COMMENTS
v. 17.0 – 17 Nov. 2023 view/download PDF
Family TRICHONOTIDAE Sanddivers
1 genus · 10 species
Trichonotus Bloch & Schneider 1801 trichos, hair or ray; notus, back, referring to elongate or filamentous anterior dorsal-fin rays of T. setiger males
Trichonotus arabicus Randall & Tarr 1994 Arabian, named for its occurrence in the Arabian (Persian) Gulf and Arabian Sea
Trichonotus blochii Castelnau 1875 in honor of physician-naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799), who proposed the genus (with Schneider) in 1801
Trichonotus cyclograptus (Alcock 1890) cyclo-, circle; graptus, marked, referring to “brilliant” turquoise-gold eyespots arranged in parallel rows on head and body, and on dorsal, anal and caudal fins (eyespots turn to dark-gray rings in alcohol)
Trichonotus elegans Shimada & Yoshino 1984 elegant, referring to its “elegant body shape and undulating swimming motion”
Trichonotus filamentosus (Steindachner 1867) filamentous, presumably referring to elongate middle ventral-fin ray
Trichonotus halstead Clark & Pohle 1996 in honor of dive instructor and underwater photographer Dinah Halstead and her husband Bob (1944-2018), a dive-tour operator, both “phenomenal fish observers, whose expertise in fishes of PNG [Papua New Guinea] has contributed greatly to our studies” [a noun in apposition, without the plural eponymic “orum”]
Trichonotus marleyi (Smith 1936) in honor of Natal fisheries officer Harold Walter Bell-Marley (1872-1945), who presented type
Trichonotus nikii Clark & von Schmidt 1966 in honor of Niki Konstantinou, “youngest member on the field trip to the Red Sea” (type locality); according to a 2015 obituary of the senior author, Niki is Nickolas, her youngest son, six-years-old at the time, whose dive mask held the type specimen, and for whom the fish was nicknamed “Tricky Niki” due to its sand-burying behavior (the formal naming of the fish after him was “Much to my brother’s annoyance,” Nikolas later said)
Trichonotus setiger Bloch & Schneider 1801 seti, setae (hair-like structures); –iger, to bear, presumably referring to long, filamentous anterior dorsal-fin rays of males
Trichonotus somaliensis Katayama, Motomura & Endo 2012 –ensis, suffix denoting place: coast of Somalia, type locality
Family RHYACICHTHYIDAE Loach Gobies
Protogobius Watson & Pöllabauer 1998 protos, first; gobius, goby, allusion not explained, probably referring to a number a primitive (plesiomorphic) characters that demonstrate its position as a basal gobioid
Protogobius attiti Watson & Pöllabauer 1998 in honor of Chief Attiti, one of the Melanesian chiefs of the tribe Goro, who was “quick to recognize the new goby, but stated there was no name for it among the Melanesians” [a noun in apposition without the patronymic “i”]
Rhyacichthys Boulenger 1901 rhyaco, torrent, referring to its occurrence in fast-flowing streams; ichthys, fish
Rhyacichthys aspro (Valenciennes 1837) presumably referring to its superficial resemblance with the European percid Aspro apron (=Zingel asper)
Rhyacichthys guilberti Dingerkus & Séret 1992 in honor of entomologist Eric Guilbert, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), who helped collect holotype
Rhyacichthys novaeguineae Boulenger 1903 of Papua New Guinea, where it is endemic
Family ODONTOBUTIDAE Freshwater Sleepers
7 genera · 26 species
Microdous Li, He, Jiang, Liu & Li 2018 micro-, small; odous, teeth, referring to slender and tiny teeth on vomer
Microdous amblyrhynchos Hu, Lan & Li 2023 amblys, blunt; rhynchos, snout, referring to its blunt snout, compared with pointed snout of M. chalmersi
Microdous chalmersi (Nichols & Pope 1927) in honor of Chalmers Salsbury, son of Clarence G. Salsbury, M.D., American Presbyterian Mission of Hainan, China, honored in the same publication (Cyprinidae: Osteochilus salsburyi) for his interest and aid in Nichols’ work
Micropercops Fowler & Bean 1920 ops, appearance, referring to superficial resemblance of M. dabryi to the diminutive North American percid Etheostoma microperca
Micropercops borealis Nichols 1930 northern, proposed as a northern subspecies of M. dabryi
Micropercops cinctus (Dabry de Thiersant 1872) girdle or belt, referring to dark crossbands on yellowish body
Micropercops dabryi Fowler & Bean 1920 in honor of Pierre Dabry de Thiersant (1826-1898), fish culturist, French counsel to China and student of Chinese fishes, who described M. cinctus in 1872
Micropercops hotayensis Mai 1978 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ho Tay, northern Viêt Nam, type locality
Micropercops swinhonis (Günther 1873) –is, genitive singular of: Robert Swinhoe (1836-1877), British consul and naturalist at Shanghai, China, who collected type
Micropercops xanthi (Günther 1888) xanthos, yellow, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “light” coloration [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]
Neodontobutis Chen, Kottelat & Wu 2002 neo-, new, referring to similarities with the related genus Odontobutis
Neodontobutis aurarmus (Vidthayanon 1995) auro-, golden; armus, arm, referring to distinctive golden-brown color of pectoral-fin base (anatomically homologous to the arm)
Neodontobutis hainanensis (Chen 1985) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Hainan Island, China, type locality
Neodontobutis lani Zhou & Li 2022 in honor of Jiahu Lan, Aquatic Bureau of Du’an, who obtained type specimens at a local market in Longzhou Town, Chongzuo City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Neodontobutis macropectoralis (Mai 1978) macro-, large; pectoralis, pectoral, referring to larger pectoral fins compared to Micropercops hotayensis, its presumed congener at the time
Neodontobutis ngheanensis Nguyen & Nguyen 2011 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Nghe An province, Viêt Nam, where type locality (Khe Khang stream, Pumat National Park) is situated
Neodontobutis tonkinensis (Mai 1978) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Tonkin, Viêt Nam, type locality (also occurs on Hainan Island, China)
Odontobutis Bleeker 1874 odontos, tooth, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to outer row of teeth, which are slightly enlarged compared to Butis (Butidae), its presumed confamilial at the time
Odontobutis haifengensis Chen 1985 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Haifeng Xian, Guangdong Province, China, type locality
Odontobutis hikimius Iwata & Sakai 2002 latinization of Hikimi, name junior author (1998) had given for one of five geographic groups of O. obscura, referring to Hikimi River, Shimane Prefecture, Japan, type locality
Odontobutis interruptus Iwata & Jeon 1985 interrupted, referring to pale crossbands on body interrupted by a pale longitudinal line on each side
Odontobutis obscurus (Temminck & Schlegel 1845) dark, referring to its “dirty brown” coloration, “irregularly clouded with blackish brown” (translations)
Odontobutis platycephala Iwata & Jeon 1985 platy, flat; cephala, head, referring to its large, depressed head
Odontobutis potamophilus (Günther 1861) potamos, river; philos, fond of or loving, referring to its fluviatile habitat
Odontobutis sinensis Wu, Chen & Chong 2002 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sinica (China), where it is endemic
Odontobutis yaluensis Wu, Wu & Xie 1993 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Yalu River drainage, China, type locality
Perccottus Dybowski 1877 a combination of Perca and Cottus, referring to its similarity to perches (Percidae) and sculpins (Cottidae)
Perccottus glenii Dybowski 1877 in honor of Col. Nikolay Alexandrovich Glen, whose efforts improved the well-being of the Ussuri River area (Ussuriland) of Russia, type locality (also occurs in China and Korea; introduced in Europe)
Sineleotris Herre 1940 Sino-, of Sinica (China), referring to Hong Kong distribution of S. saccharae; Eleotris, its presumed confamilial at the time
Sineleotris namxamensis Chen & Kottelat 2004 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Nam Xam, a tributary of the Nam Ma, northeastern Laos, type locality
Sineleotris saccharae Herre 1940 saccharum, sugar, i.e., of sugar, in honor of Mr. B. E. Sugars, secretary of the Hong Kong Aquarium Society, who collected type
Terateleotris Shibukawa, Iwata & Viravong 2001 teras, a marvel or a monster; Eleotris, sleeper goby, referring to its “remarkable character arrangements,” which make the interrelationships of basal gobioids “chaotic”
Terateleotris aspro (Kottelat 1998) referring to similar color pattern with Rhyacichthys aspro (Rhyacichthyidae) and the European percid Zingel asper
Family MILYERINGIDAE Blind Cave Gobies
Milyeringa Whitley 1945 named for Milyering, 20 miles southwest of Vlamingh Head, North West Cape, Western Australia, type locality
Milyeringa justitia Larson & Foster 2013 justice, to complement the name of its only congener, M. veritas, which means truth: “As truth and justice are supposed to go together, we name this species justitia, from the Latin for justice, in the hope that justice helps the species to survive on Barrow Island, which has been an oilfield since 1967 and is most recently the site of the Gorgon Gas Hub development.”
