COMMENTS
v. 3.0 – 10 July 2023 view/download PDF
9 families · 49 genera · 166 species/subspecies
Family BOVICHTIDAE Temperate Icefishes
3 genera · 12 species
Bovichtus Valenciennes 1832 bovinus, bull, referring to torrito (little bull), local name of B. diacanthus in Valparaiso, Chile; ichthys, fish
Bovichtus angustifrons Regan 1913 angustus, narrow; frons, front, face or brow, referring to narrower interorbital width compared with B. diacanthus and B. variegatus
Bovichtus argentinus MacDonagh 1931 Argentinian, described from Bahía del Fondo, Gulf of San Jorge, Santa Cruz, Argentina
Bovichtus chilensis Regan 1913 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Juan Fernández Islands, Chile, type locality (occurs from Chile and Argentina south to Antarctic Peninsula)
Bovichtus diacanthus (Carmichael 1819) di-, two; acanthus, thorn or spine, referring to gill covers “terminating in two strong, subulate spines, that stand upright when the gills are expanded”
Bovichtus elongatus Hureau & Tomo 1977 elongate, referring to more elongate body compared with B. decipiens (=variegatus), distinctly long for a notothenioid
Bovichtus oculus Hardy 1989 eye, referring to its “immediately obvious large eye size”
Bovichtus psychrolutes Günther 1860 psychro-, cold; lutes, a bather, referring to its occurrence in the cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean (actually southwestern Pacific of Auckland and Antipodes islands, New Zealand)
Bovichtus variegatus (Richardson 1846) variable, referring to how it differs “considerably in the markings” from the similar B. diacanthus
Bovichtus veneris Sauvage 1879 Venus, collected during an 1874 expedition to Saint Paul Island, southern Indian Ocean (where it is endemic), to observe the transit of Venus
Cottoperca Steindachner 1875 Cottus, a genus of sculpins; perca, perch or perch-like fish, allusion not explained, probably referring to sculpin-like appearance of C. rosenbergii (=trigloides)
Cottoperca gobio (Günther 1861) gudgeon, a common name sometimes used for sculpins, referring to its “cottoid” appearance
Cottoperca trigloides (Forster 1801) –oides, having the form of: Trigla, gurnard genus (Triglioidei: Triglidae), allusion not explained, presumably referring to its gurnard-like appearance
Halaphritis Last, Balushkin & Hutchins 2002 halos, sea; aphritis, a name dating to Aristotle, who described it as a kind of anchovy or whitebait, but here referring to Pseudaphritis (Pseudaphritidae), referring to marine habitat of H. platycephala in contrast with its superficially similar Pseudaphritis urvillii, which lives primarily in estuaries and freshwater
Halaphritis platycephala Last, Balushkin & Hutchins 2002 platys, flat; cephalus, headed, referring to its “greatly depressed” head
Family PSEUDAPHRITIDAE Congolli
Pseudaphritis Castelnau 1872 pseudo-, false, referring to its resemblance to Aphritis Valenciennes 1832, “but the scales are rather large, the first dorsal has seven rays, and just in front of the anal there is a short fin composed of two spines”; etymology and nomenclatural history of Aphritis are complex: name dates to Aristotle, who described it as a kind of anchovy or whitebait, and was probably used by Valenciennes for P. urvillii, following the custom of his predecessor and mentor Georges Cuvier, who repurposed ancient names with no apparent taxonomic relevance; unfortunately, Aphritis in fishes is preoccupied in insects, so a replacement (Phricus Berg 1895) was proposed, later synonymized with Aphritis, making Pseudaphritis the next available name and thus creating the etymological paradox of a “false Aphritis” that is actually an Aphritis (!)
Pseudaphritis urvillii (Valenciennes 1832) in honor of explorer Jules Sébastien César Dumont d’Urville (1790-1842), leader of Astrolabe expedition (1826- 1829), during which type was collected (biographical footnote: he and his family were killed in a French railway disaster) [Eleginus bursinus Cuvier 1830 is a senior synonym but P. urvillii is provisionally retained due to prevailing usage]
Family ELEGINOPIDAE Patagonian Blenny
Nomenclatural note: Often spelled “Eleginopsidae,” but Gill proposed the taxon (as a subfamily) without the “s” of the type genus Eleginops.
