Revised 18 July 2024
PDF version (with illustrations and additional information)

Amarginops Nichols & Griscom 1917 ἀ, Greek privative, i.e., without; marginis (L.), edge or border; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to lack of a free orbital margin

Amarginops hildae (Bell-Cross 1973) in honor of Hilda Jubb, Albany Museum, Grahamstown, South Africa (wife of ichthyologist Rex A. Jubb), “whose excellent fish illustrations of Southern African freshwater fishes [including holotype of this one] have been admired by all”

Amarginops platus Nichols & Griscom 1917 Latin for flat, referring to its “depressed, almost flat” head

Bathybagrus Bailey & Stewart 1984 bathýs (Gr. βαθύς), deep, referring to its “profundal habitat”; Bagrus, type genus of Bagridae, family in which genus had originally been placed

Bathybagrus tetranema Bailey & Stewart 1984 tetrá (Gr. τετρά), four; nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread, referring to its barbels, which are reduced to four slender filaments

Chrysichthys Bleeker 1858 chrysós (Gr. χρυσός), gold or golden, referring to golden-yellow head and/or specific name of C. auratus (=golden); ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Subgenus Chrysichthys

Chrysichthys acsiorum Hardman 2008 –orum (L.), commemorative suffix, plural: honoring those engaged in achieving the goals of the All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI)

Chrysichthys ansorgii Boulenger 1910 in honor of British explorer and collector William John Ansorge (1850–1913), who collected holotype

Chrysichthys auratus (Geoffroy St. Hilaire 1809) Latin for gilded, referring to golden-yellow head (at least on the specimens that Geoffroy St. Hilaire examined)

Chrysichthys bocagii Boulenger 1910 in memory of José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage (1823–1907), curator of zoology at the Museum of Natural History in Lisbon, “who so largely contributed to our knowledge” of the zoology of Angola (where this species is endemic)

Chrysichthys brachynema Boulenger 1900 brachys (Gr. βραχύς), short; nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread, referring to “nasal barbel not or but scarcely longer than diameter of eye”

Chrysichthys cranchii (Leach 1818) in honor of English naturalist and explorer John Cranch (1785–1816), who collected holotype

Chrysichthys delhezi Boulenger 1899 in honor of the late Paul Delhez (1870–1900), Belgian artist and naturalist who collected holotype (and whose collections and field observations were useful in the preparation of Boulenger’s book on Congo fishes)

Chrysichthys duttoni Boulenger 1905 in honor of the “regretted” Joseph Everett Dutton (1874–1905), British parasitologist, co-leader of the Dutton-Todd expedition to the Congo during which holotype was collected [he died there after contracting tick fever from performing autopsies while investigating that disease]

Chrysichthys furcatus Günther 1864 Latin for forked, referring to its large, “deeply forked” caudal fin

Chrysichthys grandis Boulenger 1917 Latin for large, referring to its size (described at 57 cm TL, one of the larger members of the genus, known to reach 63 cm and 4 kg)

Chrysichthys graueri Steindachner 1911 in honor of Austrian explorer and zoologist Rudolf Grauer (1870–1927), who collected holotype

Chrysichthys habereri Steindachner 1912 in honor of German physician, anthropologist and natural history collector Karl Albert Haberer (1864–1941), who collected holotype

Chrysichthys helicophagus Roberts & Stewart 1976 helico-, from Helix, genus of land snails, but apparently used here as a general term for snail or gastropod; phago, from phageín (Gr. φαγεῖν), to eat, referring to its diet

Chrysichthys johnelsi Daget 1959 in honor of Swedish zoologist and fisheries biologist Alf G. Johnels (1916–2010), Swedish Museum of Natural History, who observed and reported the first specimens in 1954

Chrysichthys laticeps Pellegrin 1932 latus (L.), broad or wide; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, “remarkable for the size and breadth of its head” (translation)

Chrysichthys levequei Risch 1988 in honor of French ichthyologist-hydrobiologist Christian Lévêque, ORSTOM (Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique d’Outre-Mer), who collected type

Chrysichthys mabusi Boulenger 1905 local name for this catfish at Lake Bangwelo, Zambia, type locality

Chrysichthys macropterus Boulenger 1920 big-finned, from makrós (Gr. μακρός), long or large, and pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin referring to its elevated dorsal fin

Chrysichthys maurus (Valenciennes 1840) from maurós (Gr. μαυρός), dark, referring to dark-brown to blackish coloration and/or almost black-brown fins

Chrysichthys okae Fowler 1949 of Oka, 18 miles north of Eovo, Congo system, French Equatorial Africa, type locality