Milyeringa veritas Whitley 1945 truth; according to Whitley (1951): like “Truth,” this blind cave goby was “found at the bottom of the well,” alluding to a quote attributed to the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Democritus (460 BC–c. 370 BC): “Truth lies at the bottom of a well, the depth of which, alas! gives but little hope of release.” (another version: “Of truth we know nothing, for truth lies at the bottom of a well.”)
Typhleotris Petit 1933 typhlos, blind, i.e., a blind Eleotris (Eleotridae), referring to its presumed relationship with that genus
Typhleotris madagascariensis Petit 1933 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Madagascar, where it is endemic to groundwaters of the Mahafaly Plateau
Typhleotris mararybe Sparks & Chakrabarty 2012 derived from the Malagasy words marary (ill or sick) and be (big), meaning “very sick” or “big sickness,” referring to the strange and debilitating viral fever that members of the field team suffered after diving in the Madagascar sinkhole where it occurs
Typhleotris pauliani Arnoult 1959 in honor of prominent French entomologist and former deputy director of the Institut de Recherche Scientifique de Madagascar, Renaud Paulian (1913-2003), who collected type specimens and did much seminal work on western Indian Ocean biogeography
Family ELEOTRIDAE Spinycheek Sleepers
28 genera · 170 species/subspecies · Taxonomic note: Includes taxa sometimes placed in the family Xenisthmidae.
Allomicrodesmus Schultz 1966 allo-, other or different, i.e., another genus presumed to be closely related to Microdesmus (Gobiidae)
Allomicrodesmus dorotheae Schultz 1966 in honor of Schultz’ wife, Dorothea Bowers Schultz, who illustrated many of the new species in his monograph (but not this one)
Allomogurnda Allen 2003 allo-, other or different, referring to its general appearance, which resembles Mogurnda
Allomogurnda flavimarginata Allen 2003 flavus, yellow; marginata, margined, referring to broad yellow margins on dorsal fins
Allomogurnda hoesei Allen 2003 in honor of ichthyologist Douglass F. Hoese (b. 1942), Australian Museum (Sydney), for numerous contributions to gobiid systematics
Allomogurnda insularis Allen 2003 of an island, referring to type locality, situated on Goodenough Island, eastern Papua New Guinea
Allomogurnda landfordorum Allen 2003 in honor of Alan and Julia Landford, formerly of Bulolo, Papua New Guinea, for their assistance with collecting paratypes of this species and A. flavimarginata [originally spelled landfordi, but since name honors more than one person, emendment is necessary]
Allomogurnda montana Allen 2003 of the mountains, referring to its occurrence in primary forest at an elevation of ~580 m
Allomogurnda multicincta Allen & Hoese 2017 multi-, many; cinctus, belted or encircled, referring to series of relatively narrow brown bars on body
Allomogurnda nesolepis (Weber 1907) nesos, island; lepis, scale, referring to “scales between the eyes and crest forming a kind of island in which those scales are larger than those behind them” (translation)
Allomogurnda papua Allen 2003 Papua, English historical name for southeastern Papua New Guinea, where it occurs
Allomogurnda sampricei Allen 2003 in honor of Samuel Price, a “keen teenage naturalist” from Jayapura, Indonesia, who collected type
Belobranchus Bleeker 1856 tautonymous with Eleotris belobrancha (but unnecessarily renamed B. quoyi), referring to branchiostegal rays, which terminate anteriorly into a spine
Belobranchus belobranchus (Valenciennes 1837) belos, arrow; branchus, gill, referring to branchiostegal rays of B. belobranchus, which terminate anteriorly into a spine
Belobranchus segura Keith, Hadiaty & Lord 2012 in honor of the authors’ friend Gilles Ségura, hydrobiologist, for his “extensive and enthusiastic work on freshwater fauna” [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Bunaka Herre 1927 from bunak, Negrito name for B. pinguis (=gyrinoides)
Bunaka gyrinoides (Bleeker 1853) –oides, having the form of: gyrinus, tadpole, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to body anteriorly cylindrical and posteriorly compressed
Caecieleotris Walsh & Chakrabarty 2016 caecus, blind, referring to its lack of eyes; Eleotris, type genus of family
Caecieleotris morrisi Walsh & Chakrabarty 2016 in honor of “good friend and colleague” Thomas L. Morris, “renowned cave diver and speleobiologist, intrepid explorer, and respected conservationist devoted to the protection of karst habitats and their associated biotas”; Morris discovered this species and collected type
Calumia Smith 1958 etymology not explained nor evident
Calumia eilperinae Allen & Erdmann 2010 in honor of environmental journalist Juilet Eilperin, “who has continued to expose [promote?] and support the Bird’s Head Seascape marine conservation program [encompassing Cenderawasih Bay, West Papua, Indonesia, type locality] through her excellent reportage of the initiative”
Calumia godeffroyi (Günther 1877) in honor of shipping magnate Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy (1813-1885), who commissioned natural history collections in Australia and the South Seas, and whose Museum Godeffroy (Hamburg, Germany), housed type and published its description
Calumia papuensis Allen & Erdmann 2010 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Papua Province, Indonesia, type locality
Calumia profunda Larson & Hoese 1980 of the depths, referring to its being found at relatively deep (38 m) coral reefs
Dormitator Gill 1861 Latin for “one who sleeps,” derived from “dormeur,” vernacular used in the early 19th-century French colonies of South America and source of the English vernacular “sleeper,” presumably referring to their seemingly lethargic behavior (see Eleotris)
Dormitator cubanus Ginsburg 1953 Cuban, known only from the western Atlantic waters off Cuba
Dormitator latifrons (Richardson 1844) latus, broad; frons, brow or face, referring to its broad and flat head
Dormitator lebretonis (Steindachner 1870) –is, genitive singular of: Dr. Lebreton (forename not given), “dear friend” (translation), who helped Steindachner in “every way” (translation) during his stay in Dagana, Senegal (type locality)
Dormitator maculatus (Bloch 1792) spotted, described as having brown spots on head and sides and black spots on belly
Eleotris Bloch & Schneider 1801 according to Valenciennes (1837), derived from a Greek name for an unidentified fish from the Nile, whereas Jordan & Gilbert (1883) claim that name derives from the Greek eleos (bewildered), perhaps alluding to the vernacular “sleeper,” which appears to be an English translation of the vernacular “dormeur” used in the early 19th-century French colonies of South America; Valenciennes stated that dormeurs are “usually lazy fish, which stand quietly in the mud or rocks holes” (translation)
