Updated 22 Sept. 2023
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Anodus Cuvier 1829 án– (ἄν), Greek privative, i.e., not; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, referring to lack of jaw teeth

Anodus elongatus Agassiz 1829 Latin for prolonged, referring to its slender, elongate body and/or elongate, laterally compressed head

Anodus orinocensis (Steindachner 1887) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Orinoco (probably in Venezuela), type locality

Argonectes Böhlke & Myers 1956 argós (Gr. ἀργός), shining, bright, glistening or swift; nḗktēs (Gr. νήκτης), swimmer, allusion not explained, probably referring to shiny silvery color and/or streamlined shape of A. longiceps

Argonectes longiceps (Kner 1858) longus (L.), long; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, presumably referring to length of head, which is ¼ of SL

Argonectes robertsi Langeani 1999 in honor of American ichthyologist Tyson R. Roberts (b. 1940), for his contributions to the study of hemiodontid fishes

Bivibranchia Eigenmann 1912 bivium (L.), a “place of two ways,” i.e., intersection; bránchia (Gr. βράγχια), gills, referring to modified gills of B. protractila (=fowleri), in which gill-rakers on each arch interlock with rakers between subsequent arches, used to filter food particles from sand

Bivibranchia bimaculata Vari 1985 bi-, from bis (L.), twice; maculata (L.), spotted, referring to two dark spots on lateral surface of body and caudal peduncle

Bivibranchia fowleri (Steindachner 1908) patronym not identified, probably in honor of American ichthyologist Henry Weed Fowler (1878– 1965), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Bivibranchia notata Vari & Goulding 1985 Latin for marked, referring to prominent spot on midlateral surface of body

Bivibranchia simulata Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1991 Latin for copied or imitated, referring to its resemblance to B. bimaculata

Bivibranchia simulata surinamensis Géry, Planquette & Le Bail 1991 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Suriname, where type locality (Nickerie River) is situated

Bivibranchia velox (Eigenmann & Myers 1927) Latin for swift or speedy, “every line of their contours suggests speed”

Hemiodus Müller 1842 hemi-, from hḗmisys (Gr. ἥμισυς), half; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, referring to teeth in upper jaw but not lower

Hemiodus amazonum (Humboldt 1821) although epithet translates as “of the Amazons,” referring to warrior women for whom the Amazon was named, it actually refers to the river itself (“de la riviere des Amazones”), where it occurs

Hemiodus argenteus Pellegrin 1909 Latin for silvery, referring to “beautiful silver color” (translation) of sides and belly

Hemiodus atranalis (Fowler 1940) ater (L.), black; analis (L.), anal, referring to anal fin, “obscured with blackish brown specks and dots, appearing blackish”

Hemiodus bimaculatus Nogueira, Langeani & Notto-Ferreira 2019 bi-, from bis (L.), twice; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to two conspicuous dark blotches on body, one at midlateral flank, the other at lateral surface of caudal peduncle

Hemiodus goeldii Steindachner 1908 patronym not identified but probably in honor of Swiss-Brazilian zoologist Émil (or Emílio) Goeldi (1859–1917), Director of the Museo Paraense and author of numerous works on the natural history of Brazil

Hemiodus gracilis Günther 1864 Latin for slender, presumably referring to elongate body

Hemiodus huraulti (Géry 1964) in honor of Jean-Marcel Hurault (1917– 2005), “expert” ethnologist of the forest tribes of French Guiana, who collected holotype

Hemiodus immaculatus Kner 1858 im-, from in (L.), not; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to absence of black spots or bands on sides

Hemiodus iratapuru Langeani & Moreira 2013 named for type locality, Rio Iratapuru, Laranjal do Jari, Brazil

Hemiodus jatuarana Langeani 2004 Portuguese vernacular, derived from the Tupí-Guaraní, applied to most species of Hemiodus in the Brazilian Amazon

Hemiodus langeanii Beltrão & Zuanon 2012 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Francisco Langeani, Universidade Estadual Paulista, for his “highly relevant contributions” to the knowledge of hemiodontid fishes

Hemiodus microlepis Kner 1858 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small; lepís (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to its minute scales (“squamae minutiae”), 110–112 along lateral line

Hemiodus ocellatus (Vari 1982) Latin for having little eyes (ocelli), referring to longitudinally elongate, ocellated spot straddling but located largely dorsal to lateral line

Hemiodus orthonops Eigenmann & Kennedy 1903 acknowledged by Eigenmann (1907) as a misprint for othonops: otho, from othónē (Gr. ὀθόνη), fine linen, veil, or a membrane that encloses the pupil of the eye; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to eye covered, with exception of a short slit over pupil, by broad adipose lids

Hemiodus parnaguae Eigenmann & Henn 1916 of Lagoa de Parnagua, Brazil, type locality

Hemiodus quadrimaculatus Pellegrin 1909 quadri– (L.), four; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to four large black vertical bands (not spots) on sides

Hemiodus semitaeniatus Kner 1858 semi-, from semis (L.), a half or moiety; taeniatus (L.), banded, referring to black lateral band that extends from a black spot behind dorsal fin to root of caudal fin

Hemiodus sterni (Géry 1964) in honor of Max Stern (1898–1982), founder of Hartz Mountain Bird Company, who “has done so much for the aquarium industry”

Hemiodus ternetzi Myers 1927 in honor of Swiss-born 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 holotype of this one

Hemiodus thayeria Böhlke 1955 named for the “striking” similarity in coloration between it and Thayeria obliquua (Characidae: Stethaprioninae)

Hemiodus tocantinensis Langeani 1999 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Tocantins River basin, Brazil, type locality

Hemiodus tucupi Silva, Nogueira, Netto-Ferreira, Akama & Dutra 2020 tucupi, yellow sauce or juice extracted from the wild manioc root, referring to this fish’s pale-yellow fins in life

Hemiodus unimaculatus (Bloch 1794) uni-, from unus (L.), one; maculatus (L.), spotted, referring to single black spot on sides

Hemiodus vorderwinkleri (Géry 1964) in honor of William Vorderwinkler (1908–1970), “well-known” scientific writer, aquarist and editor of Tropical Fish Hobbyist (in which description appeared), who helped collect holotype

Micromischodus Roberts 1971 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small; mischos (Gr. μίσχος), stalk, petiole or peduncle; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, referring to its minute unicuspid teeth

Micromischodus sugillatus Roberts 1971 Latin for bruised or spotted with black-and-blue, referring to color of dorsal fin and opercle