
Opistognathus darwiniensis Macleay 1878 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, type locality
Opistognathus decorus Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino 1985 beautiful, “especially appropriate for this attractive and brightly colored species”
Opistognathus dendriticus (Jordan & Richardson 1908) dendritic, referring to top and sides of head and predorsal region with “numerous, variously connected, branching mucous channels, those immediately in front of the dorsal fin disposed in a tree-like pattern”
Opistognathus dipharus Smith-Vaniz 2010 di-, two; pharos, beacon, referring to pair of conspicuous pale basicaudal spots against a dark background
Opistognathus elizabethensis Smith-Vaniz 2004 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Elizabeth Reef, New South Wales, Australia, type locality
Opistognathus ensiferus Smith-Vaniz 2016 sword-bearing, referring to scimitar-shaped upper jaw
Opistognathus erdmanni Smith-Vaniz 2023 in honor of marine biologist Mark V. Erdmann (b. 1968), for his “enthusiasm for jawfishes and whose expertise in locating, collecting and photographing them has greatly aided my research”
Opistognathus evermanni (Jordan & Snyder 1902) in honor of ichthyologist Barton Warren Evermann (1853-1932), U.S. Fish Commission
Opistognathus eximius (Ogilby 1908) exceptional or extraordinary (Ogilby said “beautiful”), referring to its coloration (golden-yellow above and blue-purple below, with blue-edged yellow spots on sides, a deep-blue blotch on operculum, yellow stripes on dorsal fin, and yellow spots on anal fin)
Opistognathus fenmutis Acero P. & Franke 1993 FEN + Mutis, an arbitrary combination of letters in honor of the José Celestino Mutis Fund of the National Electric Finance Company (FEN, Bogotá), a patron of natural sciences in Colombia that financed the senior author’s studies
Opistognathus flavidus Smith-Vaniz 2023 golden yellow, referring to the predominant color of the dorsal, anal and caudal fins
Opistognathus fossoris Bussing & Lavenberg 2003 adapted for digging, a behavioral trait of jawfishes (they typically reside in burrows that they dig in the sand using their mouths)
Opistognathus galapagensis Allen & Robertson 1991 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Urvina Bay, Isabela Island, Galápagos Islands (also occurs off Costa Rica)
Opistognathus gilberti Böhlke 1967 in honor of ichthyologist Carter R. Gilbert (b. 1930), Florida State Museum of Natural History, friend, colleague and collector of type
Opistognathus helvolus Smith-Vaniz 2023 pale yellow, referring to its predominant coloration
Opistognathus hongkongiensis Chan 1968 –ensis, suffix denoting place: about 32 miles south of Hong Kong (presumed type locality), via a wholesale fish market in Aberdeen, Hong Kong [replacement name for O. fasciatus Chan 1966, preoccupied by O. fasciatum (=macrognathus) Longley & Hildebrand 1940]
Opistognathus hopkinsi (Jordan & Snyder 1902) in honor of philanthropist Timothy Hopkins (1859-1936) of Menlo Park, California, USA, for his “invaluable aid” in the authors’ explorations of Japan (where this jawfish occurs)
Opistognathus hyalinus Smith-Vaniz 2023 of glass or transparent, referring to its unpigmented caudal and anal fins
Opistognathus inornatus Ramsay & Ogilby 1887 undecorated, referring to mostly unspotted color pattern of large adults
Opistognathus iyonis (Jordan & Thompson 1913) –is, genitive singular of: Iyo Province, Shikoku, Japan, type locality
Opistognathus jacksoniensis Macleay 1881 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, type locality
Opistognathus latitabundus (Whitley 1937) Latin for lying hid or skulking, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how jawfishes hide, or seek refuge, in the burrows they construct (although Whitley may not have known of this behavior as he purchased the specimen from someone else); jawfish taxonomist William Smith-Vaniz (2023) believes the name refers to the “status of this jawfish when first named as a newly discovered species,” i.e.,being a previously unknown (hidden) new species