Eleotris acanthopoma Bleeker 1853 acanthus, spine; poma, lid or covering, referring to conical and curved preopercular spine
Eleotris amblyopsis (Cope 1871) amblys, blunt; opsis, face, referring to its prominent chin
Eleotris annobonensis Blanc, Cadenat & Stauch 1968 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Annobón Island, Gulf of Guinea, type locality
Eleotris aquadulcis Allen & Coates 1990 aqua, water; dulcis, fresh, referring to its purely freshwater habitat
Eleotris beliziana Sauvage 1880 –anus, belonging to: Belize, one of the type localities (also described from French Guiana)
Eleotris bosetoi Mennesson, Keith, Ebner & Gerbeaux 2016 in honor of the authors’ friend David Boseto, for his “extensive and enthusiastic” work on the freshwater fauna of the Solomon Islands (he also helped collect type)
Eleotris daganensis Steindachner 1870 –ensis, suffix denoting place: near Dagana, Senegal, type locality (but occurs along Africa south to Namibia)
Eleotris diamsoi Mennesson, Keith & Feunteun 2020 named for the DIAMSOI (DIversité des AMphihalins du Sud-Ouest de l’océan Indien) program of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), which enabled the collection of specimens in Madagascar
Eleotris douniasi Keith, Mennesson, Dahruddin & Hubert 2021 in honor of Edmond Dounias, Institute for Research and Development (Indonesia), for his “kindness and for facilitating field missions in Indonesia for several years”
Eleotris eigenmanni Popta 1921 in honor of Carl H. Eigenmann (1863-1927), the “great fish expert” (translation) of South America [although this species occurs in Indonesia]
Eleotris fasciata Chen 1964 banded, presumably referring to two longitudinal short black bands projecting from hind margin of eye, and a third band below median of eye, all three reaching or nearly reaching hind margin or preoperculum
Eleotris feai Thys van den Audenaerde & Tortonese 1974 in honor of Leonardo Fea (1852-1903), Italian explorer, zoologist, painter and naturalist, who collected type in 1902
Eleotris fusca (Bloch & Schneider 1801) dark or dusky, referring to brown body coloration
Eleotris klunzingerii Pfeffer 1893 in honor of German physician and zoologist Carl Benjamin Klunzinger (1834-1914), whose 1870 synopsis of Red Sea fishes is cited many times by Pfeffer
Eleotris lutea Day 1876 yellow, but Day did not mention this color in his description; instead, he said it is “dirty-grayish” with dark/black spots (contemporary accounts appear to confirm grayish coloration)
Eleotris macrocephala (Bleeker 1857) macro– large; cephalus, from kephale, head, referring to its “considerably” (translation) longer (but more slender and lower) head compared with its Culius (=Eleotris) congeners in the Indian Archipelago
Eleotris mauritiana Bennett 1832 –ana, belonging to: Mauritius (Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean), type locality
Eleotris melanosoma Bleeker 1853 melanos, black; soma, body, presumably referring to dark- or black-green (“nigricante-viridi”) upper body color
Eleotris melanura Bleeker 1849 melano-, black; oura, tailed (but consistently treated as a noun by Bleeker, tail), referring to black caudal-fin base [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]
Eleotris oxycephala Temminck & Schlegel 1845 oxy, sharp; cephalus, head, referring to its more pointed head compared to Odontobutis obscura (Odontobutidae), its presumed congener at the time
Eleotris pellegrini Maugé 1984 in honor of French ichthyologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873-1944), who reported this species as E. vittata in 1933
Eleotris perniger (Cope 1871) per-, very; niger, black, referring to body coloration and/or black bars on fins
Eleotris picta Kner 1863 painted, probably referring to numerous spots and white striations on lower body
Eleotris pisonis (Gmelin 1789) –is, genitive singular of: William Piso (1611-1678), Dutch physician and naturalist, who, with Georg Marcgrave, wrote about this goby (and provided a pre-Linnaean name) in 1648
Eleotris sahanaensis Mennesson, Keith & Feunteun 2020 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sahana River, Madagascar, type locality
Eleotris sandwicensis Vaillant & Sauvage 1875 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sandwich Islands, former name of Hawaiian Islands, where it is endemic
Eleotris senegalensis Steindachner 1870 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Senegal, type locality
Eleotris soaresi Playfair 1867 in honor of João da Costa Soares of Mozambique, type locality (Soares was a Portuguese slaver involved in what the French called the “Free Labour System”)
Eleotris sumatraensis Mennesson, Keith, Sukmono, Risdawati & Hubert 2021 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Sumatra, where it is endemic
Eleotris tecta Bussing 1996 concealed or disguised, referring to its apparent scarcity and the fact that it has not been distinguished until recently from its congener, E. picta
Eleotris tubularis Heller & Snodgrass 1903 tubular, presumably referring to anterior nostril tubes extending beyond mouth
Eleotris valadei Keith, Mennesson & Henriette 2020 in honor of hydrobiologist Pierre Valade, Ocea Consult, who collected several specimens of this species at Reunion Island and Mayotte
Eleotris vittata Duméril 1861 banded, referring to broad black band on sides
Eleotris vomerodentata Maugé 1984 vomer, roof of mouth; dentata, toothed, referring to an oval-shaped patch of small caniniform teeth on vomer
Eleotris woworae Keith, Mennesson, Sauri & Hubert 2021 in honor of Daisy Wowor, Division of Zoology of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (Cibinong), who helped the authors collect freshwater fishes all around Indonesia
Erotelis Poey 1860 anagram of Eleotris, a closely related genus
Erotelis armiger (Jordan & Richardson 1895) bearing arms, referring to concealed antrorse hook below preopercle
Erotelis clarki (Hildebrand 1938) in honor of pathologist Herbert C. Clark (1877-1960), director of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (Panama), who made possible the “investigations resulting in the discovery of this and several other new species of Panamanian fishes”
Erotelis shropshirei (Hildebrand 1938) in honor of J. B. Shropshire, supervisor of malaria control for the U.S. Army in Panama, who “took the holotype in the dry dock at Mount Hope, when it was pumped out, and who assisted [Hildebrand] in many other ways while he was working in Panama in 1937”
