Revised 21 Sept. 2023
PDF version (with illustrations and additional information)

Agosia Girard 1856 a Native American word, chosen presumably because Girard liked the sound of it

Agosia chrysogaster Girard 1856 chrysós (Gr. χρυσός), gold or golden; gastḗr (Gr. γαστήρ), belly or stomach, referring to light-yellow (“of a golden hue”) bellies of males

Alburnops Girard 1856 ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), referring to “striking external resemblance” of A. blennius and A. shumardi to minnows Girard had placed in the European genus Alburnus (Leuciscinae)

Alburnops aguirrepequenoi (Contreras-Balderas & Rivera-Teillery 1973) in honor of biologist Eduardo Aguirre Pequeño (1904–1988), founder of Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico, for his teachings and guidance

Alburnops asperifrons (Suttkus & Raney 1955) asper (L.), rough; frons (L.), face or brow, referring to its tuberculate snout

Alburnops baileyi (Suttkus & Raney 1955) in honor of American ichthyologist Reeve M. Bailey (1911–2011), University of Michigan, for contributions to the knowledge of North American freshwater fishes and for helping the authors in their studies

Alburnops bairdi (Hubbs & Ortenburger 1929) in honor of Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823–1887), Director, U.S. National Museum, “an early student of the fishes of the southwest, and one of the outstanding figures in American zoology”

Alburnops blennius Girard 1856 Latin for blenny, derived from blénnos (Gr. βλέννος), mucus or slime (referring to scaleless and therefore slimy body of blenniids), presumably referring to its convex profile (“snout most prominently rounded”), like that of a blenny

Alburnops braytoni (Jordan & Evermann 1896) in honor of American physician-naturalist Alembert Winthrop Brayton (1848–1926), “with pleasant memories of our explorations in Georgia and the Carolinas” in the 1870s

Alburnops buccula (Cross 1953) diminutive of bucca (L.), cheek or cavity, i.e., little mouth, proposed as a subspecies of A. bairdi with a smaller mouth

Alburnops candidus (Suttkus 1980) Latin for shining white, clear or bright, referring to silver stripe along its sides

Alburnops chalybaeus (Cope 1867) Latin for iron-colored, from chalubḗïos (Gr. χαλυβήϊος), made of iron, referring to its “broad burnished black” lateral band

Alburnops edwardraneyi (Suttkus & Cremmer 1968) in honor of American ichthyologist Edward C. Raney (1909–1984), Cornell University, for his contributions to North American ichthyology and “his guidance and imparted enthusiasm toward a multitude of students”

Alburnops girardi (Hubbs & Ortenburger 1929) in honor of French ichthyologist-herpetologist Charles Girard (1822–1895), who, along with Spencer Fullerton Baird (see A. bairdi), “were among the first to make known the rich fish fauna of the [American] southwest”

Alburnops hypsilepis (Suttkus & Raney 1955) hypsi-, from hypsēlós (Gr. ὑψηλός), high; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to its elevated anterior lateral line scales

Alburnops orca (Woolman 1894) Latin for orc, a kind of whale, now applied to the Killer Whale Orcicnua orca (which is actually a dolphin), referring to its resemblance to the head of a dolphin [extinct due to habitat loss and introduced fishes; last known specimen collected in 1975]

Alburnops petersoni (Fowler 1942) in honor of C. Bernard Peterson (1906–1963), Fowler’s editor at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, who helped collect holotype

Alburnops potteri (Hubbs & Bonham 1951) in honor of American zoologist George E. Potter (1898–1962), Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, who collected type specimens and sent them to Hubbs for study

Alburnops shumardi Girard 1856 in honor of George C. Shumard (1823–1867), American surgeon, naturalist and geologist, who collected holotype

Alburnops simus (Cope 1875) Latin for flat- or pug-nosed, referring to its blunt snout

Alburnops simus pecosensis (Gilbert & Chernoff 1982) -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Pecos River, New Mexico, USA, where it is endemic

Alburnops texanus (Girard 1856) –anus (L.), belonging to: Texas, USA, described from specimens collected from Rio Salado and Turkey Creek, both in Texas

Alburnops xaenocephalus (Jordan 1877) scratch-headed, from xaeno, from xaínō (Gr. ξαίνω), to scratch, and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, referring to head tubercles of breeding males

Algansea Girard 1856 a Native American word, chosen presumably because Girard liked the sound of it

Algansea amecae Pérez-Rodríguez, Pérez-Ponce de León, Domínguez-Domínguez & Doadrio 2009 of the Río Ameca basin, Jalisco, Mexico, type locality

Algansea aphanea Barbour & Miller 1978 aphanḗs (Gr. ἀφανής), invisible, secret or unknown, referring to the “considerable osteological differences separating it from other barbeled species of Algansea”

Algansea avia Barbour & Miller 1978 Latin for out of the way or remote, being the most western species of Algansea

Algansea barbata Álvarez & Cortés 1964 Latin for bearded, the only Algansea known at the to possess barbels

Algansea lacustris Therese von Bayern & Steindachner 1895 Latin for relating to or associated with lakes (lacustrine), referring to Lake Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico, where it is endemic

Algansea monticola Barbour & Contreras-Balderas 1968 montis (L.), mountain, –cola (L.), dweller or inhabitant, referring to “rugged nature” of the area in which it occurs

Algansea monticola archidion Barbour & Miller 1978 -idion (Gr. -ἴδιον), diminutive suffix: archídion (Gr. ἀρχίδιον), diminutive of archḗ (ἀρχή), principal or chief, here, per the authors, meaning petty office or position, referring to its subspecific status

Algansea popoche (Jordan & Snyder 1899) from popocha, Mexican name for this minnow

Algansea tincella (Valenciennes 1844) diminutive of Tinca (Tincidae), i.e., like a small Tench

Aztecula Jordan & Evermann 1898 –ula (L.), diminutive suffix: in remembrance of the Aztec culture that dominated 15th-century central Mexico, where A. sallaei occurs

Aztecula amecae (Chernoff & Miller 1986) of Río Ameca, Jalisco, Mexico, type locality

Aztecula aulidion (Chernoff & Miller 1986) -idion (Gr. -ἴδιον), diminutive suffix: aulós (Gr. αὐλός), tube or pipe, referring to its short infraorbital canal

Aztecula calabazas (Lyons & Mercado-Silva 2004) named for Río Calabazas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, where it is endemic

Aztecula calientis (Jordan & Snyder 1899) –is, Latin genitive singular of: Aquascalientes, Mexico, type locality

Aztecula grandis (Domínguez-Domínguez, Pérez-Rodríguez, Escalera-Vázquez & Doadrio 2010) Latin for large, referring to its larger size relative to other members of the N. calientis complex (=Aztecula)

Aztecula marhabatiensis (Domínguez-Domínguez, Pérez-Rodríguez, Escalera-Vázquez & Doadrio 2010) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Marhabatio, Michoacan, Mexico, type locality

Aztecula sallaei (Günther 1868) patronym not identified but probably in honor of Auguste Sallé (1820–1896), French traveler and entomologist who supplied Mexican fishes to the British Museum [Günther spelled the name with a ligature, sallæi, perhaps trying to render in Latin the acute accent in Sallé’s name]

Campostoma Agassiz 1855 campo, from kámptō (Gr. κάμπτω), to bend or curve; stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to U-shaped mouth of C. anomalum

Campostoma anomalum (Rafinesque 1820) Latin for uneven or irregular, differing from all other Ohio minnows known to Rafinesque by its “unequal bilobed tail” (name does mean not different or abnormal, referring to ridge on lower jaw, as reported elsewhere)

Campostoma anomalum michauxi Fowler 1945 in honor of French botanist André Michaux (1746–1802), “probably the first naturalist to explore the region of the upper Catawba watershed,” where this subspecies occurs