Eleginops Gill 1862 ops, appearance, referring to similarity to Eleginus Cuvier 1830 (preoccupied by Eleginus Fischer 1813 in Gadiformes: Gadidae), original genus of E. maclovinus
Eleginops maclovinus (Cuvier 1830) –inus, belonging to: Maclove Islands, an early name for the Falkland Islands, type locality
Family NOTOTHENIIDAE Cod Icefishes
15 genera · 66 species/subspecies
Subfamily PLEURAGRAMMATINAE
Aethotaxis DeWitt 1962 aethes, unusual or strange; taxis, line, referring to “peculiar” lateral-line system (upper lateral line curves steeply, almost vertically, upward for a short distance under anterior rays of second dorsal fin, then abruptly turns posteriorly)
Aethotaxis mitopteryx mitopteryx DeWitt 1962 mitos, thread or string; pteryx, fin, referring to filaments produced by first dorsal and pelvic fins
Aethotaxis mitopteryx pawsoni Miller 1993 in honor of David L. Pawson, Curator of Echinoderms, National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian Institution), who collected type as a byproduct of Antarctic invertebrate collecting from the U.S. Coast Guard Icebreaker Eastwind
Dissostichus Smitt 1898 dissos, twofold or double; stichus, row or line, referring to two lateral lines of D. eleginoides
Dissostichus eleginoides Smitt 1898 –oides, having the form of: Eleginops (Eleginopidae), i.e., having the same general shape
Dissostichus mawsoni Norman 1937 in honor of Australian geologist Douglas Mawson (1882-1958), leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, during which type was collected
Gvozdarus Balushkin 1989 latinized local name of Sander lucioperca (Percoidei: Percidae) in Veliky Novgoro, Russia, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to similarity in appearance, especially its rows of long, pointed teeth
Gvozdarus balushkini Voskoboinikova & Kellermann 1993 in honor of ichthyologist Arkadii Vladimirovich Balushkin (1948-2021), Russian Academy of Sciences, for his “major contribution” to the study of Antarctic notothenioid fishes
Gvozdarus svetovidovi Balushkin 1989 in honor of Anatoly Nikolaevich Svetovidov (1903-1985), head of Laboratory of Ichthyology, USSR Academy of Sciences, for his “great contribution to the development of national and world ichthyological science” (translation)
Pleuragramma Boulenger 1902 pleuro-, side; a-, without; gramma, line, referring to absence of lateral line
Pleuragramma antarcticum Boulenger 1902 referring to its distribution around Antarctica
Subfamily NOTOTHENIINAE
Gobionotothen Balushkin 1976 gobio, goby, referring to their goby-like appearance; notothen, a nothotheniid fish
Gobionotothen acuta (Günther 1880) sharp or pointed, referring to its pointed snout
Gobionotothen angustifrons angustifrons (Fischer 1885) angustus, narrow; frons, forehead, referring to much narrower interorbital space compared with G. marionensis
Gobionotothen angustifrons sandwichensis (Nybelin 1947) –ensis, suffix denoting place: South Sandwich Islands, southern Atlantic Ocean, only known area of occurrence
Gobionotothen barsukovi Balushkin 1991 in honor of Vladimir Viktorovich Baruskov (1922-1989), a “tribute to the memory of a remarkable person and scientist who made an enormous contribution to the development of Soviet and world ichthyology” (translation)
Gobionotothen gibberifrons (Lönnberg 1905) gibber, humpbacked; frons, forehead, referring to hump on forehead
Gobionotothen marionensis (Günther 1880) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Marion Island, subantarctic Indian Ocean, type locality
Indonotothenia Balushkin 1984 Indo-, referring to southern Indian Ocean, where type locality (Kerguelen Island) of I. cyanobrancha is situated; Notothenia, original genus of I. cyanobrancha
Indonotothenia cyanobrancha (Richardson 1844) cyano-, blue; branchus, gill, referring to “band of deep purple, or blue, [that] skirts the edge of the gill-membrane”
Lepidonotothen Balushkin 1976 lepido-, scaled, referring to scales on top of head and jaws of L. squamifrons; notothen, a nothotheniid fish
Lepidonotothen kempi (Norman 1937) patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of marine biologist Stanley Wells Kemp (1882-1945), Director of Research of the Discovery Expedition, during which type was collected [possibly a junior synonym of L. squamifrons]
Lepidonotothen squamifrons squamifrons (Günther 1880) squamis, scale; frons, forehead, referring to head “covered with small scales nearly to the nostrils”
Lepidonotothen squamifrons atlantica (Permitin & Sazonov 1974) named for its occurrence in the South Atlantic off South Georgia Island, compared with the nominate subspecies, which occurs in the subantarctic Indian and Southern oceans
Lepidonotothen squamifrons macrophthalma (Norman 1937) macro-, large; ophthalma, eye, referring to “somewhat larger eye” compared with the nominate subspecies
Notothenia Richardson 1844 notos, south; thenia, coming from, referring to its “high southern habitat [Southern Ocean and surrounding waters of Antarctica], where it is probably represented by one or more species in almost every degree of longitude”
Notothenia angustata Hutton 1875 narrowed, presumably referring to narrower head compared with congeners known at the time (with exception of N. microlepidota)
Notothenia coriiceps Richardson 1844 corium, skin or leather; ceps, head, presumably referring to head “almost entirely destitute of scales, and its upper surface is rough with innumerable, porous, conical papillae”
Notothenia microlepidota Hutton 1875 micro-, small; lepidota, scaled, presumably referring to small, more numerous scales than N. angustata (described in the same publication)
Notothenia neglecta Nybelin 1951 overlooked, presumably referring to how this species had previously been identified as N. coriiceps
Notothenia rossii rossii Richardson 1844 in honor of Rear-Admiral James Clark Ross (1800-1862), commander of the Erebus and Terror expeditions to the Antarctic (1839-1843), during which type was collected