Erotelis smaragdus smaragdus (Valenciennes 1837) emerald, alluding to esmeralda negra, its common name in Havana, Cuba (type locality)
Erotelis smaragdus civitatum Ginsburg 1953 of the states, allusion not explained but almost certainly referring to its distribution along the northern Gulf coast of the United States, whereas the nominate form occurs in the West Indies
Fagasa Schultz 1943 named for Fagasa, Polynesian village and bay, Tutuila Island, American Samoa, type locality of F. tutuilae
Fagasa tutuilae Schultz 1943 of Tutuila Island, American Samoa, type locality
Giuris Sauvage 1880 etymology not explained, perhaps alluding to Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton 1822), a gobiid (Gobiidae) from the Ganges River, whose name is a latinization of ghiyuri, a local Gangetic name (per Hamilton’s notes as published by Hora in 1934)
Giuris aporocephalus (Macleay 1884) a-, without; poros, pore; cephalus, head, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to absence of visible preopercular pores, unlike Ophiocara porocephalum (Butidae), its presumed congener at the time
Giuris caussei Keith, Mennesson & Lord 2020 in honor of Romain Causse, Muséum national de Histoire naturelle (Paris), for his dedication to ichthyology and the “invaluable” help he provided the authors both in the field and in the laboratory
Giuris charpini Keith & Mennesson 2020 in honor of Nicolas Charpin (Vies d’Ô douce, an NGO), for his “work for the improvement of knowledge and the protection of the freshwater fauna of New Caledonia,” where this species occurs
Giuris laglaizei (Sauvage 1880) in honor of Léon-François Laglaize, French traveler and naturalist, who collected type
Giuris margaritaceus (Valenciennes 1837) pearly, referring to what Valenciennes perceived as pearl-like white spots on its sides
Giuris tolsoni (Bleeker 1854) in honor of R. P. Tolson, member of the trading house Anderson, Tolson & Co. in Batavia (now Jakarta), who discovered this species while exploring a coal mine near Meeuwenbaai (Seagulls Bay) in Java, Indonesia, and “most kindly” (translation) gave it to Bleeker
Giuris viator Keith, Mennesson, Lord & Hubert 2020 traveler or pilgrim, referring to its wide distribution, from from Mayotte (Indian Ocean) to Indonesia (Java, Lombok, Ceram, Ambon, Halmahera, Sulawesi), and Papua New Guinea, Salomon, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia (Pacific Ocean)
Giuris yahayai Keith & Mennesson 2020 in honor of friend and colleague Ibrahim Yahaya (Centre National de Documentation et de Recherche Scientifique), for his work on the fauna of the Comoros archipelago, where this species occurs
Gobiomorphus Gill 1863 gobio, goby; morphus, shape, repeating the meaning of the type species epithet, G. gobioides, referring to how this New Zealand species resembles the “most common gobies” (translation) of European coasts
Gobiomorphus alpinus Stokell 1962 alpine (of a high mountain), referring to its occurrence at 1036 m
Gobiomorphus australis (Krefft 1864) southern, presumably referring to its endemic occurrence in Australia
Gobiomorphus basalis (Gray 1842) presumably referring to “broad yellow basal band” on pectoral fins
Gobiomorphus breviceps (Stokell 1939) brevis, short; ceps, head, referring to shorter head compared to Philypnodon grandiceps, its presumed congener at the time
Gobiomorphus cotidianus McDowall 1975 Latin for common or ordinary, referring to its vernacular name, “common bully”
Gobiomorphus coxii (Krefft 1864) patronym not identified, probably in honor of physician-naturalist James C. Cox (1834-1912), who collected a snake that Krefft described in a companion paper, and a trustee of the Sydney (now Australian) Museum, where Krefft worked
Gobiomorphus dinae Thacker, Geiger & Shelly 2023 in honor of Dinah Arndt, Director of the Climate Media Centre (New South Wales, Australia), for her “unstinting support” of freshwater fish research and fieldwork across both Australia and New Zealand; she is a “hobbyist who contributes specimens to museums in both Australia and New Zealand, and she helped with collecting a number of the samples we used” (C. Thacker, pers. comm.)
Gobiomorphus gobioides (Valenciennes 1837) –oides, having the form of: gobius, or goby, referring to how this New Zealand species resembles the “most common gobies” (translation) of European coasts
Gobiomorphus hubbsi (Stokell 1959) in honor of ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894-1979), who drew attention to the distinctiveness of this species while collecting with Stokell in 1949
Gobiomorphus huttoni (Ogilby 1894) in honor of Capt. Frederick Wollaston Hutton (1836-1905), Army officer and naturalist, “whose researches have tended so much to elucidate the history of the New Zealand fishes”
Gobiomorphus mataraerore Thacker, Geiger & Shelly 2023 derived from three Maori words: mata, face, referring to the distinctive facial expression of Gobiomorphus fishes; rae, forehead, referring to its elongate forehead; rore, in honor of the type locality that lies within the region traditionally referred to as Kaharore (a traditional bird snare)
Gobiomorus Lacepède 1800 gobio, goby; [h]omorus, having the same borders with or neighborly, i.e., a “neighbor or ally of the gobies” (translation), referring to their affinities and similarities (note: second part of name does not derive from moros, meaning dull, sluggish or stupid, referring to their seemingly lethargic behavior, as previously reported here and elsewhere)
Gobiomorus dormitor Lacepède 1800 Latin for “one who sleeps,” derived from “dormeur,” vernacular used in the early 19th-century French colonies of South America, presumably referring to their seemingly lethargic behavior (see Eleotris) and source of the English vernacular “sleeper”
Gobiomorus maculatus (Günther 1859) spotted, referring to irregular blackish spots on yellowish body
Gobiomorus polylepis Ginsburg 1953 poly; many; lepis, scales, referring to smaller, more numerous (70-80) lateral line scales compared to congeners
Guavina Bleeker 1874 tautonynous with Eleotris guavina (Spanish name for this species and perhaps sleeper gobies in general)
Guavina guavina (Valenciennes 1837) Spanish name for this species (and perhaps sleeper gobies in general) reported by Portuguese-Cuban naturalist Antonio Parra (1739-?) in 1787
Guavina micropus Ginsburg 1953 micro-, small; pous, foot, referring to its “strikingly small” ventral fins
Gymnoxenisthmus Gill, Bogorodsky & Mal 2014 gymnos, bare or naked, referring to absence of scales on body; Xenisthmus, similar in body form to that genus