Campostoma oligolepis Hubbs & Greene 1935 olígos (Gr. ὀλίγος), few or scanty; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, referring to larger and therefore fewer scales compared with C. anomalum

Campostoma ornatum Girard 1856 Latin for adorned or decorated, referring to ornamental coloration, presumably of breeding males: “upper regions are purplish black; the inferior regions golden brown and yellow, with black spots distributed over the flanks. A black patch at the base of all the fins, otherwise the latter are orange or yellowish brown”

Campostoma pauciradii Burr & Cashner 1983 paucus (L.), few; radii (L.), rayed, referring to low number of gill rakers on first arch compared with congeners

Campostoma pullum (Agassiz 1854) Latin for dark or dusky, allusion not explained, described as a “peculiar deep but dull green, darker above, passing into yellowish white”; other sources explain that pullum may be derived from the Latin noun pullus, the young of an animal, reflecting Agassiz’s belief that it represented the smallest species in Chondrostoma (Leuciscinae), a Eurasian genus with a similar cartilaginous layer on lower lip

Campostoma spadiceum (Girard 1856) Latin for light- or nut-brown, described as “brownish red above”

Clinostomus Girard 1856 clino, from klínō (Gr. κλίνω), to bend; stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to mouth shape of C. elongatus, the “lower jaw longer than the upper, beyond which it protrudes, giving to the cleft an oblique direction upwards”

Clinostomus elongatus (Kirtland 1840) Latin for prolonged, referring to its “elongated” head and/or “long, slim, particularly elongated” body between caudal and dorsal fins

Clinostomus funduloides Girard 1856 –oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its superficial resemblance to topminnows (Cyprinodontiformes: Fundulidae, Fundulus)

Clinostomus funduloides estor (Jordan & Brayton 1878) eater or glutton, presumably derived from estrix (L.), a female glutton, likewise derived from edere (L.), to eat, allusion not explained but probably referring to its “very large and oblique” mouth, “even larger” than that of C. elongatus

Coccotis Jordan 1882 coccom (L.), berry; otis, obscurely Latinized from oū́s (Gr. οὖς) or its genitive ōtós (ὠτός), ear, referring to prominent crimson slash on opercle of C. coccogenis

Coccotis coccogenis (Cope 1868) coccom (L.), berry; genis, from géneion (Gr. γένειον), cheek, referring to prominent crimson slash on opercle

Coccotis zonistius (Jordan 1880) zona (L.), belt or girdle; istius, from histíon (Gr. ἱστίον), sail (i.e., dorsal fin), referring to band on dorsal fin

Codoma Girard 1856 a Native American word, chosen presumably because Girard liked the sound of it

Codoma ornata Girard 1856 Latin for adorned or decorated, referring to its “rich and profuse” coloration, presumably of breeding males

Cyprinella Girard 1856 etymology not explained, presumably a diminutive of cypris, a common suffix for small cyprinoid genera, derived from Cyprinus (Common Carp)

Cyprinella alvarezdelvillari Contreras-Balderas & Lozano-Vilano 1994 in honor of the late José Alvarez del Villar (1903–1986), “founder of modern Mexican ichthyology, who trained many generations of ichthyologists,” for “his teaching, his friendship, and his many contributions to our understanding of Mexican freshwater fishes”

Cyprinella analostana Girard 1859 –ana (L.), belonging to: Analostan (now Theodore Roosevelt) Island, Potomac River, Washington, D.C., USA, type locality

Cyprinella bocagrande (Chernoff & Miller 1982) boca, Spanish for mouth; grande, Spanish for large, referring to its long upper jaw (Spanish because it’s endemic to Chihuahua, Mexico)

Cyprinella caerulea (Jordan 1877) Latin for dark blue (but used here to mean blue in general), referring to its bright steel-blue coloration

Cyprinella callisema (Jordan 1877) calli-, from kállos (Gr. κάλλος), beauty; sêma (Gr. σῆμα), sign (i.e., flag semaphore), referring to extremely high dorsal fin of breeding males

Cyprinella callistia (Jordan 1877) calli-, from kállos (Gr. κάλλος), beauty; istia, from histíon (Gr. ἱστίον), sail (i.e., dorsal fin), referring to iridescent dorsal fin of breeding males [may warrant placement in a new or different genus]

Cyprinella callitaenia (Bailey & Gibbs 1956) calli-, from kállos (Gr. κάλλος), beauty; taenia, from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, referring to its lateral blue stripe

Cyprinella camura (Jordan & Meek 1884) Latin for crooked or turned inward, referring to its “bluntly decurved snout” (Jordan & Evermann [1896] say name means “blunt-faced”)

Cyprinella chloristia (Jordan & Brayton 1878) chlōrós (Gr. χλωρός), green; istia, from histíon (Gr. ἱστίον), sail (i.e., dorsal fin), referring to its green dorsal fin

Cyprinella formosa (Girard 1856) Latin for beautiful, “the prettiest of the genus” Moniana (=Cyprinella)

Cyprinella galactura (Cope 1868) milk-tailed, from gálaktos (Gr. γάλακτος), milk, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to two clear-to-white areas on caudal-fin base

Cyprinella garmani (Jordan 1885) in honor of American ichthyologist-herpetologist Samuel Garman (1843–1927), Harvard University

Cyprinella gibbsi (Howell & Williams 1971) in honor of American ichthyologist Robert H. Gibbs, Jr. (1929–1988), U.S. National Museum, for his contributions to the knowledge of Cyprinella

Cyprinella labrosa (Cope 1870) Latin for large-lipped, referring to its “prominent” lips

Cyprinella leedsi (Fowler 1942) in honor of the late Arthur N. Leeds (1870–1939), botanist, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, “who had been much attracted to the charm of the Ohoopee” River, Georgia, USA (type locality), and who was present when holotype was collected

Cyprinella lepida Girard 1856 Latin for pleasant, agreeable, neat or fine, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to it large scales and/or coloration, described as reddish above, yellowish below, with a “jet black patch” at base of caudal fin; name could also be a variant spelling of lepídos (Gr. λεπίδος), genitive of lepίs (λεπίς), scale, referring to its scales “larger than in any of its hitherto known congeners”

Cyprinella lutrensis blairi Hubbs 1940 in honor of American zoologist W. Frank Blair (1912–1985), University of Texas at Austin, who helped collect holotype [extinct due to competition from introduced Fundulus zebrinus; last known collection in 1954]

Cyprinella lutrensis (Baird & Girard 1853) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: lutra (L.), otter, referring to Otter Creek, Oklahoma (erroneously reported as Arkansas), USA, type locality

Cyprinella lutrensis forlonensis Meek 1904 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Forlon, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where it appears to be endemic

Cyprinella nivea (Cope 1870) Latin for snowy, referring to white fins of breeding males

Cyprinella panarcys (Hubbs & Miller 1978) pan (Gr. παν), all, whole or every; arcys (Gr. ἄρκυς), net, referring to the “prominence and wide extent” of crescentic marks on scale pockets, which, when taken together, “suggest a net”

Cyprinella proserpina (Girard 1856) Latin name for Persephone, queen of the infernal regions, referring to Devils River, Texas, USA, type locality

Cyprinella pyrrhomelas (Cope 1870) pyrrhós (Gr. πῠρρός), flame-colored; mélas (μέλας), black, referring to red and black caudal fin of breeding males

Cyprinella rutila (Girard 1856) Latin for red, golden red or reddish yellow, presumably referring to its “golden” sides and abdomen

Cyprinella spiloptera (Cope 1867) spot-finned, from spílos (Gr. σπίλος), mark or spot, and ptera, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to black blotch on rear half of dorsal fin