Notothenia rossii marmorata Fischer 1885 marbled, referring to more-or-less marbled body of older specimens, sometimes forming irregular longitudinal stripes
Nototheniops Balushkin 1976 related to Notothenia but with larger ops, eyes
Nototheniops larseni (Lönnberg 1905) in honor of Carl Anton Larsen (1860-1924), chief navigator of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904), during which type was collected
Nototheniops loesha (Balushkin 1976) etymology not explained but a pet name for Alexey P. Nesenyuk (no other information available; Balushkin, pers. comm. with R. G. Miller, cited in History and Atlas of Fishes of the Antarctic Ocean, 1993) [presumably a noun in apposition without the patronymic “i”]
Nototheniops mizops (Günther 1880) mizon, larger; ops, eye, referring to its eyes, “the same large size as Notothenia [now Lepidonotothen] squamifrons”
Nototheniops nudifrons (Lönnberg 1905) nudus, bare or naked; frons, forehead, proposed as a subspecies of N. mizops with scaleless occipital and interorbital regions in both juveniles and adults
Nototheniops nybelini (Balushkin 1976) in honor of the “well known” (translation) Scandinavian (actually Swedish) ichthyologist Orvar Nybelin (1892-1982), who reported this species as N. larseni in 1947
Nototheniops tchizh tchizh (Balushkin 1976) etymology not explained; in honor of Balushkin’s childhood friend, Vladimir M. Tcizh (per R. G. Miller, History and Atlas of Fishes of the Antarctic Ocean, 1993) [presumably a noun in apposition without the patronymic “i”]
Nototheniops tchizh minutus Shandikov 1987 small, referring to smaller size (63-103 mm SL) compared with the nominate form (130-156 SL)
Paranotothenia Balushkin 1976 para-, near, similar to Notothenia but different in having a pug-nosed snout and a well-developed supraoccipital crest, among other characters
Paranotothenia dewitti Balushkin 1990 patronym not identified but certainly in honor of ichthyologist-oceanographer Hugh H. DeWitt (1933-1995), University of Maine (USA), a leading authority on fishes of the Antarctic Shelf
Paranotothenia magellanica (Forster 1801) –icus, belonging to: Straits of Magellan (southern Chile), type locality
Paranotothenia trigramma (Regan 1913) tri-, three; gramma, line, referring to three lateral lines
Patagonotothen Balushkin 1976 Patago-, referring to Patagonia, southern area of South America, referring to the typical subantarctic distribution of the genus; notothen, a nothotheniid fish
Patagonotothen brevicauda (Lönnberg 1905) brevis, short; cauda, tail, referring to comparatively short caudal peduncle
Patagonotothen canina (Smitt 1897) canine, named for the “constitution of the dentition of its jaws” (translation), i.e., somewhat enlarged canine-like teeth anteriorly on outer row of jaws [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]
Patagonotothen cornucola (Richardson 1844) cornis, horn; –icola, dweller or inhabitant, referring to Cape Horn, Port Louis, Falkland Islands, type locality
Patagonotothen elegans (Günther 1880) elegant, fine or tasteful, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to long ventral fins and/or “large transverse dark spots” on light-brownish body
Patagonotothen guntheri (Norman 1937) in honor of Eustace Rolfe Gunther (1902-1940), junior zoologist on the Discovery Oceanographic Expedition (1925-1927), during which type was collected; Gunther noted the fish’s color in life
Patagonotothen jordani (Thompson 1916) in honor of ichthyologist David Starr Jordan (1851-1931), Stanford University (California, USA)
Patagonotothen kreffti Balushkin & Stehmann 1993 in honor of Gerhard Krefft (1912-1993), Institute für Seefischerei (Hamburg), for his “fundamental” contributions to marine ichthyology, particularly fishes of the South Atlantic
Patagonotothen longipes (Steindachner 1875) longus, long; pes, foot, referring to ventral fins as long as or a little longer than pectoral fins
Patagonotothen occidentalis (Balushkin 1976) western, proposed as a subspecies of P. canina that occurs on the west coast of Patagonia instead of the east
Patagonotothen ramsayi (Regan 1913) in memory of Allan George Ramsay (1878-1903), chief engineer of the Scotia, from which type was collected during the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902-1904); he died of heart problems at Scotia Bay, South Orkney Islands, Southern Ocean
Patagonotothen shagensis (Balushkin & Permitin 1982) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Shag Rocks, six small islands at the westernmost extreme of South Georgia, southern Atlantic Ocean, type locality
Patagonotothen sima (Richardson 1845) flat-nosed, presumably referring to its “depressed” head
Patagonotothen squamiceps (Peters 1877) squamus, scale; ceps, head, referring to scales on upper surface and sides of head
Patagonotothen tessellata (Richardson 1845) mosaic or inlaid with small square stones, referring to rows of square spots on second dorsal fin
Patagonotothen thompsoni Balushkin 1993 in honor of fishery biologist William Francis Thompson (1888-1965), for his “important” contributions to the knowledge of South American marine fishes, particularly Patagonian nototheniids
Patagonotothen wiltoni (Regan 1913) in honor of David Walter Wilton (1873-1940), assistant zoologist aboard the Scotia, from which type was collected during the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902-1904)
Subfamily TREMATOMINAE
Cryothenia Daniels 1981 cryo-, ice; thenia, coming from, i.e., an icefish
Cryothenia amphitreta Cziko & Cheng 2006 amphi-, on both sides or double; trema, hole or opening, referring to fourth supraorbital canal pores opening into a well-defined interorbital pit divided by a raised medial ridge
Cryothenia peninsulae Daniels 1981 of the Antarctic Peninsula, type locality