Gymnoxenisthmus flavicinctus Gill, Bogorodsky & Mal 2019 flavus, yellow; cinctus, belted, referring to yellow bars on upper body
Gymnoxenisthmus tigrellus Gill, Bogorodsky & Mal 2014 little tiger, referring to orange bars on body (name was selected by school children at the Australian Museum Science Festival Expo in August 2013)
Hemieleotris Meek & Hildebrand 1916 hemi-, partial, referring to similarity and/or close affinity to Eleotris
Hemieleotris latifasciata (Meek & Hildebrand 1912) latus, wide; fasciatus, banded, referring to well-defined black band extending from tip of snout and through eye to base of caudal fin
Hemieleotris levis Eigenmann 1918 smooth, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to cycloid scales on head, breast, belly, and in front of dorsal fin
Hypseleotris Gill 1863 hypselos, high or tall, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to somewhat elevated dorsal profile of H. cyprinoides; Eleotris, type genus of family
Hypseleotris acropinna Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 acro, sharp or pointed; pinna, fin, referring to elongate, pointed second dorsal and anal fins which help to distinguish it from H. bucephala
Hypseleotris alexis (Whitley 1959) –is, genitive singular of: Alex, presumably from Alexishafen, near Madang, Papua New Guinea, where type locality (a freshwater lake) is situated
Hypseleotris aurea (Shipway 1950) golden, referring to tawny yellow body with a “slight golden appearance” in life
Hypseleotris barrawayi Larson 2007 in honor of the late Sandy Barraway, “traditional [aboriginal] owner of the Sleisbeck country [land or region], who had great knowledge of the fauna and stories associated with that country”
Hypseleotris bucephala Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 bu-, large; cephala, headed, referring to blunt profile and enlarged forehead seen particularly in the male
Hypseleotris compressa (Krefft 1864) referring to its “compressed” body
Hypseleotris cyprinoides (Valenciennes 1837) –oides, having the form of: Cyprinus, referring to how it “singularly resembles” the European cyprinid Cyprinus (now Alburnus) alburnus or “some neighboring species” (translations)
Hypseleotris ebneri Keith & Mennesson 2023 in honor Brendan Ebner, friend and Research Scientist, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries (Australia), for his “work and passion” for the freshwater fauna of the Pacific islands
Hypseleotris ejuncida Hoese & Allen 1982 Latin for slender, referring to slender body shape
Hypseleotris everetti (Boulenger 1895) in honor of Alfred Hart Everett (1848–1898), British civil servant and administrator, naturalist and zoological collector, who collected holotype
Hypseleotris galii (Ogilby 1898) in honor of friend and aquarist Albert Gale, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, who discovered this goby in a “stone tank” at the Royal Botanic Garden (Sydney) and bred it in the aquarium
Hypseleotris garawudjirri Shelley, Delaval & Le Feuvre 2023 combination of the words Garawud Jirri, meaning “light/little fish–floating around” in the Ngarinyin language (Kimberley Region, Western Australia; pronounced Gaarr-Arrd Jiddy); name refers to how the fish is often seen nearly motionless in the water column amongst fallen leaves and Pandanus roots
Hypseleotris guentheri (Bleeker 1875) in honor of German-born British ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830–1914), who reported this species as Eleotris (now Hypseleotris) cyprinoides in 1861
Hypseleotris gymnocephala Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 gymnos, bare or naked; cephala, headed, referring to scaleless skin of forehead, nape and dorsal midline anterior to first dorsal fin
Hypseleotris hutchinsi (Hoese & Allen 1987) in honor of ichthyologist J. Barry Hutchins (b. 1946), Western Australian Museum, who collected type
Hypseleotris kimberleyensis Hoese & Allen 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kimberley district, Western Australia, type locality
Hypseleotris klunzingeri (Ogilby 1898) in honor of German physician and zoologist Carl Benjamin Klunzinger (1834-1914), who reported this goby as E. cyprinoides in 1880
Hypseleotris leuciscus (Bleeker 1853) referring to similar body form compared to some Indian species of the cyprinoid genus Leuciscus
Hypseleotris maranda Shelley, Delaval & Le Feuvre 2023 Ngarinyin language word for the catchment (Roe River, Kimberley Region, Western Australia) where the species is found (pronounced Mar-un-da)
Hypseleotris moncktoni (Regan 1908) in honor of Charles Arthur Whitmore Monckton (1873–1936), New Zealand-born magistrate and explorer in British (now Papua) New Guinea, who “presented” holotype to the British Museum
Hypseleotris moolooboolaensis Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Moolooboola (actually spelled Moocooboola), Aboriginal name for the Mary River (Queensland, Australia), in whose drainage this species occurs
Hypseleotris notata (Hoese & Allen 1987) marked, referring to vertical and chevron-shaped dark-brown bands on sides
Hypseleotris regalis Hoese & Allen 1982 royal or regal, referring to type locality, Prince Regent Reserve, West Kimberley, Western Australia
Hypseleotris wunduwala Shelley, Delaval & Le Feuvre 2023 “bush name” (Belaa language, pronounced Wundu-wala) of ethno-ecologist Dolores Cheinmora (1926-2011), who, alongside her daughter Agnes Charles, was a part of the 2004-2005 fish survey during which this species was first collected
Leptophilypnion Roberts 2013 diminutive of Leptophilypnus, to which this genus “seems to be related”
Leptophilypnion fittkaui Roberts 2013 in honor of Ernst Josef Fittkau (1927-2012), entomologist, conservationist and advocate of Amerindian rights, who collected type in 1961
Leptophilypnion pusillus Roberts 2013 very small or insignificant, referring to its size, 8.4-9.1 mm SL
Leptophilypnus Meek & Hildebrand 1916 leptos, thin, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to elongate body of L. fluviatilis, similar to body shape of closely related Philypnus (=Gobiomorus) [note: philypnus means “sleep-loving,” apparently reflecting the “sleeper” or “dormeur” vernacular]
Leptophilypnus fluviatilis Meek & Hildebrand 1916 of a river, presumably referring to its being collected in a “muddy brackish creek” near the Atlantic Coast in the Panama Canal Zone
Leptophilypnus guatemalensis Thacker & Pezold 2006 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Guatemala, where all known specimens are from
Leptophilypnus panamensis (Meek & Hildebrand 1916) –ensis, suffix denoting place: referring to distribution off Pacific slope of Panama (also occurs off Costa Rica)