Opistognathus leprocarus Smith-Vaniz 1997 lepros, scaly; kara, head, referring to well-developed cephalic squamation
Opistognathus liturus Smith-Vaniz & Yoshino 1985 blotted, referring to conspicuous dark markings on head
Opistognathus lonchurus Jordan & Gilbert 1882 lonchos, lance; oura, tail, referring to long caudal fin, its middle rays the longest
Opistognathus longinaris Smith-Vaniz 2010 longus, long; naris, nostril, referring to length of nasal tentacle on anterior nostril, at least four times maximum diameter of posterior nostril
Opistognathus macrognathus Poey 1860 macro-, long; gnathus, jaw, presumably referring to maxillary reaching slightly beyond edge of opercle, longer than that of Lonchopisthus micrognathus (described by Poey in the same paper), its presumed congener at the time
Opistognathus macrolepis Peters 1866 macro-, long or large; lepis, scale, referring to larger scales on caudal peduncle than on body
Opistognathus margaretae Smith-Vaniz 1983 in honor of Margaret Mary Smith (1916-1987), first director of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology (now the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity), for her “many and varied” contributions to South African ichthyology
Opistognathus maxillosus Poey 1860 pertaining to the jaw, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to color of maxillary, yellowish on its posterior border, blackish in the middle
Opistognathus megalepis Smith-Vaniz 1972 mega-, large; lepis, scale, referring to larger and therefore fewer scales, referring to as few as 32 lateral scales rows compared to 48 in most other western Atlantic congeners
Opistognathus megalops Smith-Vaniz 2023 mega, large; ops, eye, referring to its “large bulging” eyes
Opistognathus melachasme Smith-Vaniz 1972 melas, black; chasme, a yawn, referring to black markings on underside of maxilla and adjacent membranes, which are largely hidden from view except when gape is extended
Opistognathus microspilus Smith-Vaniz 2023 micro-, small; spilos, spot, referring to small, black spot on dorsal fin
Opistognathus muscatensis Boulenger 1888 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Muscat, Oman, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, type locality
Opistognathus nigripinnis Smith-Vaniz 2023 niger, black; pinnis, finned, referring to its “essentially black” dorsal, anal and pelvic fins
Opistognathus nigromarginatus Rüppell 1830 nigro, black; marginatus, enclosed with a border, referring to conspicuous black stripe on lining of upper jaw and adjacent membranes that touches ventral margin of maxilla for most of its length
Opistognathus nothus Smith-Vaniz 1997 false or counterfeit, referring to erroneous initial belief that female holotype was the sexually dimorphic counterpart of O. melachasme males
Opistognathus ocellicaudatus Shinohara 2021 ocellus, eye-like spot; caudatus, tailed (Shinohara says “tail,” but caudatus is an adjective, not a noun), referring to prominent ocellus on caudal fin
Opistognathus panamaensis Allen & Robertson 1991 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Panama, where type locality (Uva Island, Gulf of Chiriquí) is situated (but occurs north to the Gulf of California)
Opistognathus papuensis Bleeker 1868 –ensis, suffux denoting place: Papua New Guinea (specifically, Waigeo, Indonesia), type locality (also occurs off Australia)
Opistognathus pardus Smith-Vaniz, Bineesh & Akhilesh 2012 leopard, referring to series of small, irregular, dark brown spots on a light-tan background, like those of a leopard, which completely cover head except for venter, upper jaw and lower half of opercle
Opistognathus parvus Smith-Vaniz 2023 Latin for little, referring to its “diminutive” size (up to 30.5 mm SL)
Opistognathus pholeter Smith-Vaniz 2023 Greek for “one who hides or lives in a den, referring to its fossorial behavior (a characteristic of all known jawfishes)