Pagothenia Nichols & LaMonte 1936 etymology not explained, probably pagos, Greek for frost (and root of the word pagophilia, i.e., one who thrives or prefers to live in ice), and thenia, coming from, referring to occurrence of P. antarctica (=phocae) under ice (type was captured through a seal hole in a water-filled crevasse); –thenia could also be a nod to Notothenia, original genus of P. phocae
Pagothenia borchgrevinki (Boulenger 1902) in honor of Carsten Egeberg Borchgrevink (1864-1934), Anglo-Norwegian Polar explorer and Commander of the British Southern Cross Antarctic Expedition (1898-1900), during which type was collected
Pagothenia phocae (Richardson 1844) of a seal, described from the stomach contents of a Leopard Seal, Hydrurga leptonyx
Pseudotrematomus Balushkin 1982 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may be physically and ecologically similar to Trematomus, with many of its species originally assigned to it, such an appearance is false
Pseudotrematomus bernacchii (Boulenger 1902) in honor of physicist Louis Charles “Bunny” Bernacchi (1876-1942), who did much of the exploring and collecting of the Southern Cross Expedition (1898-1900) to Antarctica, during which type was collected
Pseudotrematomus centronotus (Regan 1914) centron, thorn or spine; notus, back, referring to “stiff and pungent” dorsal-fin spines
Pseudotrematomus eulepidotus (Regan 1914) eu-, very or well; lepidotus, scaled, referring to head covered with scales (only the lips are naked)
Pseudotrematomus hansoni (Boulenger 1902) in memory of Norwegian zoologist Nicolai Hanson (1870-1899), member of the Southern Cross Expedition (1898-1900) to Antarctica, during which type was collected; he died, apparently of an intestinal disorder, at the expedition’s winter camp at Cape Adare and became the first person ever to be buried at Antarctica (see also P. nicolai)
Pseudotrematomus lepidorhinus (Pappenheim 1911) lepido-, scaled; rhinus, snout, described as having “completely and densely scaled” (translation) top of head, cheeks, operculum, suboperculum, preoperculum, and chin area
Pseudotrematomus loennbergii (Regan 1913) in honor of Swedish zoologist Einar Lönnberg (1865-1942), for his “kindness” in sending Regan holotype and other specimens [Lönnberg’s name is of Swedish origin (per Koerber 2009) and therefore does not need to spelled loenbergii as required for German names with an umlaut published before 1985 (see Artedidraco lonnbergi, Artedidraconidae, below); however, Regan’s spelling is considered intentional and therefore is retained]
Pseudotrematomus nicolai (Boulenger 1902) in memory of Norwegian zoologist Nicolai Hanson (1870-1899), member of the Southern Cross Expedition (1898-1900) to Antarctica, during which type was collected; he died, apparently of an intestinal disorder, at the expedition’s winter camp at Cape Adare and became the first person ever to be buried at Antarctica (see also P. hansoni) [presumably a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Pseudotrematomus pennellii (Regan 1914) in honor of Harry Lewin Lee Pennell (1882-1916), Lieutenant of the Terra Nova, British Antarctic Expedition (1910-1913), during which type was collected
Pseudotrematomus scotti (Boulenger 1907) in honor of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912), leader of the British National Antarctic Expedition (1900-1904), during which type was collected
Pseudotrematomus tokarevi (Andriashev 1978) in honor of the late Aleksey Konstantinovich Tokarev (1915-1957), ichthyologist of the First Soviet Antarctic Expedition, who “worked enthusiastically and selflessly throughout the 10-month cruise of the Ob (1955-1956) and left us with warm memories” (translation); Tokarev, who was Andriashev’s shipmate on the Ob, died on board during the voyage home
Pseudotrematomus vicarius (Lönnberg 1905) substituted, allusion not explained; proposed as a subspecies of P. bernacchii, probably referring to how this taxon, from South Georgia Island (South Atlantic), in effect replaces P. bernacchii, which occurs “at the opposite side of the globe and within the true Antarctic region”
Trematomus Boulenger 1902 trema, hole or opening; tomus, cut, referring to “scapular fenestra being pierced in the scapula instead of between the latter and the coracoid”
Trematomus newnesi Boulenger 1902 in honor of George Newnes (1851-1910), British newspaper publisher and politician, who sponsored the Southern Cross Expedition (1898-1900) to Antarctica, during which type was collected
Family HARPAGIFERIDAE Plunderfishes
6 genera · 47 species
Subfamily HARPAGIFERIDAE Spiny Plunderfishes
Harpagifer Richardson 1844 harpagos, hook; fero, to bear, referring to opercular spine of H. bispinis, “like a hooked antler-like branchlet”
Harpagifer andriashevi Prirodina 2000 in honor of the author’s mentor, Russian ichthyologist Anatoly Petrovich Andriashev (1910-2009), who was the first to study the differences between shallow- and deep-water forms of Harpagifer off Kerguelen Island
Harpagifer antarcticus Nybelin 1947 –icus, belonging to: Antarctic Peninsula, where it is endemic coastally and along adjacent island shores
Harpagifer bispinis (Forster 1801) bi-, two; spinis, spine, presumably referring to spines on opercle and subopercle
Harpagifer crozetensis Prirodina 2004 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Crozet Islands, subantarctic Indian Ocean, where it occurs in the tidal zone under rocks
Harpagifer georgianus Nybelin 1947 –anus, belonging to: South Georgia Island, South Atlantic, where type locality (Cumberland Bay) is situated
Harpagifer kerguelensis Nybelin 1947 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kerguelen Islands, subantarctic Indian Ocean, type locality (based on literature sources, no types known; also occurs at Crozet Islands)
Harpagifer macquariensis Prirodina 2000 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, where it is endemic
Harpagifer marionensis Nybelin 1947 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands, subantarctic Indian Ocean, type locality
Harpagifer nybelini Prirodina 2002 in honor of Norwegian (actually Swedish) ichthyologist Orvar Nybelin (1892-1982), who “first analyzed various forms of Harpagifer in detail”