Cyprinella trichroistia (Jordan & Gilbert 1878) tri– (L.), three; chrṓs (χρώς), skin color; istia, from histíon (Gr. ἱστίον), sail (i.e., dorsal fin), referring to black-red-white dorsal fin of nuptial males

Cyprinella venusta Girard 1856 Latin for charming or beautiful, perhaps referring to its “Gracefully compressed and fusiform” profile

Cyprinella venusta cercostigma Cope 1868 cerco-, from kérkos (Gr. κέρκος), tail; stígma (Gr. στίγμα), mark or spot, referring to spot at base of caudal fin

Cyprinella venusta stigmatura (Jordan 1877) spot-tailed, from stígma (Gr. στίγμα), mark or spot, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to spot at base of caudal fin

Cyprinella whipplei Girard 1856 in honor of Lieut. Amiel Weeks Whipple (1818–1863), American military engineer and surveyor, who led boundary survey team that collected holotype

Cyprinella xaenura (Jordan 1877) scratch-tailed, from xaina (Gr. ξαίνω), scratch, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to several series of strong, “very striking” tubercles on caudal peduncle

Cyprinella xanthicara (Minckley & Lytle 1969) xanthós (Gr. ξανθός), yellow; cara, from kára (Gr. κάρα), top of head, referring to head color of breeding males

Cyprinella zanema (Jordan & Brayton 1878) zá– (Gr. ζά), intensive particle, i.e., very; nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread, referring to its “extremely long [barbels], probably longer than in any other of our Cyprinoids”

Dionda Girard 1856 a Native American word, presumably chosen because Girard liked the sound of it (name does not derive from the Greek Dione, mother of Venus, as reported in some references)

Dionda argentosa Girard 1856 –osa, Latin suffix connoting fullness or abundance: argentea (L.), silvery, “sides and abdomen as if painted over with silver or quicksilver”

Dionda diaboli Hubbs & Brown 1957 Latin for of the devil, referring to Devils River, Texas, USA, type locality

Dionda episcopa Girard 1856 Latin for pope, referring to U.S. Army officer John Pope (1822–1892), who led party that collected holotype

Dionda flavipinnis (Cope 1880) flavus (L.), yellow; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to its “generally pale yellow” fins

Dionda melanops Girard 1856 mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), its blackish dorsal region and black spots on sides and abdomen “giving the whole fish a dark appearance”

Dionda nigrotaeniata (Cope 1880) nigro-, from niger (L.), dark or black; taeniata (L.), striped, referring to blacker lateral band compared with D. flavipinnis

Dionda serena Girard 1856 Latin for clear, bright or fair, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “silvery” sides and abdomen and/or fairer complexion compared with D. episcopa, with which it could “easily be mistaken”

Dionda texensis Girard 1856 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Texas, USA, where type locality (Nueces River) is situated

Ericymba Cope 1865 eri– (Gr. ἐρι), intensive particle (i.e., very); cymba, from kymbē (Gr. κύμβη), the hollow of a vessel, cup or bowl, referring to externally visible mucous “channels” (cavities) on cheek of E. buccata

Ericymba amplamala (Pera & Armbruster 2006) ampla (L.), enlarged; mala (L.), jaw, referring to long jaw and expanded infraorbital and preoperculomandibular canals

Ericymba buccata Cope 1865 Neo-Latin adjective derived from bucca (L.), cavity or cheek, referring to mucous channels (cavities) and where they occur (cheek)

Ericymba dorsalis (Agassiz 1854) Latin for of the back, referring to narrow black band that extends from neck to caudal fin base along the dorsal surface

Ericymba dorsalis keimi (Fowler 1909) in honor of Thomas D. Keim (1879–1968), Fowler’s friend (and future brother-in-law), who helped collect holotype and other fishes for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

Ericymba dorsalis piptolepis (Cope 1871) pī́ptō (Gr. πίπτω), to fall; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale allusion, not explained, perhaps referring to absent (or embedded) scales on nape (as if they had fallen off?)

Erimonax Jordan 1924 eri– (Gr. ἐρι), intensive particle (i.e., very), but in this case perhaps referring to its similarity to (“much like”) Erimystax; monax, from monakhós (Gr. μοναχός), solitary, referring to E. monachus

Erimonax monachus (Cope 1868) monakhós (Gr. μοναχός), solitary, referring to its isolated suite of characters and the fact that Cope only saw it “singly or in pairs”

Erimystax Jordan 1882 eri– (Gr. ἐρι), intensive particle (i.e., very); mýstax (Gr. μύσταξ), moustache, referring to “well developed” barbel at posterior end of maxillary of E. dissimilis

Erimystax cahni (Hubbs & Crowe 1956) in honor of American biologist Alvin R. Cahn (1892–1971), who collected holotype

Erimystax dissimilis (Kirtland 1840) Latin for unlike or dissimilar, different from its presumed congeners in Luxilus

Erimystax harryi (Hubbs & Crowe 1956) in honor of George V. Harry (d. 1979), one of Hubbs’ graduate students, for his extensive survey of Missouri (USA) fishes (he was also a member of the party who collected the holotype)

Erimystax insignis (Hubbs & Crowe 1956) Latin for distinguished by marks, referring to “median row of large, rather intense, more or less rectangular blotches” on sides

Erimystax insignis eristigma (Hubbs & Crowe 1956) eri– (Gr. ἐρι), intensive particle (i.e., very); stígma (Gr. στίγμα), mark or spot, referring to “median row of large, rather intense, more or less rectangular blotches” on sides

Erimystax x-punctatus (Hubbs & Crowe 1956) punctatus (L.), spotted, referring to x-shaped spots along body

Erimystax x-punctatus trautmani (Hubbs & Crowe 1956) in honor of American ichthyologist-ornithologist Milton B. Trautman (1899–1991), Ohio State University, for his “life-long thorough investigation of the fishes of Ohio”

Exoglossum Rafinesque 1818 ex– (Gr. ἐξ) or éxō (ἔξω), outer or external; glossa, from glṓssa (Gr. γλῶσσα), tongue, referring to bony tongue-like extension of lower jaw of E. maxillingua

Exoglossum laurae (Hubbs 1931) in honor of Hubbs’ wife Laura (1893–1988), an ichthyologist herself, “who has helped collect all the specimens I have obtained, and has been a helpful companion on many other scientific adventures”

Exoglossum maxillingua (Lesueur 1817) maxilla (L.), jaw; lingua (L.), tongue, referring to bony tongue-like extension of lower jaw

Graodus Günther 1868 gra-, etymology not explained nor evident, possibly graū́s (Gr. γραῦς) or graī́a (γραῖα), old woman; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, i.e., teeth that, like an old woman’s, missing or worn down, referring to “quite rudimental” pharyngeal teeth of G. nigrotaeniatus (=boucardi), “replaced by a somewhat uneven ridge of bone” (italics in original); Jordan (1879) believes these teeth “have been lost, either by natural shedding or through the softening due to long preservation in spirits”

Graodus boucardi (Günther 1868) in honor of French naturalist Alphonse Boucard (1839–1905), who collected in Mexico, including holotype of this species

Graodus cumingii (Günther 1868) in honor of English natural history collector Hugh Cuming (1791–1865), whose collection (sold to the Natural History Museum in 1866) contained holotype

Graodus imeldae (Cortés 1968) in honor of biologist Imelda Martinez, who, with Lauro González (no other information available), collected holotype and donated it for study

Graodus moralesi (de Buen 1956) in honor of Mexican water resource engineer Salvador Morales, who helped collect holotype

Hudsonius Girard 1856 –ius (L.), adjectival suffix: named for the type species Clupea hudsonia Clinton 1824, referring to its type locality, Hudson River, New York, USA (not tautonymous because Girard unnecessarily renamed H. hudsonius as H. fluviatilis)