Opistognathus punctatus Peters 1869 spotted, referring to any or all of the following: head finely speckled with black; body more coarsely and irregularly spotted; pectoral fin finely and closely speckled and dusky ventral fin similarly marked; dorsal fin finely spotted, the spots behind gradually forming the boundaries of white ocelli; base of the fins having rings of white around black spots, the upper part with dark rings around pale spots; caudal fin with pale spots; anal fin dark spots, those near the base the largest
Opistognathus randalli Smith-Vaniz 2009 in honor of ichthyologist John E. Randall (1924-2020), Bishop Museum (Honolulu), “whose generosity in sharing his collections, photographs and observations has greatly aided [the author’s] research, and in recognition of his numerous publications that have contributed to knowledge of reef fishes generally”
Opistognathus reticeps Smith-Vaniz 2004 rete, net; ceps, head, referring to reticulated dorsum of head, its distinguishing feature
Opistognathus reticulatus (McKay 1969) net-like or netted, referring to “pale chain-like reticulate network enclosing one or more dark brown spots” on body
Opistognathus rhomaleus Jordan & Gilbert 1882 able-bodied or strong, referring to its “rather robust” body, described at 40.64 cm in length, “unusually large for a member of this genus”
Opistognathus robinsi Smith-Vaniz 1997 in honor of C. Richard Robins (1928-2020), for his “many and varied contributions to ichthyology, and as a token of my appreciation for his guidance as teacher, friend and colleague”
Opistognathus rosenbergii Bleeker 1856 in honor of German naturalist and cartographer Hermann von Rosenberg (1817-1888), who collected type
Opistognathus rosenblatti Allen & Robertson 1991 in honor of Richard H. Rosenblatt (1930-2014), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, for his many contributions to the knowledge of eastern Pacific fishes
Opistognathus rufilineatus Smith-Vaniz & Allen 2007 rufus, reddish; lineatus, lined, referring to its striped color pattern
Opistognathus schrieri Smith-Vaniz 2017 in honor of Adriaan (Dutch) Schrier, owner of Substation Curaçao in Willemstad and the Curasub submersible, from which type was collected
Opistognathus scops (Jenkins & Evermann 1889) named for Otus scops, the Scops Owl, derived from scopus, to watch, referring to its large eyes, 2½ times in head
Opistognathus seminudus Smith-Vaniz 2004 semi-, half; nudus, bare or naked, referring to scaleless anterior half of body
Opistognathus signatus Smith-Vaniz 1997 marked, referring to its prominent dark scale spots
Opistognathus simus Smith-Vaniz 2010 pug-nosed, referring to its blunt snout
Opistognathus smithvanizi Bussing & Lavenberg 2003 in honor of ichthyologist William F. Smith-Vaniz (b. 1941), for his “wide variety of studies, especially dealing with carangids and for setting the standards for the systematic treatment of opistognathids”
Opistognathus solorensis Bleeker 1853 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Solor Island, Indonesia, type locality (type now lost; widely occurs in western Pacific from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, north to Brunei, Philippines and Taiwan, east to Palau)
Opistognathus stigmosus Smith-Vaniz 2004 full of marks, referring to conspicuous, small dark spots on head
Opistognathus thionyi Smith-Vaniz, Tornabene & Macieira 2018 in honor of colleague and “dear friend” Thiony Simon (1985-2016), who passed away during preparation of this description (diving accident while exploring mesophotic reefs); he collected most of the type material and dedicated his life to the study and conservation of Brazilian reef ecosystems
Opistognathus trimaculatus Hiramatsu & Endo 2013 tri-, three; maculatus, spotted, referring to three blotches on dorsal fin
Opistognathus triops Smith-Vaniz 2023 tri-, three; ops, eye, referring to third “eye” formed by the characteristic ocellated spot in the spinous dorsal fin
Opistognathus variabilis Smith-Vaniz 2009 named for its highly variable color pattern and jaw morphology
Opistognathus verecundus Smith-Vaniz 2004 bashful or shy, referring to its burrow-dwelling habit
Opistognathus vicinus Smith-Vaniz, Tornabene & Macieira 2018 neighboring or near, referring to allopatric distribution and sister-species phylogenetic relationship of this Brazilian species and the Caribbean O. whitehursti