Harpagifer palliolatus Richardson 1845 covered with a hood, referring to a “milk-white streak which commences on the symphysis of the upper jaw, and runs along the middle of the head and back to the tail, sending one band down the side towards the anus, and another at the end of the second dorsal” (name does not derive from palliolat, a thorny shrub, referring to several conspicuous spines, as reported by Miller, 1993, History and Atlas of the Fishes of the Antarctic Ocean)
Harpagifer permitini Neelov & Prirodina 2006 in honor of Russian ichthyologist and marine fisheries biologist Yurii Efimovich Permitin (1925-2013), “one of the first explorers of Antarctic fishes, and participant in five Antarctic expeditions, who “made a large contribution to investigations of the species composition and distribution of fishes of the Southern Ocean” (translation)
Harpagifer spinosus Hureau, Louis, Tomo & Ozouf 1980 thorny, presumably referring to pronounced supraocular spines, then believed to be unique in the genus
Subfamily ARTEDIDRACONIDAE Barbled Plunderfishes
Artedidraco Lönnberg 1905 Artedi, in honor of Lönnberg’s fellow Swede, Peter Artedi (1705-1735), known as the “father of ichthyology,” on the 200th anniversary of his birth; draco, from dracœna, dragon, ancient Greek name of the weeverfish genus Trachinus (Percoidei, Trachinidae), but in this case possibly referring to its relationships (as mentioned by Lönnberg) to Draconetta (Syngnathiformes: Draconettidae), thought to be a nototheniid at the time
Artedidraco longibarbatus Eakin, Riginella & La Mesa 2015 longus, long; barbatus, bearded, having the longest mental barbel in the family (~25% SL vs. 4-14% SL)
Artedidraco mirus Lönnberg 1905 weird or wonderful, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to any or all of the following: fleshy chin barbel, large pores on head and a series of them extending as an upper lateral line in pectoral region of body, and a “peculiar” opercle, “its posterior portion being curved inwards and then forwards forming a strongly bent flattened hook, between which and the head the cutaneous upper part of the gill-cover is expanded, thus closing the fenestra formed between this hook and the occiput”
Artedidraco orianae Regan 1914 per Regan 1916, in honor of Oriana Fanny Wilson (ca. 1874-1945), who married physician-naturalist Edward A. Wilson (1872-1912), second in command of the Terra Nova Expedition (1910-1912, during which type was collected), three weeks before the ship sailed (he died along with four other explorers returning from the South Pole); a naturalist herself, Oriana later achieved fame for her humanitarian work during WW1
Artedidraco shackletoni Waite 1911 in honor of Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), leader of the British Antarctic Expedition (1907-1909), during which type was collected
Dolloidraco Roule 1913 Dollo, in honor of Belgian paleontologist Louis Dollo (1857-1931), for his “well-reputed” publications on Antarctic fishes; draco, presumably referring to its relationship and/or similarity with Artedidraco
Dolloidraco longedorsalis Roule 1913 longus, long; dorsalis, dorsal, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to taller (but not necessarily longer) dorsal fin compared with species of Artedidraco
Histiodraco Regan 1914 histion, sail, referring to elevated soft-dorsal fin; draco, probably referring to Dolloidraco, its original genus (Regan proposed the genus shortly after describing its only species)
Histiodraco velifer (Regan 1914) velum, sail; fero, to bear, referring to elevated soft-dorsal fin
Neodraco Parker & Near 2022 neos, new; dracon, dragon, a newly described lineage of Artedidraconinae identified through the application of molecular phylogenetic
Neodraco lonnbergi (Roule 1913) in honor of Swedish zoologist Einar Lönnberg (1865-1942), who proposed the genus in 1905 [spelling often emended to loennbergi, but Latin orthography of “ö” as “oe” is required only for names of German origin; although most taxonomists use the “oe” spelling (e.g., Pseudotrematomus loennbergii, Nototheniidae, above), Roule’s spelling is technically correct and therefore is retained]
Neodraco skottsbergi (Lönnberg 1905) in honor of Swedish botanist Carl Skottsberg (1880-1963), member of the 1901-1904 Swedish South Polar Expedition, during which type was collected; Skottsberg’s sketch of a second, larger specimen was published with the description
Pogonophryne Regan 1914 pogonos, beard, presumably referring to short, papillose barbel of P. scotti; phryne, toad, possibly referring to “blunt knobs and ridges” on head, like the bumps on a toad
Pogonophryne albipinna Eakin 1981 albus, white; pinna, fin, referring to its “unusual” white fins in life
Pogonophryne barsukovi Andriashev 1967 in honor of Soviet ichthyologist Vladimir Viktorovich Baruskov (1922-1989), who, with Permitin (see P. permitini), “accumulated an admirable collection of Antarctic fishes and turned their attention to the species variations of their specimens” of Pogonophryne (translation)
Pogonophryne bellingshausenensis Eakin, Eastman & Matallanas 2008 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Bellingshausen Sea, Southern Ocean, only known area of occurrence
Pogonophryne brevibarbata Balushkin, Petrov & Prutko 2011 brevis, short; barbata, bearded, referring to short mental barbel (not extended beyond nostril)
Pogonophryne cerebropogon Eakin & Eastman 1998 cerebrum, brain; pogon, beard, referring to “brainlike convolutions” (sulci and gyri) that compose terminal extension of mental barbel
Pogonophryne dewitti Eakin 1988 in honor of ichthyologist-oceanographer Hugh H. DeWitt (1933-1995), University of Maine (USA), who provided type and has “for many years contributed immeasurably to our knowledge of Antarctic fishes”; he “inspired and guided” Eakin during his graduate studies