Hudsonius altipinnis (Cope 1870) altus (L.), high; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to “much elevated” dorsal fin compared with other minnows Cope grouped with this species

Hudsonius hudsonius (Clinton 1824) –ius (L.), adjectival suffix: Hudson River, New York, USA, type locality

Hybognathus Agassiz 1855 hybos (Gr. ύβος), hump; gnáthos (Gr. γνάθος), jaw, referring to “slight tubercle” at lower-jaw symphysis of H. nuchalis

Hybognathus amarus (Girard 1856) Latin for bitter, brackish or briny, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its type locality, a brackish lagoon near Fort Brown (now Brownsville), Texas, USA

Hybognathus argyritis Girard 1856 argyrítĭs (Gr. ἀργῠρῖτῐς), of or belonging to silver, allusion not explained but almost certainly referring to its silvery coloration

Hybognathus hankinsoni Hubbs 1929 in honor of American zoologist Thomas Leroy Hankinson (1876–1935), University of North Dakota, who collected fishes for the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (but not this species)

Hybognathus hayi Jordan 1885 in honor of American paleontologist-zoologist Oliver P. Hay (1846–1930), Field Museum of Natural History, who collected holotype

Hybognathus nazas (Meek 1904) named for the headwaters of the Río Nazas, Durango, México, type locality

Hybognathus nuchalis Agassiz 1855 Latin for of the neck or nape, referring to dark dorsal stripe that begins at nape

Hybognathus placitus Girard 1856 Latin for pleasing or agreeable, allusion not evident, perhaps referring to its color, “greyish silver along the middle of the flanks, and metallic white or yellow beneath”

Hybognathus regius Girard 1856 Latin for royal or regal, a “large and beautiful species, the largest [member of the genus] that has, so far, come to our knowledge, some of the specimens measuring seven inches in length”

Hybopsis Agassiz 1854 hybos (Gr. ύβος), hump; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), allusion not explained, probably referring to “obtuse prominent snout” of H. gracilis (=amblops)

Hybopsis amblops (Rafinesque 1820) amblýs (Gr. ἀμβλύς), blunt; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), referring to its “round” snout

Hybopsis amnis (Hubbs & Greene 1951) Latin for river, referring to its typical habitat, larger rivers of the Mississippi River system

Hybopsis hypsinotus (Cope 1870) high-backed, from hypsēlós (Gr. ὑψηλός), high, and nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back, referring to its strongly arched back

Hybopsis lineapunctata Clemmer & Suttkus 1971 linea (L.), line, referring to lateral stripe; punctata (L.), spotted, referring to spot on tail

Hybopsis rubrifrons (Jordan 1877) rubrum (L.), red; frons (L.), face or brow, “face rosy in summer males”

Hybopsis winchelli Girard 1856 in honor of American geologist Alexander Winchell (1824–1891), University of Michigan, who collected holotype

Hydrophlox Jordan 1878 hydro-, combining form of hýdōr (Gr. ὕδωρ), water; phlóx (Gr. φλόξ), flame, referring to red or orange colors of breeding males

Hydrophlox chiliticus (Cope 1870) cheíl̄os (Gr. χεῖλος), lip; –icus (L.), adjectival suffix, i.e., lipped, presumably referring to vermilion lips (and snout) of breeding males

Hydrophlox chlorocephalus (Cope 1870) green-headed, from chlōrós (Gr. χλωρός), green, and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, referring to head coloration of breeding males

Hydrophlox chrosomus (Jordan 1877) colorfully bodied, from chrṓma (Gr. χρῶμα), skin or color, and sṓma (Gr. σῶμα), body, referring to “brilliant” coloration of breeding males

Hydrophlox lutipinnis Jordan & Brayton 1878 luteus (L.), yellow; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to yellow fins of breeding males

Hydrophlox rubricroceus (Cope 1868) rubrum (L.), red; croceus (L.), saffron, presumably referring to lower-body colors of breeding males

Iotichthys Jordan & Evermann 1896 iota (ι), smallest letter of Greek alphabet, referring to small size (to 6.4 cm) of I. phlegethontis; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Iotichthys phlegethontis (Cope 1874) -is, Latin genitive singular of: Phlegéthōn (Gr. Φλεγέθων), a river of fire in Hades, allusion not explained, possibly referring to red-gold color of breeding males

Luxilus Rafinesque 1820 diminutive of lux (L.), light, connoting the American vernacular “shiner,” i.e., a small, shiny fish

Luxilus albeolus (Jordan 1889) Latin for whitish, the sides and fins a “pure silvery white”

Luxilus cardinalis (Mayden 1988) zoological Neo-Latin for red (from the color of a Catholic cardinal’s cassock), referring to red fins of breeding males

Luxilus cerasinus (Cope 1868) Latin for cherry-colored, referring to body color of breeding males

Luxilus chrysocephalus Rafinesque 1820 gold-headed, from chrysós (Gr. χρυσός), gold or golden, and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, referring to its “gilt” head

Luxilus chrysocephalus isolepis (Hubbs & Brown 1927) ísos (Gr. ἴσος), equal; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, presumably referring to less variation in number of predorsal scales (12–15) compared with L. c. chrysocephalus (14–29)

Luxilus cornutus (Mitchill 1817) Latin for horned, referring to head tubercles of breeding males

Luxilus cornutus frontalis (Agassiz 1850) Latin for frontal, also used to indicate forehead, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to tubercles of breeding males (“Small circular shields with depressed surface, surmounted with very small conical and acute points, cover the surface of the head”)

Luxilus pilsbryi (Fowler 1904) in honor of American malacologist-conchologist Henry A. Pilsbry (1862–1957), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (where Fowler worked), who collected holotype

Luxilus zonatus (Putnam 1863) Latin for banded or barred, referring to black lateral band on males

Lythrurus Jordan 1876 lythron (Gr. λύθρον), gore; urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to blood-red caudal fin often seen on breeding males of L. ardens and L. diploemius (=Chrosomus erythrogaster)

Lythrurus alegnotus (Snelson 1972) ἀ-, Greek privative, i.e., without; légnotos (Gr. λέγοντος), with a colored border, proposed as a subspecies of L. bellus without black marginal bands on fins

Lythrurus ardens (Cope 1868) Latin for burning or glowing, referring to bright colors of breeding males

Lythrurus atrapiculus (Snelson 1972) atra, from ater (L.), black; apiculus, diminutive of apex (L.), extreme end or top, referring to black tip at top (apex) of dorsal fin

Lythrurus bellus (Hay 1881) Latin for pretty, referring to its vivid coloration: orange fins, jet-black tips of fins, and “almost flame-color” of lower part of body in living specimens

Lythrurus fasciolaris (Gilbert 1891) Latin for marked with narrow bands, referring to 5–8 “dark steel-blue” vertical bars on breeding males

Lythrurus fumeus (Evermann 1892) Latin for smoky, referring to its dusky coloration

Lythrurus lirus (Jordan 1877) from leírios (Gr. λείριος), lily-like, referring to its pallid (i.e., lily white) coloration

Lythrurus matutinus (Cope 1870) Latin for of the morning (i.e., the color of dawn), allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “rufous” color of muzzle and chin

Lythrurus roseipinnis (Hay 1885) roseus (L.), rose-colored; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to pale to bright-red fins of breeding males

Lythrurus snelsoni (Robison 1985) in honor of American chthyologist Franklin F. Snelson, Jr. (b. 1943), Florida Museum of Natural History, for “outstanding contributions” to the knowledge of Lythrurus

Lythrurus umbratilis (Girard 1856) Latin for in the shade, its “backs, sides and fins as if shaded”

