Updated 16 Sept. 2024
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Phreatobius Goeldi 1905 phréatos (Gr. φρέατος), genitive of phréar (φρέαρ), artificial well; bíos (Gr. βίος), life, i.e., living in a well, collected from an artificial well, or cistern, penetrating a near-surface aquifer of the Amazon basin

Phreatobius cisternarum Goeldi 1905 genitive plural of cisterna (L.), an underground reservoir for water, where it was discovered

Phreatobius dracunculus Shibatta, Muriel-Cunha & de Pinna 2007 diminutive of draco, from drákōn (Gr. δράκων), dragon, referring to the color and general aspect of its body and fins

Phreatobius sanguijuela Fernández, Saucedo, Carvajal-Vallejos & Schaefer 2007 Spanish for leech and the local name for this catfish in the region of Bolivia where it occurs, and where it is often mistaken for a parasitic leech due to its bright, blood-red coloration