Opistognathus vigilax Smith-Vaniz 2023 Latin for watchful, referring to day-time behavior of jawfishes, and presumably this one, in “maintaining an almost continuous lookout for potential food organisms passing in close vicinity of their burrows”
Opistognathus walkeri Bussing & Lavenberg 2003 in honor of fisheries biologist Boyd W. Walker (1917-2001), University of California, Los Angeles, for his “long-time” contributions to the study of eastern Pacific fishes
Opistognathus wassi Smith-Vaniz 2023 in honor of fisheries officer Richard C. Wass (b. 1942), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who “generously” made available his Samoan specimens, color notes and photographs of this species
Opistognathus whitehursti (Longley 1927) in honor of Dr. D. D. Whitehurst, who collected specimens for the Smithsonian Institution, including type of this species [Longley later changed spelling to whitehurstii (with a second “i”) but original spelling stands]
Stalix Jordan & Snyder 1902 a forked stick, referring to how five anterior spines of dorsal fin are forked or Y-shaped, the arms of the “Y” extending transversely
Stalix davidsheni Klausewitz 1985 in honor of David Shen, who discovered this jawfish and photographed it; he has sponsored field studies in the Red Sea and other ichthyological research, and is also an “excellent” diver and underwater photographer
Stalix dicra Smith-Vaniz 1989 dikros, forked or cloven, referring to its forked dorsal-fin spines
Stalix eremia Smith-Vaniz 1989 eremos, solitary, referring to capture of a single individual of this species together with a series of S. dicra
Stalix flavida Smith-Vaniz 1989 yellowish, referring to its apparent predominant color
Stalix histrio Jordan & Snyder 1902 harlequin, referring to its bold color pattern
Stalix immaculata Xu & Zhan 1980 im-, without; maculatus, spotted, similar to S. omanensis but lacking spots on cheeks and top of head
Stalix moenensis (Popta 1922) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Muna (Moena in Dutch) Island, Sunda Islands, Indonesia, type locality
Stalix novikovi Prokofiev 2015 in memory of ichthyologist Georgii Gennadievich Novikov (1942-2007), Moscow State University, with whom the first scheduled trawls in Nha Trang Bay, Viêt Nam (type locality) in May 2005 were organized
Stalix omanensis Norman 1939 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Gulf of Oman, where it appears to be endemic
Stalix sheni Smith-Vaniz 1989 in honor of Shih (or Shieh)-Chieh Shen, National Taiwan University, who made holotype available, and for his contributions to knowledge of the fishes of Taiwan
Stalix toyoshio Shinohara 1999 named for the research vessel Toyoshio-maru, from which type was collected
Stalix versluysi (Weber 1913) patronym not identified, almost certainly in honor of zoologist and anatomist Jan Versluys (1873-1939), Weber’s assistant on the Siboga Expedition to the Netherlands East Indies, during which type was collected
Family POLYCENTRIDAE Afro-American Leaffishes
4 genera · 5 species
Afronandus Meinken 1955 afro-, African; Nandus, type (and only) genus of the Asian Leaffish family Nandidae (Anabantiformes), presumed to be an African representative of that family [replacement name for Nandopsis Meinken 1954, preoccupied by Nandopsis Gill 1862 in fishes]
Afronandus sheljuzhkoi (Meinken 1954) in honor of Ukrainian-German entomologist Leo Sheljuzhko (1890-1969), one of the first aquarium amateurs and tropical-fish breeders in the Russian Empire, who collected type and sent specimens to Meinken
Monocirrhus Heckel 1840 mono-, one; cirrhus, curl or tendril, referring to fleshy barbel on lower lip
Monocirrhus polyacanthus Heckel 1840 poly, many; acanthus, spine, referring to numerous dorsal- and anal-fin spines
Polycentropsis Boulenger 1901 opsis, appearance, presumably referring to the resemblance of this African genus to the South American Polycentrus
Polycentropsis abbreviata Boulenger 1901 short, presumably referring to its short but deep body, its depth twice in total length