Lythrurus umbratilis cyanocephalus Copeland 1877 blue-headed, from kýanos (Gr. κύανος), dark blue (but here meaning blue in general), and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, the top of head being a “bright glaucous blue” in living specimens

Macrhybopsis Cockerell & Allison 1909 macro-, from makrós (Gr. μaκρóς), long or large, proposed as a more elongate subgenus of Hybopsis

Macrhybopsis aestivalis (Girard 1856) Latin for summer-like or of the summer, allusion not explained, possibly alluding to Río San Juan (near Cadereyta, Nuevo León, Mexico), type locality, a considerably warmer habitat compared with the type locality of M. gelida (Montana, USA), described by Girard in the same publication

Macrhybopsis australis (Hubbs & Ortenburger 1929) Latin for southern, probably referring to its more southerly distribution compared with M. tetranema

Macrhybopsis boschungi Gilbert & Mayden 2017 in honor of the late Herbert T. Boschung (1925–2015), University of Alabama, for his many contributions to southeastern (USA) ichthyology in general and the state of Alabama in particular, including co-authorship of Fishes of Alabama (2004)

Macrhybopsis etnieri Gilbert & Mayden 2017 in honor of David A. Etnier (1937–2023), University of Tennessee, for his many contributions to southeastern (USA) ichthyology and aquatic biology, including co-authorship of the “definitive” book on the fishes of Tennessee (1994)

Macrhybopsis gelida (Girard 1856) Latin for icy or very cold, allusion not explained, perhaps alluding to Milk River (northern Montana, USA), type locality, a considerably colder habitat compared with the type locality of M. aestivalis (Nuevo León, Mexico), described by Girard in the same publication

Macrhybopsis hyostoma (Gilbert 1884) hog-mouthed, from hyos (Gr. ὗς), hog, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to underlying position of mouth relative to projecting snout

Macrhybopsis marconis (Jordan & Gilbert 1886) –is, Latin genitive singular of: San Marcos River, Texas, USA, type locality

Macrhybopsis meeki (Jordan & Evermann 1896) in honor of American ichthyologist Seth Eugene Meek (1859–1914), then at the University of Arkansas, who helped collect holotype

Macrhybopsis pallida Gilbert & Mayden 2017 Latin for pale or pallid, referring to its generally pallid body color

Macrhybopsis storeriana (Kirtland 1845) –ana (L.), belonging to: David H. Storer (1804–1891), Vice President of the Boston Society of Natural History (in whose journal the description was published) and later (1846) author of first synopsis of North American fishes

Macrhybopsis tetranema (Gilbert 1886) four-threaded, from tetrá (Gr. τετρά), four, and nema (Gr. νῆμα), thread, referring to its four thread-like barbels

Macrhybopsis tomellerii Gilbert & Mayden 2017 in honor of biological illustrator Joseph R. Tomelleri (b. 1958) of Leawood, Kansas (USA), whose “unsurpassed and meticulously rendered color illustrations of North American freshwater fishes have graced the pages of numerous scientific publications” (including description of this cyprinid) and books

Miniellus Jordan 1882 etymology not explained but almost certainly –ellus, a Latin diminutive, i.e., a small minnow (or “minnie” in American vernacular), described as “small, plain” fishes, the “smallest and most insignificant of American Cyprinidae” [date of authorship often incorrectly given as 1888; not to be confused with Minnilus Rafinesque 1820, a junior synonym of Notropis]

Miniellus albizonatus (Warren & Burr 1994) albus (L.), white; zonatus (L.), banded, referring to white band above lateral line

Miniellus alborus (Hubbs & Raney 1947) albus (L.), white; oris (L.), mouth, referring to its unpigmented lips and mouth

Miniellus ammophilus (Suttkus & Boschung 1990) sand-loving, from ámmos or hámmos (Gr. ᾰ̓́μμος or ἅμμος), sand, and phílos (Gr. φίλος), friend or fond of, referring to its preferred habitat

Miniellus anogenus (Forbes 1885) án– (Gr. ἄν), without (the “o” added for euphony); génys (Gr. γένυς), jaw, referring to its small, upturned mouth

Miniellus boops (Gilbert 1884) bo, from boū́s (Gr. βοῦς), bull, metaphorically used to mean big; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to its large eyes

Miniellus chihuahua (Woolman 1892) named for Chihuahua, Mexico, type locality

Miniellus greenei (Hubbs & Ortenburger 1929) in honor of Hubbs’ student Carroll Willard Greene (1901–?), “who is now engaged in making an ichthyological survey of Wisconsin” (Greene later became an ichthyologist for the New York State Department of Conservation)

Miniellus heterodon (Cope 1865) héteros (Gr. ἕτερος), different; odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, referring to variations in dentition, with features at times characteristic of Alburnops (original genus) or Cyprinella

Miniellus longirostris (Hay 1881) longus (L.), long; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, referring to long, rounded snout

Miniellus mekistocholas (Snelson 1971) mḗkistos (Gr. μήκιστος), tallest or longest; cholás (Gr. χολάς), intestine, referring to its elongate, convoluted intestine, an adaptation to its herbivorous diet

Miniellus melanostomus (Bortone 1989) black-mouthed, from mélas(μέλας), black, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to color of floor of mouth

Miniellus nubilus (Forbes 1878) Latin for cloudy or gloomy, referring to its “unusually dusky” body color

Miniellus ortenburgeri (Hubbs 1927) in honor of Hubbs’ student Arthur I. Ortenburger (1898–1961), “who is initiating an Oklahoma Fish Survey”

Miniellus perpallidus (Hubbs & Black 1940) per- (L.), very, continuous or throughout; pallidus (L.), pale, referring to its “extreme pallor”

Miniellus procne (Cope 1865) Prokne, from Greek mythology, whom the gods transformed into a swallow, alluding to its deeply forked tail

Miniellus rafinesquei (Suttkus 1991) in honor of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783–1840), “one of our early American naturalists”

Miniellus sabinae (Jordan & Gilbert 1886) of the Sabine River, Texas, USA, type locality

Miniellus scabriceps (Cope 1868) scaber (L.), rough; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to abrasive tubercles on heads of breeding males

Miniellus stramineus (Cope 1865) Latin for straw-like, referring to its coloration

Miniellus stramineus missuriensis (Cope 1871) -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Missouri River drainage and/or state of Missouri, USA, where type locality (near St. Joseph) is situated

Miniellus topeka (Gilbert 1884) named for Topeka, Kansas, USA, type locality

Miniellus uranoscopus (Suttkus 1959) ouranós (Gr. οὐρανός), heaven or sky; skopós (Gr. σκοπός), looker, contemplator or viewer, referring to its skyward (upturned) eyes

Mylocheilus Agassiz 1855 mylo-, from mýlē (Gr. μύλη), mill or millstone; cheilus, from cheīĺos (Gr. χεῖλος), lip, referring to bony sheath around lips

Mylocheilus caurinus (Richardson 1836) Latin for “of the northwest wind,” i.e., northwestern, described from the Columbia River, Fort Vancouver, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest of the USA

Nocomis Girard 1856 a Native American word, presumably chosen because Girard like the sound of it [Nookomis is the name of a grandmother in traditional stories among the indigenous Ojibwe people of North America and was made famous in Longfellow’s 1855 epic poem “The Song of Hiawatha,” in which a major female character named Nokomis falls from the moon]

Nocomis asper Lachner & Jenkins 1971 Latin for rough, referring to tubercles on scales on breeding males

Nocomis biguttatus (Kirtland 1840) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; guttatus (L.), spotted or speckled, described as “The Two-Spotted Chub,” probably referring to black spot at caudal-fin base and red spot on each side of head (the latter spot only on breeding males)

Nocomis effusus Lachner & Jenkins 1967 Latin for effusive, referring to the numerous breeding tubercles on its body and head