Pogonophryne eakini Balushkin 1999 in honor of Richard Eakin, University of New England (Portland, Maine, USA), “one of the most authoritative investigators” of the family Artedidraconidae, whose works have “substantially added to our knowledge of the taxonomic diversity and evolution of the endemic ichthyofauna of Antarctica” (translation)
Pogonophryne favosa Balushkin & Korolkova 2013 honeycombed, referring to dense rows of crumpled folds that form a peculiar “honeycomb” on surface of esca of mental barbel
Pogonophryne fusca Balushkin & Eakin 1998 dark or dusky, referring to significantly darker coloration of body and ventral part of head compared with congeners in the P. mentella species group
Pogonophryne immaculata Eakin 1981 unspotted, referring to uniformly brown color, without spots, unlike its congeners
Pogonophryne lanceobarbata Eakin 1987 lancea, spear; barbata, bearded, referring to lance-shaped terminal expansion of long mental barbel
Pogonophryne macropogon Eakin 1981 macro-, large; pogon, beard, referring to its “greatly enlarged” mental barbel
Pogonophryne maculiventrata Spodareva & Balushkin 2014 macula, spot; ventrata, bellied, referring to spots on bottom of thorax and belly, unlike congeners in the P. marmorata species group
Pogonophryne marmorata Norman 1938 marbled, referring to upper surface and sides of head and body mottled and spotted with purplish brown
Pogonophryne mentella Andriashev 1967 diminutive of mentum, chin, allusion not explained, presumably referring to “very strongly projecting lower jaw” and/or “very long” mental barbel
Pogonophryne neyelovi Shandikov & Eakin 2013 in honor of Alexey V. Neyelov, who contributed “significantly” to the knowledge of Antarctic fishes, and to whom the senior author is “sincerely thankful for the valuable help” during his Ph.D. studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences (St Petersburg, Russia)
Pogonophryne orangiensis Eakin & Balushkin 1998 –ensis, suffix usually denoting place but apparently used here as a general adjectival suffix, referring to orange color of chin barbel
Pogonophryne pavlovi Balushkin 2013 in honor of Dmitry Sergeevich Pavlov (b. 1938), a “leader of Russian ichthyologists and outstanding organizer of academic science,” on the occasion of his 75th birthday
Pogonophryne permitini Andriashev 1967 in honor of Russian ichthyologist and marine fisheries biologist Yurii Efimovich Permitin (1925-2013), who, with Vladimir Viktorovich Baruskov (see P. baruskovi), “accumulated an admirable collection of Antarctic fishes and turned their attention to the species variations of their specimens” of Pogonophryne (translation)
Pogonophryne platypogon Eakin 1988 platy, flat; pogon, beard, referring to smoothly flattened terminal expansion of mental barbel
Pogonophryne sarmentifera Balushkin & Spodareva 2013 sarmentum, a long twig or branch suitable for using as a whip; fero, to bear, referring to long “sarment-shaped” mental barbel
Pogonophryne scotti Regan 1914 in memory of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912), leader of the Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica (1910-1912, during which type was collected); he died, along with four other explorers, attempting to return from the South Pole
Pogonophryne skorai Balushkin & Spodareva 2013 in honor of Polish ichthyologist Krzysztof E. Skóra (1950-2016), founder and Director of Hel Marine Station, University of Gdańsk, for his contribution to the study of fishes of the Southern Ocean, and also for promoting the international cooperation of Antarctic ichthyologists
Pogonophryne squamibarbata Eakin & Balushkin 2000 squamus, scale; barbata, bearded, referring to overlapping, scale-like processes on mental barbel
Pogonophryne stewarti Eakin, Eastman & Near 2009 in honor of Andy Stewart (b. 1958), Collection Manager, Fish Section, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, for his contributions to the collection and study of Southern Ocean fishes, and for his continuing efforts in facilitating the description of notothenioid biodiversity
Pogonophryne tronio Shandikov, Eakin & Usachev 2013 named for the Spanish fishery vessel Tronio, from which a representative sampling of Pogonophryne fishes were collected by the senior author, including type of this species, during the Antarctic summer season of 2009-2010
Pogonophryne ventrimaculata Eakin 1987 ventris, belly; maculata, spotted, referring to spots on ventral surface of body (not unique to the genus but believed to be at the time)
Family BATHYDRACONIDAE Antarctic Dragonfishes
11 genera · 17 species
Subfamily BATHYDRACONINAE
Akarotaxis DeWitt & Hureau 1980 akaro, short or small; taxis, line or row, referring to short upper lateral line, with <10 tubular scales
Akarotaxis nudiceps (Waite 1916) nudus, bare or naked; ceps, head, allusion not explained, presumably referring to scaleless head (although Waite did not mention this character)
Bathydraco Günther 1878 bathys, deep, referring to deepwater habitat of B. antarcticus, collected at 2304 m; draco, dragon, possibly used here as a common suffix in the names of notothenioid fishes
Bathydraco antarcticus Günther 1878 –icus, belonging to: Antarctica, referring to extreme southern position of type locality, south of Heard Island, subantarctic Indian Ocean
Bathydraco joannae DeWitt 1985 in honor of DeWitt’s first wife Joanne, for her patience during his absences when conducting research on the Southern Ocean
Bathydraco macrolepis Boulenger 1907 macro-, large; lepis, scale, referring to “much larger” scales compared with B. antarcticus
Bathydraco marri Norman 1938 in honor of Scottish marine biologist and polar explorer James William Slesser Marr (1902-1965), a “member of the Discovery Committee’s scientific staff,” which oversaw the Discovery Oceanographic Expedition (1925-1927), during which type was collected
Bathydraco scotiae Dollo 1906 of the Scotia, research ship of the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition (1902–1904), which reached its farthest point south in the Weddell Sea when type was collected