Microphilypnus Myers micro-, small, distinguished from Philypnus (=Gobiomorus) by its “minute” size
Microphilypnus acangaquara Caires & Figueiredo 2011 from the Tupí words akang, head, and quara, hole, referring to sensory pores on head, unique in the genus
Microphilypnus hypolyrasimeion Caires & Toledo-Piza 2018 hypo, under; lyra, lyre; simeion, marking, referring to arched rows of melanophores on abdominal region, which resemble a lyre
Microphilypnus macrostoma Myers 1927 macro-, long or large; stoma, mouth, presumably referring to “extremely prognathous” lower jaw, with lower teeth exposed
Microphilypnus tapajosensis Caires 2013 –ensis, suffix denoting place: temporary pools along the middle Tapajós River, Amazonas, Brazil, where it is endemic
Microphilypnus ternetzi Myers 1927 in honor of ichthyologist and naturalist Carl Ternetz (1870-1928), who “through his personal effort, has brought together for Indiana University one of the finest collections of South American fresh-water fishes in existence,” including type of this one
Mogurnda Gill 1863 tautonymous with Eleotris mogurnda, native name for this species at Port Essington, Northern Territory, Australia
Mogurnda adspersa (Castelnau 1878) besprinkled, referring to small, rounded, dark-brown spots covering body
Mogurnda aiwasoensis Allen & Renyaan 1996 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Aiwaso, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, type locality
Mogurnda arguni Allen & Hadiaty 2014 named for Arguni Bay, West Papua, Indonesia, general type locality
Mogurnda aurifodinae Whitley 1938 aurum, gold or auriger, gold-bearing; fodina, mine, i.e., of a gold mine, referring to the goldfields of Bulolo, Papua New Guinea, type locality [spelling often wrongly “corrected” to aurofodinae]
Mogurnda cingulata Allen & Hoese 1991 girdled or banded, referring to ~10 dark brown or grayish bars extending down on upper ⅔ of sides with lighter areas between bars
Mogurnda clivicola Allen & Jenkins 1999 clivus, hill; –cola, inhabitant of, referring to its habitat in the stream-side valleys of Flinders Ranges, near Balcanoona, South Australia
Mogurnda furva Allen & Hoese 1986 dark, swarthy or black, referring to its characteristic coloration
Mogurnda kaifayama Allen & Jenkins 1999 named for Lake Kaifayama, Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia, type locality
Mogurnda kaimana Allen & Hadiaty 2014 named for Kaimana, capital of Kaimana Regency, West Papua, Indonesia, where type locality is situated
Mogurnda kutubuensis Allen & Hoese 1986 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Kutubu, Papua New Guinea, type locality
Mogurnda larapintae (Zietz 1896) of Larapinta, Arrernte Aborigine name for Finke River (Northern Territory, Australia), in whose tributaries this goby was collected
Mogurnda lineata Allen & Hoese 1991 lined or striped, referring to dark-brown to nearly blackish midlateral stripe between bases of pectoral and caudal fins
Mogurnda maccuneae Jenkins, Buston & Allen 2000 in honor of evolutionary biologist Amy McCune, Cornell University, “whose teaching and research in the field of ichthyology are truly inspirational”
Mogurnda magna Allen & Renyaan 1996 large, referring to its size, “which far exceeds” that of any congener
Mogurnda malsmithi Allen & Jebb 1993 in honor of Malcolm Smith, owner, Pacific Helicopters, Ltd., who generously donated the use of one of his aircraft, which helped the authors collect this species
Mogurnda mbuta Allen & Jenkins 1999 named for Lake Mbuta basin, Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia, type locality
Mogurnda mogurnda (Richardson 1844) native name for this species at Port Essington, Northern Territory, Australia, type locality
Mogurnda mosa Jenkins, Buston & Allen 2000 local Foe (Papua New Guinea) name for this species
Mogurnda oligolepis Allen & Jenkins 1999 oligos, few; lepis, scale, referring to low lateral scale count compared to M. mogurnda, the other species in the area
Mogurnda orientalis Allen & Hoese 1991 eastern, the most easternly member of the genus in New Guinea
Mogurnda pardalis Allen & Renyaan 1996 spotted, referring to its dominant color pattern feature
Mogurnda pulchra Horsthemke & Staeck 1990 beautiful, referring to color pattern, with blue blotches and red spots along middle of body and females with tangerine bellies
Mogurnda spilota Allen & Hoese 1986 stained or spotted, referring to color pattern in life, comprising ~10 irregular-shaped white blotches (about eye size) along middle of side from upper corner of operculum to base of caudal fin
Mogurnda thermophila Allen & Jenkins 1999 thermos, heat; philo, to love, referring to its occurrence in the complex of thermal artesian springs at Dalhousie, South Australia
Mogurnda variegata Nichols 1951 variegated, presumably referring to its varied color pattern, a maze of large dark brown blotches on a tan or yellowish ground, with dark brown spoke-like bands radiating from lower and posterior edge of eye
Mogurnda vitta Allen & Hoese 1986 ribbon, band or stripe, referring to broad white stripe from upper edge of operculum to base of caudal fin, bordered above and below with dark brown stripes, nearly equal in width to white stripe and joining at caudal base
Mogurnda wapoga Allen, Jenkins & Renyaan 1999 named for the Wapoga drainage system, Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia, where it is endemic
Paraxenisthmus Gill & Hoese 1993 para-, near, referring to its similarity to Xenisthmus
Paraxenisthmus cerberusi Winterbottom & Gill 2006 named after Cerberus, three-headed dog guarding the gates of Hades in Greek mythology, referring to its “relatively toothy attributes,” and to black juveniles and red-and-black adults, colors that are “often associated with the darkness and flames of the Christian concept of the Underworld”
Paraxenisthmus springeri Gill & Hoese 1993 in honor of ichthyologist Victor G. Springer (b. 1928), U.S. National Museum, for his contributions to the systematics of xenisthmine and other fishes
Philypnodon Bleeker 1874 odon, teeth, referring to teeth on palatine and tongue (although modern accounts seem to dispute this), compared to their absence on the closely related Philypnus (=Gobiomorus) [note: philypnus means “sleep-loving,” apparently reflecting the “sleeper” or “dormeur” vernacular]
Philypnodon grandiceps (Krefft 1864) grandis, large; ceps, head, described as “very large, broad, depressed, without any apparent scales”
Philypnodon macrostomus Hoese & Reader 2006 macro-, large; stomus, referring to large mouth that develops in males