Nocomis leptocephalus (Girard 1856) thin-headed, from leptós (Gr. λεπτός), thin, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to smaller head compared with Ceratichthys (=Hybopsis) amblops

Nocomis leptocephalus bellicus Girard 1856 Latin for of war or military, referring to Black Warrior River, Alabama, USA, type locality

Nocomis leptocephalus interocularis Lachner & Wiley 1971 inter (L.), between; ocularis (L.), of the eye, referring to location of tubercles on head

Nocomis micropogon (Cope 1865) micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small; pṓgōn (Gr. πώγων), beard, referring to very small barbels on holotype (which was later discovered to be a Luxilus cornutus x N. micropogon hybrid; name validated by substituting holotype with a neotype)

Nocomis platyrhynchus Lachner & Jenkins 1971 broad-snouted, from platýs (Gr. πλατύς), broad or wide, and rhýnchos (Gr. ῥύγχος), snout, referring to large gape width

Nocomis raneyi Lachner & Jenkins 1971 in honor of ichthyologist American Edward C. Raney (1909–1984), Cornell University, “whose enthusiasm and guidance placed many American students on the professional pathway to ichthyology”

Notropis Rafinesque 1818 nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back; trópis (Gr. τρόπις), keel, referring to ridged or keeled back of N. atherinoides, possibly due to shriveling of desiccated specimen that Rafinesque examined

Notropis amabilis (Girard 1856) Latin for amiable or attractive, a “very slender and graceful species”

Notropis amoenus (Abbott 1874) Latin for pleasant, charming or delightful, a “beautiful cyprinoid” per Abbott

Notropis ariommus (Cope 1867) arí (Gr. ἀρί), intensive particle (i.e., much or very); ómma (Gr. ὄμμα), eye, referring to its “strikingly larger” eye compared with the similar Photogenis leucops (=N. photogenis) [this species has the largest eyes in Notropis but Cope did not know this]

Notropis atherinoides Rafinesque 1818 -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: Atherina, typical genus of silversides (Atheriniformes: Atherinidae), which Rafinesque believed was closely related to Notropis

Notropis atherinoides acutus (Lapham 1854) Latin for sharp or pointed, referring to sharper snout compared with N. a. atherinoides [presumably extinct]

Notropis atrocaudalis Evermann 1892 atro-, from ater (L.), black; caudalis (L.), of the tail, referring to black spot on tail

Notropis bifrenatus (Cope 1867) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; frenatus (L.), bridled, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to black bridle-like preocular bars that unite across the snout (but why two instead of just one? Cope also described an orange band above the black one, so maybe that was bridle #2)

Notropis heterolepis Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1893 héteros (Gr. ἕτερος), another or different; lepίs (Gr. λεπίς), scale, presumably referring to scale variation (scales along median line with a deep notch near middle of posterior margin; scales above lateral band dotted with black; dorsal scales with dark markings)

Notropis heterolepis regalis Hubbs & Lagler 1949 Latin for royal, referring to both its large size (up to 81 mm SL) and occurrence at Isle Royale, Michigan, USA

Notropis jemezanus (Cope 1875) -anus (L.), belonging to: Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA, type locality

Notropis maculatus (Hay 1881) Latin for spotted, referring to its large caudal spot

Notropis megalops (Girard 1856) big-eyed, from mégas (Gr. μέγας), large, and ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye referring to larger eye compared with N. amabilis

Notropis micropteryx (Cope 1868) micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small; ptéryx (Gr. πτέρυξ), wing or fin, referring to smaller fins compared with Alburnellus jaculus (=N. rubellus)

Notropis oxyrhynchus Hubbs & Bonham 1951 sharp-snouted, from oxýs (Gr. ὀξύς), sharp or pointed, and rhýnchos (Gr. ῥύγχος), snout, referring to its sharp muzzle

Notropis percobromus (Cope 1871) etymology not explained, perhaps perco, from pérkē (Gr. πέρκη), perch, and Bromus, a genus of forage grasses, derived from bromós (Gr. βρομός), a kind of oats, allusion not evident but here is a guess: Cope said the species was collected with the “percoid fishes” Lepomis anagallinus (=L. humilis, Centrarchidae) and Boleosoma brevipinne (= Etheostoma nigrum, Percidae), so perhaps he was suggesting that percoids foraged on this small minnow (Mark Henry Sabaj Pérez, pers. comm.)

Notropis photogenis (Cope 1865) phōtō– (Gr. φωτω-), combining form of phṓs (φῶς), light; genis, from géneion (Gr. γένειον), cheek, referring to its “bright silvery” sides, “especially brilliant” on the operculum

Notropis rubellus (Agassiz 1850) Latin for reddish, referring to color around jaws of males

Notropis rupestris Page 1987 Neo-Latin for living among rocks, referring to its bedrock pool habitat

Notropis saladonis Hubbs & Hubbs 1958 –is, Latin genitive singular of: Río Salado basin (Nuevo León and Coahuila, Mexico), where it was endemic (now likely extinct)

Notropis scepticus (Jordan & Gilbert 1883) from skeptikós (Gr. σκεπτικός), thoughtful or inquiring (but here used to mean observant), referring to its large eyes

Notropis semperasper Gilbert 1961 semper (L.), always; asper (L.), rough, referring to tubercles on young-of-the-year and juveniles, and the retention of tubercles on adults not just during breeding season but throughout year

Notropis stilbius Jordan 1877 from stilbo (Gr. στίλβω), shining, referring to broad silvery band on cheek and side

Notropis suttkusi Humphries & Cashner 1994 in honor of American ichthylogist Royal D. Suttkus (1929–2009), Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA), for his “outstanding contributions to North American ichthyology and cyprinid systematics during a long and productive career”

Notropis telescopus (Cope 1868) from tēleskópos (Gr. τηλεσκόπος), far-seeing, referring to its large eyes

Notropis tropicus Hubbs & Miller 1975 Latin for tropical, one of the southernmost (Río Pánuco basin, Mexico) species in the family

Opsopoeodus Hay 1881 opsopoiós (Gr. ὀψοποιός), one who prepares or cooks food; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, referring to “thoroughness with which the food is prepared by the numerous serrated pharyngeal teeth”

Opsopoeodus emiliae Hay 1881 matronym not identified but probably in honor of Hay’s wife Emily (1849–1931)

Opsopoeodus emiliae peninsularis (Gilbert & Bailey 1972) Latin for peninsular, referring to its occurrence in peninsular Florida, USA

Oregonichthys Hubbs 1929 Oregon, USA, where O. crameri is endemic; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Oregonichthys crameri (Snyder 1908) in honor of American biologist and educator Frank Cramer (1861–1948), Stanford University, who helped collect holotype

Oregonichthys kalawatseti Markle, Pearsons & Bills 1999 “Oregon [USA] once had a remarkable diversity of native peoples with more native languages than all of Europe. The Kalawatset, a tidewater Umpqua people …, were part of this lost human diversity and serve to forewarn of a parallel decline in diversity of Oregon’s native freshwater fishes.”