Cygnodraco Waite 1916 cygnus, swan, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to anseriform shape of snout; draco, dragon, but probably used here as a standard suffix for the family Bathydraconidae
Cygnodraco mawsoni Waite 1916 in honor of Australian geologist Douglas Mawson (1882-1958), leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914), during which type was collected
Gerlachea Dollo 1900 –ea, adjectival suffix: in honor of Adrien de Gerlache (1866-1934), commander of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897-1899), during which type of G. australis was collected, a “valiant Belgian naval officer who conceived and carried out, despite the enormous difficulties to be overcome, a voyage that does much to honor his country” (translation)
Gerlachea australis Dollo 1900 southern, referring to the Southern Hemisphere, commemorating the Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897-1899), during which type was collected
Parachaenichthys Boulenger 1902 para-, near, similar to Chaenichthys (=Channichthys, Channichthyidae, original genus of P. georgianus) but with bony (instead of granulated) plates on lateral line
Parachaenichthys charcoti (Vaillant 1906) in honor of Jean-Baptiste Charcot (1867-1936), leader of l’Expédition Antarctique Française (1903-1905), during which type was collected
Parachaenichthys georgianus (Fischer 1885) –anus, belonging to: South Georgia Island, south Atlantic Ocean, type locality
Prionodraco Regan 1914 prion, saw, referring to V-shaped serrated bony plates on sides; draco, dragon, but in this case probably referring to its affinity with Bathydraco
Prionodraco evansii Regan 1914 per Regan 1916, in honor of Edward Ratcliffe Garth Russell Evans (1880-1957), Captain of the Terra Nova, British Antarctic Expedition (1910-1913), during which type was collected (Miller, 1993, History and Atlas of the Fishes of the Antarctic Ocean, is incorrect in stating that this species is named for Hugh Blackwell Evans, “surviving Expedition Biologist” of Southern Cross Expedition to Antarctica, 1898-1900)
Racovitzia Dollo 1900 –ia, belonging to: Romanian biologist Emil G. Racovitza (1868-1947, also spelled Racoviță), naturalist aboard the Belgica, Belgian National Antarctic Expedition (1897-1899), for the competence and care in which he conducted the collection of specimens, often “in very painful conditions” (translation), including type of R. glacialis
Racovitzia glacialis Dollo 1900 icy or frozen, “in memory of the frozen regions of the South Pole explored by the Belgica” (translation), Belgian Antarctic Expedition (1897-1899)
Racovitzia harrissoni (Waite 1916) in honor of Charles Turnbull Harrisson (1869-1914), biologist for the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914), who collected type (in late 1914, he joined the FIS Endeavour, which disappeared along with all hands in December of that year; no distress message had been given and no trace of the ship was ever found)
Vomeridens DeWitt & Hureau 1980 vomer, roof of mouth; dens, teeth, referring to vomerine teeth on larger specimens
Vomeridens infuscipinnis (DeWitt 1964) infuscus, dark brown; pinnis, finned, referring to color of caudal fin
Subfamily GYMNODRACONINAE
Acanthodraco Skóra 1995 acanthus, thorn or spine, referring to more opercular spines than other members of the subfamily; draco, dragon, a common suffix in the names of notothenioid fishes but probably used here to connote relationship with Gymnodraco and Psilodraco
Acanthodraco dewitti Skóra 1995 in honor of ichthyologist-oceanographer Hugh H. DeWitt (1933-1995), University of Maine (USA), for his “considerable” contributions to the knowledge of Antarctic fishes, and for being “very helpful to young Polish ichthyologists [presumably including Skóra] beginning their work in the Antarctic”
Gymnodraco Boulenger 1902 gymnos, bare or naked, referring to scaleless body (except for 14 tubular scales on upper lateral line); draco, dragon, possibly used here as a common suffix in the names of notothenioid fishes
Gymnodraco acuticeps Boulenger 1902 acutus, pointed; ceps, head, referring to “strongly depressed” head with “acutely pointed” snout
Psilodraco Norman 1937 psilos, naked or bare, allusion not explained but almost certainly referring to its lack of conspicuous scales; draco, dragon, possibly referring to its relationship with Gymnodraco or used as a common suffix in the names of notothenioid fishes
Psilodraco breviceps Norman 1937 brevis, short; ceps, head, referring to shorter head and snout compared to Gymnodraco acuticeps
Family CHANNICHTHYIDAE Crocodile Icefishes
11 genera · 21 species
Chaenocephalus Regan 1913 chaeno-, gape, possibly referring to wide gape (a characteristic of the family) and/or to Chaenichthys (=Channichthys), original genus of C. aceratus; cephalus, head, i.e., “gaping head”
Chaenocephalus aceratus (Lönnberg 1906) a-, not; ceratus, horned, referring to absence of spine on snout as seen on Channichthys rhinoceratus, its presumed congener at the time
Chaenodraco Regan 1914 chaeno-, gape, presumably referring to wide gape (a characteristic of the family); draco, dragon, possibly referring to similarity to Chionodraco and/or as a common suffix in the names of notothenioid fishes
Chaenodraco wilsoni Regan 1914 per Regan 1916, in memory of physician-naturalist Edward A. Wilson (1872-1912), second in command of the Terra Nova Expedition (1910-1912, during which type was collected); he died along with four other explorers returning from the South Pole
Champsocephalus Gill 1861 champsos, crocodile; cephalus, head, allusion not explained, presumably referring to what could be described as the crocodilian (e.g., voracious predatory) appearance of its snout, mouth and/or head
Champsocephalus esox (Günther 1861) pike, allusion not explained, probably referring to its pike-like appearance