Polycentrus Müller & Troschel 1849 poly, many; centron, thorn or spine, referring to numerous anal-fin spines
Polycentrus jundia Coutinho & Wosiacki 2014 jundiá, Tupí word meaning “head with spine,” referring to large number of serrations on head bones
Polycentrus schomburgkii Müller & Troschel 1849 patronym not identified but probably in honor of botanist and explorer Richard Schomburgk (1811-1891), who collected type [possibly named for Schomburgk’s brother, explorer Robert Hermann Schomburgk (1804-1865), who accompanied his brother on the collecting expedition and for whom several other fishes are named, but Richard, who wrote the introduction to Müller & Troschel’s account, refers to the collection as his own]
Family EMBIOTOCIDAE Surfperches
13 genera · 27 species/subspecies
Amphistichus Agassiz 1854 amphi-, double; stichus, series, presumably referring to two series of slender, conical teeth in each jaw, the outer series longer
Amphistichus argenteus Agassiz 1854 silvery, referring to silvery sides (with “occasional indistinct and irregular transverse bands of olive color”)
Amphistichus koelzi (Hubbs 1933) in honor of fisheries biologist Walter Koelz (1895-1989), a “well-known explorer,” for his studies on American coregonine (Salmoniformes) fishes
Amphistichus rhodoterus (Agassiz 1854) rhodo-, rosy; [p]terus, fin, referring to its red or pink dorsal, anal and caudal fins
Brachyistius Gill 1862 brachy, short; istius, sail, presumably referring to shorter dorsal fin, with 8 vs. 9-10 spines compared to most related genera
Brachyistius frenatus Gill 1862 bridled, referring to “longitudinal band on head interrupted by eye”
Cymatogaster Gibbons 1854 cymatos, fetus; gaster, belly, referring to their viviparity
Cymatogaster aggregata aggregata Gibbons 1854 crowded together, allusion not explained, possibly referring to large number of fully developed young the mother carries in utero and/or its shoaling habits and abundance in sandy or muddy shallows
Cymatogaster aggregata gracilis Tarp 1952 slender, referring to its “graceful, slim form”
Ditrema Temminck & Schlegel 1844 di-, two; trema, aperture, referring to distinct openings for its digestive and reproductive organs
Ditrema jordani Franz 1910 in honor of David Starr Jordan (1851-1931), who reviewed Japanese surfperches, including a color variety now recognized as this species, in 1902
Ditrema temminckii temminckii Bleeker 1853 in honor of Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1778-1858), director of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden, Netherlands), who, with Hermann Schlegel (1804-1884), named this genus in 1844 but did not include a species
Ditrema temminckii pacificum Katafuchi & Nakabo 2007 referring to its distribution from Pacific coast of Japan southward from Kanto District and Seto
Ditrema viride Oshima 1940 green, referring to its dorsally yellowish-green body when fresh
Embiotoca Agassiz 1853 embios, living (or living within); tokos, offspring, referring to how mother carries and nourishes her young in-utero
Embiotoca caryi Agassiz 1853 in honor of Thomas Cary (1824-1888) of San Francisco, businessman, amateur naturalist, and Agassiz’ brother-in-law; Cary was honored for procuring specimens that confirmed Jackson’s claims (see E. jacksoni) of viviparity
Embiotoca jacksoni Agassiz 1853 in honor of A. C. Jackson, who, while surveying port locations in San Francisco for the U.S. Navy, caught an unusual fish that had living fish inside, which he described as “perfect miniatures of the mother”; he sketched an outline of the fish and sent it along with a letter to Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), then the most famous zoologist in America
Embiotoca lateralis Agassiz 1854 of the side, presumably referring to “alternate silver-gray and rusty bands” on sides
Hyperprosopon Gibbons 1854 hypero-, above; prosopon, face or front, referring to upward-facing forehead (“Back irregularly arched with a slight incurvation along the frontal lobe”)
Hyperprosopon argenteum Gibbons 1854 silver, presumably referring to “silver white [color] below the lateral line”