Paranotropis Fowler 1904 pará (Gr. παρά), near, proposed as a subgenus of Notropis

Paranotropis buchanani (Meek 1896) in honor of John L. Buchanan (1831–1922), president of Arkansas Industrial University (USA), where Meek was a professor of biology and geology

Paranotropis cahabae (Mayden & Kuhajda 1989) of the Cahaba River (Alabama, USA), from a Choctaw word meaning “waters above,” referring to water from sky, mountain springs, or gift from above

Paranotropis leuciodus (Cope 1868) leukós (Gr. λευκός), white; –iodus, from eí̄dos (Gr. εἶδος), form or shape, i.e., whitish, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its silver (tinged with purple) sides, “resembling the nacre of some Uniones” (freshwater mussels)

Paranotropis ozarcanus (Meek 1891) –anus (L.), belonging to: the Ozarks, referring to distribution in the Ozark region above the Fall Line in the White and Black River systems, Missouri and Arkansas, USA

Paranotropis spectrunculus (Cope 1868) etymology not explained; Jordan & Evermann (1896) suggest it is a diminutive of spectrum (L.), image, without explanation, whereas Jenkins & Burkhead (1994) suggest specca (Anglo-Saxon), spot, and trunculus, diminutive of truncus (L.), stem, referring to “conspicuous” black spot at end of caudal peduncle

Paranotropis volucellus (Cope 1865) diminutive of volucer (L.), flying or winged, probably referring to its “elongate fins, especially the dorsal”

Paranotropis wickliffi (Trautman 1931) in honor of American biologist Edward L. Wickliff (1893–1975), Trautman’s “loyal friend,” who “has done much in carrying on and furthering ichthyological research in Ohio”

Phenacobius Cope 1867 phénakos (Gr. φένακος), genitive of phénax (φέναξ), cheat or imposter; bíos (Gr. βίος), life, referring to P. teretelus and P. uranops, similar in aspect to the young of some species of Catostomus (Catostomidae); Jordan & Evermann (1896) say the name refers to their appearance, “suggesting an herbivorous species with long intestines, which it really is not,” but Cope said the “digestive system [of P. uranops] indicates [a] carnivorous diet.”

Phenacobius catostomus Jordan 1877 named for Catostomus teres (=commersonii, Catostomidae), which it resembles in color

Phenacobius crassilabrum Minckley & Craddock 1962 crassus (L.), thick, fat or stout; labrum (L.), lip, referring to its large, fleshy lips

Phenacobius mirabilis (Girard 1856) Latin for singular or strange; Girard said it belonged to the “most curious genus” of American minnows, Exoglossum

Phenacobius teretulus Cope 1867 etymology not explained, presumably a diminutive of teretis (L.), cylindrical, referring to its terete (cylindrical) body form

Phenacobius uranops Cope 1867 ouranós (Gr. οὐρανός), heaven or sky; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to its oval eyes, “having some vertical range” (i.e., upward-pointing)

Pimephales Rafinesque 1820 pīmelḗ (Gr. πῑμελή), fat; cephales, from kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, the head of P. promelas described as “soft and fat all over,” a clear reference to the fleshy growth on nape of breeding males [Rafinesque twice incorrectly translated name as “Flat-head” in his description of the genus, possibly a typesetting error, but correctly translated it as “Fat-head” in his description of P. promelas]

Pimephales notatus (Rafinesque 1820) Latin for marked, probably referring to its caudal-fin spot

Pimephales promelas Rafinesque 1820 pro– (L.), in front of; mélas (μέλας), black, referring to black head of breeding males

Pimephales promelas harveyensis Hubbs & Lagler 1949 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Harvey Lake on Lake Superior’s Isle Royale, Michigan, USA, where it is endemic

Pimephales tenellus (Girard 1856) Latin for somewhat tender or delicate, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its slenderer form compared with Hyborhynchus perspicuus (=P. vigilax perspicuus)

Pimephales tenellus parviceps (Hubbs & Black 1947) parvus (L.), little; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, presumably referring to its shorter head compared with P. t. tenellus

Pimephales vigilax (Baird & Girard 1853) Latin for watchful or restless, allusion not explained nor evident; Jenkins & Burkhead (1994) suggest name refers to the vigilance of nest-guarding males, but it is doubtful that breeding behavior had been observed by the time of its description

Pimephales vigilax perspicuus (Girard 1856) Latin for clear, transparent or evident, allusion not explained nor evident (despite the name!); perhaps Girard regarded it as clearly different from P. tenellus, described in the same publication

Platygobio Gill 1863 platýs (Gr. πλατύς), flat, referring to flattened head of P. communis (=graclis); Gobio, the similar-looking gudgeon of Europe

Platygobio gracilis (Richardson 1836) Latin for thin or slender, allusion not explained, probably referring to its slenderer body compared with other cypriniform fishes (including suckers) then placed in the catch-all genus Cyprinus

Platygobio gracilis gulonellus (Cope 1865) etymology not explained, perhaps diminutive of gula (L.), throat, or of gulo (L.), epicure or glutton, both possibly referring to “Breadth between eyes scarcely half length of cranium above” compared with P. communis (=P. g. gracilis)

Pogonichthys Girard 1854 pṓgōn (Gr. πώγων), beard, referring to well-developed barbel of P. inaequilobus (=macrolepidotus); ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Pogonichthys ciscoides Hopkirk 1974 –oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: described as similar to a cisco (Salmonidae: Coregonus)

Pogonichthys macrolepidotus (Ayres 1854) large-scaled, from makrós (Gr. μaκρóς), long or large, and lepidōtós (Gr. λεπιδωτός), scaly, referring to larger scales compared with Orthodon microlepidotus (Laviniinae), its presumed congener at the time, described in the same publication

Pteronotropis Fowler 1935 ptero-, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν), fin, referring to “greatly enlarged” dorsal and anal fins of breeding male Ergola formosa (=P. hypselopterus); Notropis, a related genus

Pteronotropis cummingsae (Myers 1925) in honor of Mrs. J. H. Cummings (1885–?), amateur naturalist, for her “investigation of the Wilmington [North Carolina, USA] fauna and flora” (she and her husband also hosted Myers in their houseboat during his North Carolina field work)

Pteronotropis euryzonus (Suttkus 1955) eurýs (Gr. εὐρύς), wide or broad; zonus, Neo-Latin adjective of zona (L.), band, referring to its broad lateral band

Pteronotropis grandipinnis (Jordan 1877) grandis (L.), large; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to enlarged dorsal fin of breeding males

Pteronotropis harperi (Fowler 1941) in honor of American naturalist Francis Harper (1886–1972), who collected holotype while retracing routes of 18th-century naturalists John and William Bartram

Pteronotropis hubbsi (Bailey & Robison 1978) in honor of American ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894–1979), “who has played a key role in the development of knowledge of Notropis”

Pteronotropis hypselopterus (Günther 1868) high-finned, from hypsēlós (Gr. ὑψηλός), high, and pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to high dorsal fin of breeding males

Pteronotropis merlini (Suttkus & Mettee 2001) in honor of Merlin G. Suttkus (1919–1986), who helped his brother Royal collect fishes

Pteronotropis metallicus (Jordan & Meek 1884) Latin for metallic, referring to “burnished” dusky lateral band ending in a black spot at base of caudal fin

Pteronotropis signipinnis (Bailey & Suttkus 1952) signum (L.), flag or banner; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to “striking” coloration of caudal and other median fins (hence the common name Flagfin Shiner”

Pteronotropis stonei (Fowler 1921) in honor of American ornithologist Witmer Stone (1866–1939), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (where Fowler worked), who collected holotype

Pteronotropis welaka (Evermann & Kendall 1898) Native American name (meaning “chain-of-lakes”) for St. Johns River, Florida (USA), type locality

Rhinichthys Agassiz 1849 rhinós (Gr. ῥινός), genitive of rhís (ῥίς), nose, referring to prominent snout of R. atronasus (=atratulus); ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Rhinichthys atratulus (Hermann 1804) Latin for dressed in black, referring to black stripe on body and around snout

Rhinichthys cataractae (Valenciennes 1842) of a cataract or cascade, referring to area around Niagara Falls, North America, type locality

Rhinichthys cataractae dulcis (Girard 1856) Latin for sweet, referring to Sweetwater River, Wyoming, USA, type locality

Rhinichthys cataractae smithi Nichols 1916 in honor of American-born Canadian archaeologist Harlan I. Smith (1872–1940), who collected holotype [extinct by 1986 due to introgressive hybridization with the nominate form]