Ratsirakia Maugé 1984 –ia, belonging to: Didier Ratsiraka (b. 1936), President of Madagascar (1975-1993 and 1997-2002), where R. legendrei is endemic
Ratsirakia legendrei (Pellegrin 1919) in honor of Jean Legendre, physician of the French Colonial Troops in Madagascar, who observed this goby and provided “interesting details” (translation) of its biology
Rotuma Springer 1988 named for the island of Rotuma, a Fijian dependency, type locality
Rotuma lewisi Springer 1988 in honor of Anthony D. Lewis (b. 1948), Fisheries Officer, Government of Fiji, for his support of Springer’s field work in Fiji
Tateurndina Nichols 1955 –ina, adjectival suffix: Tate, named for the brothers George H. H. Tate (1884-1953), botanist and mammalogist, and Geoffrey M. Tate (1898-1964), expedition business manager and collector, Nichols’ colleagues at the American Museum of Natural History, for their participation in the Archbold Expeditions to New Guinea, during which type was collected; urnd, presumably a reference to the closely related genus Mogurnda
Tateurndina ocellicauda Nichols 1955 ocellus, eyespot; cauda, tail, referring to a “large, conspicuous, longitudinally oval black blotch at the base of caudal, partly surrounded by a bright band across peduncle in front of it, which is now whitish, but was yellow or orange when the specimens were placed in alcohol”
Tyson Springer 1983 named for ichthyologist Tyson R. Roberts (b. 1940), the first to collect this species (1975) and recognize its distinctiveness
Tyson belos Springer 1983 arrow, referring to its arrow-like shape
Xenisthmus Snyder 1908 xenos, strange or foreign (i.e., different), presumably referring to how edges of gill membranes of X. proriger (=clarus) are “free from the isthmus”
Xenisthmus africanus Smith 1958 African, referring to its occurrence off Mozambique, western Indian Ocean, identified as a separate species from its Red Sea congener, X. polyzonatus
Xenisthmus balius Gill & Randall 1994 spotted or dappled, referring to “reticulate mottling of irregular, brown to dark grey-brown melanophores” on head and body
Xenisthmus chapmani (Schultz 1966) in honor of ichthyologist Wilbert M. Chapman (1910-1970), who collected type
Xenisthmus chi Gill & Hoese 2004 22nd letter of Greek alphabet, referring to X-shaped markings on body
Xenisthmus clarus (Jordan & Seale 1906) clear, referring to its translucent, scaleless body
Xenisthmus eirospilus Gill & Hoese 2004 eiro, to join in lines or string together; spilos, spot or fleck, referring to prominent mid-side pattern of closely spaced dark spots
Xenisthmus nigrolateralis Chen, Harefa, Jiang & Chang 2022 nigro-, from niger, dark or black; lateralis, of the side, referring to broad, deep-brown lateral stripe from rear of gill opening to caudal-fin base
Xenisthmus oligoporus Gill, Bogorodsky & Mal 2017 oligos, few; poros, hole, referring to relatively low number of sensory pores on head compared to congeners
Xenisthmus polyzonatus (Klunzinger 1871) poly, many; zonatus, banded, referring to 12-13 broad, black crossbands on body
Xenisthmus semicinctus Gill & Hoese 2004 semi-, half; cinctum, girdle or belt, referring to dark markings on dorsal part of body
Family BUTIDAE Butid Sleepers
10 genera · 54 species
Bostrychus Lacepède 1801 curl or lock of hair, referring to long, tubular anterior nostrils of B. sinensis, which Lacepède apparently believed were barbels
Bostrychus africanus (Steindachner 1879) African, described from Sierra Leone (and occurring along eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Angola, including the islands of the Gulf of Guinea)
Bostrychus aruensis Weber 1911 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Aru Island, Aru Islands, Maluku, Indonesia, type locality
Bostrychus microphthalmus Hoese & Kottelat 2005 micro-, small; ophthalmus, eye, referring to its small, reduced eyes, covered with skin
Bostrychus scalaris Larson 2008 of a ladder, referring to step-ladder-like banded pattern on body
Bostrychus sinensis Lacepède 1801 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sinica (China), described from a Chinese drawing (no types known)
Bostrychus strigogenys Nichols 1937 stria, line; genys, cheek, referring to conspicuous dark stripes on white lower part of face behind eye
Bostrychus zonatus Weber 1907 banded, referring to 8-9 dark bars or bands on body
Butis Bleeker 1856 tautonymous with Cheilodipterus butis (see species account, below)
Butis abdoui Keith & Mennesson 2023 in honor of the authors’ colleague Ahmed Abdou, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), for his “work and passion for the freshwater fauna of Comoros and of the Indian Ocean”
Butis amboinensis (Bleeker 1853) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ambon Island, Molucca Islands, Indonesia, type locality (occurs from India to Philippines and New Guinea, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia)
Butis audebertae Keith & Mennesson 2023 in honor of the authors’ colleague Fabienne Audebert, Sorbonne University (Paris), for her work to “improve our knowledge on fish parasites”
Butis butis (Hamilton 1822) derived from Bhutī bēlē, local name for this goby near Calcutta (per Hamilton’s notes as published by Hora in 1934); according to Gill & Hoese (2011), possibly derived from the Indian word buti, a decorative, circular design woven, embroidered or printed on cloth, particularly common in sari fabric, that usually contrasts vividly with the background fabric (e.g., orange, gold, yellow, red or white over a dark field color), an interpretation in keeping with Hamilton’s description of its live coloration: “[it] is of a blackish colour, with the hinder fins spotted with red, and ventrals with black. There are two red spots at the roots of the pectoral fins.”
Butis delagoensis (Barnard 1927) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Delagoa Bay, Mozambique, type locality
Butis gymnopomus (Bleeker 1853) gymnos, bare or naked; poma, lid or covering, referring to lack of preopercular spine, compared to Eleotris acanthopoma (Eleotridae), its presumed congener at the time
Butis huberti Keith & Mennesson 2023 in honor of the authors’ colleague Nicolas Hubert, French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), for his work on the freshwater fauna of South Asia and Indonesia
Butis humeralis (Valenciennes 1837) pertaining to the shoulder, presumably referring to black spot of base of pectoral fin
Butis koilomatodon (Bleeker 1849) etymology not explained, perhaps koilos, hollow or cavity; mataios, empty or lacking; odon, tooth, i.e., oral cavity lacking teeth, referring to absence of canines compared to related species (Ronald Fricke, pers. comm.)