Chrysichthys ornatus Boulenger 1902 Latin for decorated, referring to blackish spots and bands on body (more pronounced on juveniles, fainter on adults) and mottled blackish fins

Chrysichthys persimilis Günther 1899 per– (L.), very, continuous or throughout; similis (L.), similar, described as “extremely similar” to the holotype of C. furcatus

Chrysichthys platycephalus Worthington & Ricardo 1937 flat-headed, from platýs (Gr. πλατύς), flat, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to its broader, more flattened head compared with the similar C. graueri

Chrysichthys polli Risch 1987 in honor of Belgian ichthyologist Max Poll (1908–1991), former head of the Vertebrate section of the Tervuren Museum

Chrysichthys praecox Hardman & Stiassny 2008 Latin for early ripening or precocious, referring to small size at maturity (31.7–62.5 mm SL)

Chrysichthys punctatus Boulenger 1899 Latin for spotted, referring to a few black spots on the sides

Chrysichthys rueppelli Boulenger 1907 in honor of German explorer-naturalist Eduard Rüppell (1794–1884), whose collection of Nile fishes provided some of the type material

Chrysichthys sharpii Boulenger 1901 in honor of Alfred Sharpe (1853–1935), British planter, hunter and colonial administrator in central Africa, who presented holotype to the British Museum

Chrysichthys sianenna Boulenger 1906 local name for this catfish at Lake Tanganyika, where it is endemic

Chrysichthys stappersii Boulenger 1917 in honor of the late Louis Stappers (1883–1916), Belgian physician-biologist, and head of the Belgian colony in the Congo

Chrysichthys teugelsi Risch 1987 in honor of Belgian ichthyologist Guy G. Teugels (1954–2003), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), who helped collect holotype

Chrysichthys thonneri Steindachner 1912 in honor of Austrian botanist Franz Thonner (1863–1928), who collected holotype

Chrysichthys turkana Hardman 2008 –ana (L.), belonging to: Lake Turkana, Kenya, type locality, and the Turkana people, the predominant tribe in that area

Chrysichthys uniformis Pellegrin 1922 uni-, from unus (L.), one; formis, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of forma (L.), shape or form, referring to uniformly dark gray color above and yellowish below

Chrysichthys wagenaari Boulenger 1899 in honor of Lieut. Jean-Clément-Frédéric Wagenaar (1869–1941), Belgian army, who collected Upper Congo fishes for Boulenger, including presumably the holotype of this one

Chrysichthys walkeri Günther 1899 in honor of Robert Bruce Napoleon Walker (1832–1901), British trader and explorer, Royal Geographical Society, who collected holotype

Subgenus Chrysobagrus Boulenger 1899 chryso-, referring to close similarity to Chrysichthys; Bagrus, type genus of Bagridae, family in which genus had originally been placed

Chrysichthys brevibarbis (Boulenger 1899) brevis (L.), short; barbis (scientific Neo-Latin), barbel, referring to short nasal (<½ diameter of eye), maxillary (slightly longer than head) and outer mandibular (1½ times as long as inner mandibular) barbels

Chrysichthys longibarbis (Boulenger 1899) longus (L.), long; barbis (scientific Neo-Latin), barbel, referring to outer pair of maxillary barbels, which measure more than three times length of head and extend well past origin of anal fin

Chrysichthys longidorsalis Risch & Thys van den Audenaerde 1981 longus (L.), long; dorsalis (L.), of the back, referring to long dorsal fin, reaching to at least adipose fin when folded [replacement name for Gephyroglanis velifer Thys van den Audenaerde 1965, preoccupied in Chrysichthys by C. velifer (=maurus) Norman 1923]

Chrysichthys longipinnis (Boulenger 1899) longus (L.), long; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, i.e., finned, probably referring to long anal fin (with 13-14 rays)

Chrysichthys nyongensis Risch & Thys van den Audenaerde 1985 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Nyong River, Cameroon, where it is endemic

Subgenus Melanodactylus Bleeker 1858 mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; dáktylos (Gr. δάκτυλος), finger, referring to dark-edged fins of type species, Arius acutivelis (=C. nigrodigitatus)

Chrysichthys dageti Risch 1992 in honor of Jacques Daget (1919–2009), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), for his contributions to African ichthyology

Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacepède 1803) nigro-, from niger (L.), dark or black; digitatus (L.), having fingers or toes, referring to its dark-edged fins

Chrysichthys ogooensis (Pellegrin 1900) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Ogooué River at Adouma, Gabon, type locality

Subgenus Rheoglanis Poll 1966 rhéos (Gr. ῥέος), stream, current or rushing water, referring to C. dendrophorus, adapted to life under stones of rocky bottoms of rapids; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish

Chrysichthys aluuensis Risch 1985 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Omeuhuechi-Aluu, Ribers State, Nigeria, type locality

Chrysichthys dendrophorus (Poll 1966) branch-bearing, from déndron (Gr. δένδρον), tree (and by extension branch), and phoreús (Gr. φορεύς), bearer or carrier, referring to branched or tree-like arrangement of sensory channels on head

Chrysichthys thysi Risch 1985 in honor of Belgian ichthyologist Dirk Thys van den Audenaerde (b. 1934), who collected holotype

Clarotes Kner 1855 said by Kner to be from the ancient Greek Klaroten, a term for “people with bent necks” (translation), i.e., slaves (specifically, a group of people who lived on the Greek island of Crete in the 6th to 4th centuries who had a status somewhere between free and slave), referring to the sharp, downward-sloping angle of head (presumably the “bent neck”) of C. heuglini, which Kner did not realize was probably a deformed specimen of C. laticeps

Clarotes bidorsalis Pellegrin 1938 bi-, from bis (L.), twice; dorsalis (L.), of the back, referring to spine in adipose fin of adults (apparently bigger or more pronounced than adipose fin on C. laticeps), giving the impression that it has two dorsal fins

Clarotes laticeps (Rüppell 1829) latus (L.), broad or wide; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to its wide, depressed head

Clarotes macrocephalus Daget 1954 big-headed, from makrós (Gr. μακρός), long or large, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to its larger head compared with C. laticeps

Gephyroglanis Boulenger 1899 géphyra (Gr. γέφυρα), bridge, presumably reflecting Boulenger’s belief that it is a transitional or intermediate genus between Chrysobagrus (now a subgenus of Chrysichthys) and Pimelodus; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish

Gephyroglanis congicus Boulenger 1899 –icus (L.), belonging to: upper Congo River at Upoto, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Gehyroglanis gymnorhynchus Pappenheim 1914 bare-snouted, from gymnós (Gr. γυμνός), bare or naked, and rhýnchos (Gr. ῥύγχος), snout, referring to lack of nasal barbels

Gephyroglanis habereri Steindachner 1912 in honor of German physician, anthropologist and natural history collector Karl Albert Haberer (1864–1941), who collected holotype

Gnathobagrus Nichols & Griscom 1917 gnáthos (Gr. γνάθος), jaw, referring to strongly projecting lower jaw; Bagrus, type genus of Bagridae, family in which genus had originally been placed

Gnathobagrus depressus Nichols & Griscom 1917 Latin for pressed down, referring to its “remarkably” and “strongly” depressed head

Lophiobagrus Poll 1942 lophio,from the Monkfish Lophius piscatorius (Lophiidae), to which L. lestradei (=cyclurus) is said to be “somewhat reminiscent” (translation) in the very depresed shape of the anterior region of its body; Bagrus, type genus of Bagridae, family in which genus had originally been placed

Lophiobagrus aquilus Bailey & Stewart 1984 Latin for dark-colored or swarthy, referring to its dark-colored body

Lophiobagrus asperispinis Bailey & Stewart 1984 asper (L.), rough or pungent; spinis, from spinus (L.), thorn, referring to stronger serrae on pectoral spine compared with congeners

Lophiobagrus brevispinis Bailey & Stewart 1984 brevis (L.), short; spinis, from spinus (L.), thorn, referring to “short and weakly armed” dorsal and pectoral spines

Lophiobagrus cyclurus (Worthington & Ricardo 1937) round-tailed, from kýklos (Gr. κύκλος), ring or circle, and urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, described as a Chrysichthys with a rounded (vs. forked) caudal fin

Pardiglanis Poll, Lanza & Romoli Sassi 1972 Pardi, named for ethologist Leo Pardi (1915–1990), director, Center for the Study of Tropical Wildlife and Ecology, University of Florence, which sponsored expedition to Somalia during which holotype was collected; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish

Pardiglanis tarabinii Poll, Lanza & Romoli Sassi 1972 in honor of Giovanni Tarabini Castellani (1910–1992), director of the leprosarium at Gelib, Somalia, who provided holotype, which was caught by a local fisherman

Phyllonemus Boulenger 1906 phýllon (Gr. φύλλον); nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread or yarn, referring to leaf-like membrane at tips of maxillary barbels of P. typus

Phyllonemus brichardi Risch 1987 in honor of Belgian aquarium-fish exporter Pierre Brichard (1921–1990), who collected holotype

Phyllonemus filinemus Worthington & Ricardo 1937 etymology not explained, presumably filum (L.), thread or filament, and nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread or yarn, both referring to long maxillary barbels, flattened and flanged at the tips

Phyllonemus typus Boulenger 1906 serving as type of the genus