Rhinichthys deaconi Miller 1984 in honor of American ichthyologist James E. Deacon (1934–2015), University of Nevada, “whose concern about the conservation status of many fishes from the Southwest has aroused interest on their behalf and whose ecological studies have provided the necessary biological information needed to aid their survival”

Rhinichthys evermanni Snyder 1908 in honor of American ichthyologist Barton Warren Evermann (1853–1932), who surveyed the Pacific Northwest fish fauna of North America and later served as chief scientist of the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, which published Snyder’s paper

Rhinichthys falcatus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1893) Latin for falcate (sickle-shaped), referring to large dorsal fin with prolonged anterior rays

Rhinichthys gabrielino Moyle, Buckmaster & Su 2023 named for the Gabrielino-Tongva people, indigenous inhabitants of the Los Angeles region (California, USA) where this species historically occurred

Rhinichthys klamathensis (Evermann & Meek 1898) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Klamath River drainage, Oregon and California, USA, where it is endemic

Rhinichthys klamathensis achomawi Moyle, Buckmaster & Su 2023 named for the Achomawi people (“river people”), whose historic homelands were along the Pit River and tributaries in northeastern California, USA, where this subspecies occurs

Rhinichthys klamathensis goyatoka Moyle, Buckmaster & Su 2023 named for the Goyatöka people who, before the invasion of their homeland by Euro-Americans, lived on lands in the Warner Basin (California and Oregon, USA), where this subspecies occurs

Rhinichthys nevadensis Gilbert 1893 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Nevada, USA, where it is endemic

Rhinichthys nevadensis caldera Moyle, Buckmaster & Su 2023 named for the Long Valley Caldera (Inyo County, California, USA), the remnants of a gigantic volcano that last erupted 0.7 million years ago, in the remnants of which this subspecies colonized during the late Pleistocene

Rhinichthys nevadensis robustus (Rutter 1903) Latin for of oak or oaken and, by extension, hard, firm or solid (but often used by ichthyologists to mean fat or stout), referring to its “heavy” body

Rhinichthys obtusus Agassiz 1854 Latin for blunt, referring to its blunter body compared with R. marmoratus (=cataractae)

Rhinichthys osculus (Girard 1856) diminutive of os (L.), mouth, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to the “rather small” mouth Girard described for Argyreus Heckel 1843 (which he treated a senior synonym of Rhinichthys but is in fact preoccupied by Argyreus Scopoli 1777 in Lepidoptera)

Rhinichthys osculus adobe (Jordan & Evermann 1891) Spanish for clay, referring to its color (“grayish-olivaceous above”) and “the bottom it frequents”

Rhinichthys osculus carringtonii (Cope 1872) in honor of Edward Campbell Carrington (1851–-1917), U.S. government survey naturalist who collected holotype

Rhinichthys osculus lariversi Lugaski 1972 in honor of American zoologist Ira La Rivers (1915–1977), University of Nevada, for his work on the fishes of Nevada (USA)

Rhinichthys osculus lethoporus Hubbs & Miller 1972 letho-, from lḗthē (Gr. λήθη), forgetfulness; póros (Gr. πόρος), hole or pore, referring to the extreme reduction of its lateral line

Rhinichthys osculus moapae Williams 1978 of the Moapa River, Nevada, USA, where it is endemic

Rhinichthys osculus nubilus (Girard 1856) Latin for cloudy or gloomy, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “blackish brown” color, “with a purplish hue along the middle of the flanks”

Rhinichthys osculus oligoporus Hubbs & Miller 1972 olígos (Gr. ὀλίγος), few or scanty; póros (Gr. πόρος), hole or pore, referring to reduced lateral line

Rhinichthys osculus reliquus Hubbs & Miller 1972 Latin for relict, the only surviving native fish in Grass Valley, Nevada, USA (until 1938, that is, when it was last collected)

Rhinichthys osculus robustus (Rutter 1903) Latin for of oak or oaken and, by extension, hard, firm or solid (but often used by ichthyologists to mean fat or stout), referring to its “heavy” body

Rhinichthys osculus thermalis (Hubbs & Kuhne 1937) Neo-Latin for of or relating to hot springs or water, referring to Kendall Warm Spring, Wyoming, USA, where it is endemic

Rhinichthys osculus velifer Gilbert 1893 velum (L.), sail; fero (L.), to have or bear, probably referring to long pectoral fins, which overlap front of anal fin

Rhinichthys osculus yarrowi Jordan & Evermann 1891 in honor of American surgeon-naturalist Henry C. Yarrow (1840–1929), for his work on the fishes of the Colorado River

Rhinichthys umatilla (Gilbert & Evermann 1894) named for Umatilla, Oregon, USA, type locality

Richardsonius Girard 1856 –ius (L.), pertaining to: Scottish surgeon-naturalist John Richardson (1787–1865); in selecting this name, “we have borne in mind the eminent labors” of Richardson, author of Fauna Boreali-Americana (1836), which included the description of R. balteatus

Richardsonius balteatus (Richardson 1836) Latin for belted or girdled, probably referring to the “broad scarlet-red stripe” on breeding males

Richardsonius balteatus hydrophlox (Cope 1872) hydro-, combining form of hýdōr (Gr. ὕδωρ), water; phlóx (Gr. φλόξ), flame, referring to brilliant colors of breeding males

Richardsonius egregius (Girard 1858) Latin for exceptional, allusion not explained, probably referring to its vivid coloration, being one of the most colorful fishes of the American West

Stypodon Garman 1881 stypo, stump; don, tooth, referring to snail-grinding teeth

Stypodon signifer Garman 1881 signum (L.), flag or banner; –ifer, from fero (L.), to have or bear, perhaps referring to prominent lateral band [extinct in 1930 due to pollution and water diversion

Tampichthys Schönhuth, Doadrio, Dominguez-Dominguez, Hillis & Mayden 2008 tamp, referring to Tampico Embayment drainage of Mexico, where all species occur; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Tampichthys catostomops (Hubbs & Miller 1977) ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), resembling a sucker (Catostomidae: Catostomus)

Tampichthys dichroma (Hubbs & Miller 1977) di– (Gr. prefix), from dýo (δύο), two; chrṓma (Gr. χρῶμα), skin or color, sooty above, light below

Tampichthys erimyzonops (Hubbs & Miller 1974) ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), resembling, a young chubsucker (Catostomidae: Erimyzon)

Tampichthys ipni (Álvarez & Navarro 1953) in honor of Instituto Politecnio Nacional (IPN), Mexico, where the authors worked

Tampichthys mandibularis (Contreras-Balderas & Verduzco-Martínez 1977) Latin for of or pertaining to a jaw, referring to its long mandible, or jaw

Tampichthys rasconis (Jordan & Snyder 1899) –is (L.), genitive singular of: Rascon, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, type locality

Tiaroga Girard 1856 a Native American word, presumably chosen because Girard like the sound of it [treated as a junior synonym of Rhinichthys by some workers]

Tiaroga cobitis Girard 1856 from kōbí̄tis (κωβῖτις), ancient Greek name for small fishes that bury in the bottom and/or are like a gudgeon (Gobionidae: Gobio); Girard described this species as “not without analogy with the Gudgeons”

Yuriria Jordan & Evermann 1896 named for Lake Yuriria in Guanajuato, Mexico, where Y. alta is abundant

Yuriria alta (Jordan 1880) Latin for high, referring to its elevated back

Yuriria amatlana Domínguez-Domínguez, Pompa-Domínguez & Doadria 2007 –ana (L.), belonging to: Amatlan de Cañas (a town), Nayarit, Mexico, type locality

Yuriria chapalae (Jordan & Snyder 1899) of Lago de Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico, type locality