Revised 21 March 2024
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Ichthyoelephas Posada 1909 ichthýos (Gr. ἰχθύος), genitive of ichthýs (ἰχθύς), fish; elephas (L.), elephant, referring to “trompa carnosa” (fleshy proboscis) or “trompa” (trunk) of Ichthyoelephas patalo (=longirostris)

Ichthyoelephas humeralis (Günther 1860) Latin for humeral, allusion not explained, described as having a black spot behind shoulder on fourth, fifth and sixth scales of lateral line

Ichthyoelephas longirostris (Steindachner 1879) longus (L.), long; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), referring to its long snout

Prochilodus Agassiz 1829 pro– (L.), in front of; cheī́los (Gr. χεῖλος), lip; odoús (Gr. ὀδούς), tooth, i.e., teeth projecting from lips, referring to tiny teeth that cover lips

Prochilodus argenteus Spix & Agassiz 1829 Latin for silvery, referring to its “glistening” (translation) silvery sides

Prochilodus brevis Steindachner 1875 Latin for short, allusion not explained, perhaps (according to the text) referring to shorter body height compared with P. vimboides and/or (based on accompanying illustrations) shorter, squatter body compared with P. harttii

Prochilodus britskii Castro 1993 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Heraldo A. Britski, Universidade de São Paulo, who made specimens available to Castro, and for his “great” contributions to Brazilian ichthyology

Prochilodus costatus Valenciennes 1850 Latin for ribbed, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps referring to pattern of dark versus lighter bars on side of body

Prochilodus harttii Steindachner 1875 in honor of Charles Frederick Hartt (1840–1878), Canadian-American geologist, paleontologist and naturalist, who helped collect holotype during the Thayer Expedition (1865–1866) to Brazil [misspelled hartii, but since Steindachner stated that the name honors Hartt within the description, correction is obligatory per ICZN Art. 32.5.1]

Prochilodus lacustris Steindachner 1907 Latin for relating to or associated with lakes (lacustrine), referring to type localities in two Brazilian lakes, Lago de Parnaguá and Lagoa da Missão

Prochilodus lineatus (Valenciennes 1837) Latin for lined, presumably referring to multiple dark, wavy, longitudinal stripes along lateral surface of body

Prochilodus magdalenae Steindachner 1879 of the Magdalena River, Colombia, type locality

Prochilodus mariae Eigenmann 1922 in honor of Hermano Apolinar Maria (1867–1949), Director, Museum at the Instituto de La Salle, Bogotá, who provided Eigenmann with “valuable collections” of fishes from the Meta River basin of Colombia, including this one [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from nouns that end in “a”]

Prochilodus nigricans Spix & Agassiz 1829 Latin for blackish, referring to blackish-green coloration on sides and/or blackish dots on dorsal and anal fins

Prochilodus reticulatus Valenciennes 1850 Latin for netted, referring to net-like appearance of scales lined with green

Prochilodus rubrotaeniatus Jardine 1841 rubro-, from ruber (L.), red; taeniatus (L.), banded, referring to bands of “pale rose-colour” on body

Prochilodus vimboides Kner 1859 –oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), having the form of: presumably referring to its superficial resemblance to the European leuciscid Vimba vimba

Semaprochilodus Fowler 1941 sêma (Gr. σῆμα), sign (i.e., banner or flag semaphore), being a Prochilodus with a black-banded, falcate dorsal fin and/or a banded, flag-like caudal fin

Semaprochilodus brama (Valenciennes 1850) brama, derived from abramís (Gr. ἀβραμίς), bream, referring to high dorsal profile similar to that of the Common Bream of Europe, Abramis brama (Leuciscidae)

Semaprochilodus insignis (Jardine 1841) Latin for remarkable, notable or distinguished by marks, referring to its “gaudily coloured” appearance

Semaprochilodus kneri (Pellegrin 1909) in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Rudolf Kner (1810–1869), who suspected this was a distinct species in 1859

Semaprochilodus laticeps (Steindachner 1879) latus (L.), broad or wide; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to “broad, strongly arched” head (translation)

Semaprochilodus taeniurus (Valenciennes 1821) ribbon-tailed, from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to seven longitudinal bands on caudal fin

Semaprochilodus varii Castro 1988 in honor of Richard P. Vari (1949– 2016), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA), who demonstrated the monophyly of this family (1983) and advanced a hypothesis of its phylogenetic position