Champsocephalus gunnari Lönnberg 1905 in honor of Johan Gunnar Andersson (1874-1960), archaeologist, geologist, paleontologist, and leader of the Swedish Antarctic Expedition (1901-1903), during which type was collected
Channichthys Richardson 1844 channos, gape, referring to wide gape of C. rhinoceratus (Richardson emended spelling to Chaenicthys in 1844 and to Chaenichthys in 1848; many authors use the latter spelling but original spelling stands)
Channichthys panticapaei Shandikov 1995 of Panticapaeum, ancient Greek name of Kerch, Crimea, where the former Southern Scientific Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (YugNIRO), which conducted studies in the Southern Ocean and published the description of this species, had been located
Channichthys rhinoceratus Richardson 1844 rhinos, nose; ceratus, horned, referring to spine on snout
Channichthys rugosus Regan 1913 rugose or wrinkled, allusion not explained, probably referring to “rougher” head (the “supraorbital edges more elevated” compared with the “rugose” head of C. rhinoceratus
Channichthys velifer Meisner 1974 velum, sail; fero, to bear, referring to “large sail-like” dorsal fin, the “most characteristic feature” (translation) of this species
Chionobathyscus Andriashev & Neelov 1978 chionos, snow, but in this case referring to its relationship with Chionodraco; bathyscus, inhabitant of the deep, occurring at 460-2000 m
Chionobathyscus dewitti Andriashev & Neelov 1978 in honor of ichthyologist-oceanographer Hugh H. DeWitt (1933-1995), University of Maine (USA), for his “great” (translation) contribution to modern study of Antarctic fishes
Chionodraco Lönnberg 1906 etymology not explained, perhaps chionos, snow, and draco, dragon, both alluding to the similar Cryodraco (=Pagetodes), named for its occurrence under cryos, ice
Chionodraco hamatus (Lönnberg 1905) hooked, referring to two “short but stout and pointed spines” at curve of preopercular bone
Chionodraco kathleenae Regan 1914 per Regan 1916, in honor of Kathleen Scott (1878-1947), widow of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912), leader of the Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica (1910-1912, during which type was collected); he died, along with four other explorers, returning from the South Pole
Chionodraco myersi DeWitt & Tyler 1960 in honor of Stanford University ichthyologist George S. Myers (1905-1985), for his help and interest in “formulating” the Stanford Antarctic Biological Research Program (1958-1959), during which type was collected
Chionodraco rastrospinosus DeWitt & Hureau 1980 rastrum, rake; spinosus, thorny, referring to spiny gill rakers, “an unusual character in icefishes”
Dacodraco Waite 1916 dakos, an animal that bites, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to a single row of teeth in each jaw with an inner series of large, spaced canines; draco, dragon, possibly used here as a common suffix in the names of notothenioid fishes
Dacodraco hunteri Waite 1916 in honor of John G. Hunter (1888-1964), Sydney University, chief biologist at Main Base, Adelie Coast, of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, where he trapped many of the fishes that Waite later studied
Neopagetopsis Nybelin 1947 neo-, new, i.e., a new genus very similar and closely related to Pagetopsis, but with long ventral fins and three lateral lines
Neopagetopsis ionah Nybelin 1947 named for Jonah (note classic spelling, with “j” replaced by an “i”) and Old Testament story of an Israelite who was swallowed by a “great fish” and vomited up alive three days later onto dry land, alluding to how type of this icefish was discovered in the stomach of a whale
Pagetodes Richardson 1844 icebound or frozen, described from a rough sketch of an unknown species, “thrown up by the spray in a gale of wind, against the bows of the Terror [ship], and frozen there. It was carefully removed, for the purpose of preservation, and a rough sketch was made of it by the surgeon, John Robertson, Esq., but before it could be put into spirits, a cat carried it away from his cabin, and ate it.”
Pagetodes antarcticus (Dollo 1900) –icus, belonging to: Antarctica, where it occurs
Pagetodes atkinsoni (Regan 1914) per Regan 1916, in honor of Edward Leicester Atkinson (1881-1929), surgeon for the Terra Nova Expedition (1910-1912, during which type was collected); he also led the party that found the tent with the bodies of Robert Falcon Scott, Edgar A. Wilson, and Henry Robertson Bowers, three of the explorers who died while returning from the South Pole
Pagetodes pappenheimi (Regan 1913) in honor of Paul Pappenheim (1878-1945), curator of fishes, Royal Museum of Berlin, whose 1912 account of P. antarcticus, and his notes, provided the descriptive material for Regan’s description
Pagetopsis Regan 1913 opsis, appearance, similar to Pagetodes (see above), a name that Regan said could not be used until Richardson’s species was rediscovered
Pagetopsis macropterus (Boulenger 1907) macro-, long or large; pterus, fin, referring to long, wing-like dorsal and ventral fins, especially prominent in juveniles
Pagetopsis maculata Barsukov & Permitin 1958 spotted, referring to spots on sides (which coalesce to form a marbled pattern), in contrast to the barred pattern of P. macropterus
Pseudochaenichthys Norman 1937 pseudo-, false, presumably referring to superficial resemblance to Chaenichthys (alternate spelling of Channichthys), although Norman said it was related to Champsocephalus and Pagetopsis
Pseudochaenichthys georgianus Norman 1937 –anus, belonging to: South Georgia Island, Scotia Sea, Antarctica, type locality
Family PERCOPHIDAE Brazilian Flathead
Percophis Quoy & Gaimard 1825 perco-, perch; ophis, snake, i.e., a perch-like fish with a snake-like (anguilliform) body
Percophis brasiliensis Quoy & Gaimard 1825 –ensis, suffix denoting place: off Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, type locality (occurs in southwestern Atlantic from Brazil to Argentina)