Butis prismaticus (Bleeker 1849) variably or brilliantly colored, presumably referring to any or all of the following: dusky green body above, lighter below; yellow transverse streak on scales; blackish first dorsal fin; membrane of other fins violet with orange rays; spotted ventral, anal and caudal fins; pectoral fin with black spot at base
Incara Rao 1971 combination of letters taken from the name Indian Council of Agricultural Research
Incara multisquamatus Rao 1971 multi-, many; squamatus, scaled, referring to unique arrangement of ctenoid and cycloid scales on head and body and oval cycloid scales on caudal fin
Kribia Herre 1946 –ia, belonging to: Kribi River, southern Cameroon, type locality of K. kribensis
Kribia kribensis (Boulenger 1907) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kribi River, southern Cameroon, type locality (occurs in west-central Africa from Guinea to Congo)
Kribia leonensis (Boulenger 1916) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sierra Leone, only known area of occurrence
Kribia nana (Boulenger 1901) nanus, dwarf, referring to small size, described at 38 mm TL
Kribia uellensis (Boulenger 1913) –ensis, suffix denoting place: upper Uelé River, Democratic Republic of Congo, type locality
Odonteleotris Gill 1863 odonto, teeth, referring to canine teeth on upper and lower jaws; Eleotris (Eleotridae), its presumed closest relative at the time and original genus of type species
Odonteleotris canina (Bleeker 1849) referring to canine teeth on upper and lower jaws
Odonteleotris macrodon (Bleeker 1853) macro-, large; odon, tooth, referring to large canine teeth on upper and lower jaws
Ophiocara Gill 1863 ophis, snake; cara, head, referring to large scales and flattened head of O. ophicephalus, similar to that of snakeheads (Ophiocephalus, junior synonym of Channa, Anabantiformes: Channidae)
Ophiocara cantoris (Günther 1861) –is, genitive singular of: Danish naturalist Theodor Edvard Cantor (1809-1860), who reported this species as Eleotris porocephalus (=O. porocephalum) in 1849
Ophiocara gigas Kobayashi & Sato 2023 Greek for giant, its adult maximum size greater than those of its congeners
Ophiocara macrolepidotum (Bloch 1792) macro-, large; lepidotum, scaly, referring to its “distinctive” (translation) large scales
Ophiocara macrostoma Kobayashi & Sato 2023 macro-, long or large, stoma, mouth, referring to its large mouth and elongated upper jaw in adults
Ophiocara ophicephalus (Valenciennes 1837) named for the snakehead genus Ophicephalus (=Channa, Anabantiformes: Channidae), from ophis, snake, and cephalus, head, referring to large scales and flattened head, similar to that of snakeheads
Ophiocara porocephalum (Valenciennes 1837) poro, hole; cephala, head, referring to four large pores along upper edge of preopercle
Oxyeleotris Bleeker 1874 oxys, sharp or pointed, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to head of type species, O. marmorata, which Bleeker described as pointed and depressed (“acuto, depresso”) in 1852; Eleotris, its presumed closest relative at the time and original genus of type species
Oxyeleotris albooculata (Herre 1927) albus, white; oculata, eyed, the pupils of eyes “noticeably white”
Oxyeleotris altipinna Allen & Renyaan 1996 altus, high; pinna, fin, referring to its higher dorsal fin compared to O. nullipora, its nearest relative
Oxyeleotris aruensis (Weber 1911) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Aru Island, Aru Islands, Maluku, Indonesia, type locality (also occurs off northern Australia and New Guinea)
Oxyeleotris caeca Allen 1996 caecus, blind, referring to its vestigial eyes, not externally visible but still pigmented in orbit; name also reflects its common name in the Yagi language, ihaaribi, also meaning blind
Oxyeleotris colasi Pouyaud, Kadarusman & Hadiaty 2013 in honor of the COLAS Companies in Indonesia, which co-sponsored the Lengguru-Kaimana expedition (2010), during which type was collected
Oxyeleotris fimbriata (Weber 1907) fimbriate (having a fringe or border of hair- or fringe-like projections) on all of its fins except the first dorsal
Oxyeleotris herwerdenii (Weber 1910) in honor of Capt. J. H. Hondius van Herwerden, Dutch Government Navy, for his knowledge of the coast and rivers of New Guinea, where type was collected
Oxyeleotris heterodon (Weber 1907) heteros, different; odon, teeth, referring to different placement (anterior vs. posterior) of larger teeth on upper and lower jaws
Oxyeleotris lineolata (Steindachner 1867) lined, referring to blackish spot in middle of scales, which form numerous longitudinal lines in the direction of the scale rows
Oxyeleotris marmorata (Bleeker 1852) marbled, referring to yellowish body marbled with brown
Oxyeleotris mertoni (Weber 1911) in honor of German zoologist Hugo Merton (1879-1940), who collected many fishes among the Aru Islands of Indonesia, including type of this one
Oxyeleotris nullipora Roberts 1978 nullus, nothing; porus, pore, apparently differing from all known congeners in lacking cephalic pores
Oxyeleotris paucipora Roberts 1978 paucus, few; poro, pore, referring to reduced cephalic pore system, nasal pores usually absent (a few specimens with one or two)
Oxyeleotris selheimi (Macleay 1884) in honor of “Mr. Selheim” (forename not given), a German naturalist living in the Palmer District of Queensland, Australia, who collected type; possibly Philip Frederic Sellheim (note spelling, 1832-1899), a pastoralist and mining official who was in charge of the Palmer River goldfields
Oxyeleotris siamensis (Günther 1861) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Siam, or Thailand, where it appears to be endemic
Oxyeleotris stagnicola Allen, Hortle & Renyaan 2000 stagnum, pool of standing water; –cola, dweller or inhabitant, referring to its swamp habitat
Oxyeleotris urophthalmoides (Bleeker 1853) –oides, having the form of: referring to similar appearance to the closely related O. urophthalmus
Oxyeleotris urophthalmus (Bleeker 1851) oura, tail; ophthalmus, eye, referring to large ocellus at upper base of caudal fin
Oxyeleotris wisselensis Allen & Boeseman 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: vicinity of Tigi Lake, one of the Wissel Lakes, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, type locality
Parviparma Herre 1927 parvus, small; parma, a small shield, the entire body covered with “minute cycloid scales, more or less embedded and difficult to see”
Parviparma straminea Herre 1927 straw-colored, referring to “straw yellow” color in alcohol
Pogoneleotris Bleeker 1875 pogon, beard, presumably referring to numerous short filaments and fringes on snout and cheeks; Eleotris (Eleotridae), its presumed closest relative at the time and original genus of type species
Pogoneleotris heterolepis (Günther 1869) hetero-, different; lepis, scale, referring to numerous small ctenoid scales “mixed with large ones, the smaller occupying chiefly the base of the larger”
Prionobutis Bleeker 1874 prion, saw, presumably referring to bony serrated crests on snout and interorbital; Butis, type genus of family
Prionobutis dasyrhynchus (Günther 1868) dasys, rough; rhynchus, snout, presumably referring to preorbital and supraorbital ridges “beset with rough prominences or spines”
Prionobutis microps (Weber 1907) micro-, small; ops, eye, its length 8-8½ times in head, about half the length of snout
Prionobutis planiceps (Castelnau 1878) planus, flat; ceps, head, referring to “broad and flat” snout [type specimen lost; possibly a senior synonym of P. microps]
Family THALASSELEOTRIDIDAE Ocean Sleepers
Grahamichthys Whitley 1956 in honor of marine biologist David H. Graham, author of A Treasury of New Zealand Fishes (1953), alluding to country where only species occurs; ichthys, fish
Grahamichthys radiatus (Valenciennes 1837) rayed, allusion not explained nor evident; since French vernacular is “l’eleotris rayé” (rayé = striped), perhaps name refers to 12 brownish vertical stripes on sides
Tempestichthys Goatley & Tornabene 2022 tempestas, storm, referring to Severe Tropical Cyclone Oma, which passed through the Coral Sea between 11 and 22 February 2019, resulting in rough seas, nausea, and changes to the itinerary of the 2019 Coral Sea Monitoring Program Cruise, during which holotype was collected; ichthys, fish
Tempestichthys bettyae Goatley & Tornabene 2022 in honor of Mrs E. Goatley, great aunt of the senior author, for the support and encouragement she has provided “throughout his life and career“
Thalasseleotris Hoese & Larson 1987 thalassa, sea, referring to T. adela, described from the marine waters of southern Australia; Eleotris, presumed to be an eleotrid at the time
Thalasseleotris adela Hoese & Larson 1987 adelos, dim or obscure, referring to its cryptic and often dark habitat (i.e., silty, turbid waters)
Thalasseleotris iota Hoese & Roberts 2005 anything very small; at 32.6 mm SL (39.4 mm TL), one of New Zealand’s smallest known vertebrate species