Hyperprosopon ellipticum (Gibbons 1854) elliptical, allusion not explained, presumably referring to body outline, “the curve of the dorsum and belly corresponding”
Hypocritichthys Gill 1862 hypocrite, pretender, resembling Cymatogaster in form and size, thus belying its affinities with Hyperprosopon (original genus); ichthys, fish
Hypocritichthys analis (Agassiz 1861) anal, presumably referring to anal fin, which is anteriorly yellow with an inky blotch in the middle [described by Alexander Agassiz (1835-1910), son of Louis Agassiz, who described Amphistichus, Embiotoca and Rhacochilus]
Hysterocarpus Gibbons 1854 hystera, womb; karpos, fruit, referring to their viviparity
Hysterocarpus traskii traskii Gibbons 1854 in honor of Gibbons’ friend, John B. Trask (1824-1879), physician, amateur geologist, and founding member of the California Academy of Sciences, who obtained type specimens “through the kindness of Mr. Morris, from the fresh water lagoons of the Sacramento river, and from the river [itself], where they are found as high up as the fishermen have yet been”
Hysterocarpus traskii lagunae Hopkirk 1974 of laguna, Spanish for lake, referring to early Spanish residents’ name for Clear Lake (California, USA), type locality (also occurs in upper and lower Blue Lakes)
Hysterocarpus traskii pomo Hopkirk 1974 name for the Native American tribe that occupied the Russian River drainage and adjacent regions (California, USA), where this subspecies occurs, prior to the arrival of the Spanish
Micrometrus Gibbons 1854 micro-, small; metrus, measure, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to smaller size of M. minimus and Cymatogaster aggregata (its presumed congener) compared to other surfperches Gibbons had studied
Micrometrus aurora (Jordan & Gilbert 1880) sunrise, presumably referring to light-orange or rose-red shading in opercles and lower half of sides
Micrometrus minimus (Gibbons 1854) smallest, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to smaller size compared to Hyperprosopon argenteum and Hysterocarpus traskii, described in the same paper
Neoditrema Steindachner 1883 neo-, new, i.e., a new genus similar in body shape to Ditrema
Neoditrema ransonnetii Steindachner 1883 in honor of Eugen von Ransonnet-Villez (1838-1926), Austrian diplomat, painter, lithographer, biologist and explorer, who procured type specimens at a market in Yokohama, Japan
Phanerodon Girard 1854 phaneros, visible or evident; odon, tooth, presumably referring to its large, subconical teeth
Phanerodon atripes (Jordan & Gilbert 1880) ater, black; pes, foot, referring to its pelvic fins, which are fringed with black
Phanerodon furcatus Girard 1854 forked, referring to deeply forked caudal fin of adults
Phanerodon vacca (Girard 1855) cow, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its viviparity (i.e., gives birth to fully formed young the way a cow gives birth to a calf)
Rhacochilus Agassiz 1854 racho-, ragged; cheilus, lip, referring to its thick, incised lips
Rhacochilus toxotes Agassiz 1854 bowman or archer, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to a vague resemblance to the archerfishes (Toxotidae: Toxotes)
Zalembius Jordan & Evermann 1896 zale, surging sea or storm; embios, living (or living within), presumably referring to its deepwater habitat (91 m or more) compared to confamilials, most of which live in the surf in very shallow waters
Zalembius rosaceus (Jordan & Gilbert 1880) rosy, referring to its color in alcohol, “silvery, strongly infused with rose-red”
Family PHOLIDICHTHYIDAE Convict Blennies
Pholidichthys Bleeker 1856 Pholis (Perciformes: Pholidae), presumed to be related to that genus, referring to its gunnel-like shape; ichthys, fish
Pholidichthys anguis Springer & Larson 1996 snake, referring to its elongate form
Pholidichthys leucotaenia Bleeker 1856 leukos, white; taenia, band, probably referring to white band running from eye to tail on upper body of juveniles (resembling the Striped Eel Catfish, Plotosus lineatus), gradually becoming numerous white bands and blotches on adults (the “prison stripes” behind the common name “convict” blenny)