Updated 30 Sept. 2024
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Gymnorhamphichthys Ellis 1912 gymnós (Gr. γυμνός), bare or naked, “much the same as” Rhamphichthys except scaleless on anterior portion of body

Gymnorhamphichthys bogardusi Lundberg 2005 in honor of Joan Bogardus Spears (1939–2002), “a descendant of the earliest Dutch settlers in New York, whose avid interests in life’s diversity on Earth taught and inspired her children to support its scientific discovery and documentation” (Spears’ daughter Dorothy provided “generous support” of Lundberg’s work) [preferably spelled bogardusae since name honors a woman, but ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction]

Gymnorhamphichthys britskii Carvalho, Ramos & Albert 2011 in honor of Heraldo A. Britski (b. 1934), Universidade de São Paulo, for his many contributions to our understanding of Neotropical fishes, and his “paramount” work on the fishes of the Paraguay basin

Gymnorhamphichthys hypostomus Ellis 1912 under-mouthed, from hypó (Gr. ὑπό), under or beneath, and stóma (Gr. στόμα), mouth, referring to its mouth “somewhat under the upper jaw”

Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni (Miranda Ribeiro 1920) in honor of Cândido Rondon (1865–1958), Brazilian army engineer and explorer, whose Rondon Commission to install telegraph poles from Mato Grosso to Amazonas included expedition during which holotype was collected

Gymnorhamphichthys rosamariae Schwassmann 1989 of Rosa María, Amazonas, Brazil, type locality

Hypopygus Hoedeman 1962 a combination of the generic names Hypopomus and Parupygus (Hypopomidae, now considered congeneric), presumed to be related to this genus at time of description

Hypopygus benoneae Peixoto, Dutra, de Santana & Wosiacki 2013 in honor of Naraiana Benone, Universidade Federal do Pará, who collected most of the type series

Hypopygus cryptogenes (Triques 1997) cryptos, from kryptόs (Gr. κρυπτός), concealed or hidden; genes, from génesis (Gr. γένεσις), manner of birth, referring to its “obscure origins and phyletic relationships” (Triques believed the species shared characters with Hypopygus and Steatogenys, but did not feel confident placing it in either; therefore he proposed a new genus, Stegostenopos, now a synonym)

Hypopygus hoedemani de Santana & Crampton 2011 in honor of Dutch ichthyologist Jacobus Johannes Hoedeman (1917–1982), for his contributions to Neotropical ichthyology, including description of H. lepturus, type species of genus

Hypopygus isbruckeri de Santana & Crampton 2011 in honor of Dutch ichthyologist Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker (b. 1944), Zoölogisch Museum, Amsterdam, for contributions to Neotropical ichthyology, including Hypopygus [sometimes spelled isbrueckeri but ICZN Art. 32.5.1-2 does not apply]

Hypopygus lepturus Hoedeman 1962 thin-tailed, from leptós (Gr. λεπτός), fine or thin, and urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to slender, pointed tail beyond anal fin

Hypopygus minissimus de Santana & Crampton 2011 Latin for smallest, the smallest known gymnotiform (up to 64.0 mm TL)

Hypopygus neblinae Mago-Leccia 1994 of La Neblina National Park (Amazonas, Venezuela), where Mago-Leccia first spotted the differences between this species and H. lepturus
Hypopygus nijsseni de Santana & Crampton 2011 in honor of Dutch ichthyologist Han Nijssen (1935–2013), Zoölogisch Museum, Amsterdam, for his contributions to Neotropical ichthyology

Hypopygus ortegai de Santana & Crampton 2011 in honor of Peruvian ichthyologist Hernán Ortega Torres, for his many contributions to Neotropical ichthyology and his participation in the expedition that discovered this species

Hypopygus varii Campos-da-Paz 2018 in honor of Richard P. Vari (1949– 2016), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA), who “greatly” contributed to the knowledge of Neotropical characiphysan fishes, and also produced a number of papers on gymnotiform taxonomy and systematics, for his “work, enthusiasm and encouragement to many ichthyologists”

Iracema Triques 1996 name of a “literary beautiful female native” from an eponymous 1865 Brazilian novel by José de Alencar and a female personal name in Brazil (where this knifefish is endemic), allusion not explained nor evident (interesting to note: Iracema is Guarani for honey-lips and an anagram of America)

Iracema caiana Triques 1996 Tupí word for cane, referring to its elongate body shape

Rhamphichthys Müller & Troschel 1846 rhámphos (Gr. ῥάμφος), beak or bill, referring to snout produced into a tube; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish [originally spelled Ramphichthys, probably an error, then corrected to Rhamphichthys when the authors republished their description in 1849; corrected spelling is in prevailing usage]

Rhamphichthys apurensis (Fernández-Yépez 1968) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Apure, Orinoco basin, Apure, Venezuela, type locality

Rhamphichthys drepanium Triques 1999 a botanical term for a type of flower cluster shaped like a sickle, from drépanon (Gr. δρέπανον), sickle, referring to sickle-shaped pattern of upper part of the oblique transversal dark bars of the body

Rhamphichthys hahni (Meinken 1937) in honor of friend and “fish connoisseur” Carlos Hahn (Corrientes, Argentina), for “many stimulating observations [via mail] on numerous fishes, from outdoors and aquaria” (translation)

Rhamphichthys heleios Carvalho & Albert 2015 heleiós (Gr. ἑλειός), marsh, referring to the floodplain habitat where it occurs

Rhamphichthys lineatus Castelnau 1855 Latin for lined, referring to distinct longitudinal line on sides

Rhamphichthys pantherinus Castelnau 1855 Latin for panther-like, referring to numerous dark-brown spots on head and back

Rhamphichthys rostratus (Linnaeus 1766) Latin for beaked, referring to snout produced into a tube

Steatogenys Boulenger 1898 steatos (Gr. στέατος), fat (noun); génys (Gr. γένυς), jaw (usually the cheek or lower jaw in ichthyology), referring to filament of adipose tissue in a groove along each side of mental region of S. elegans

Steatogenys duidae (LaMonte 1929) of Mt. Duida, Venezuela, type locality

Steatogenys elegans (Steindachner 1880) Latin for elegant, fine or select, allusion not explained, probably referring to its attractive barred color pattern

Steatogenys ocellatus Crampton, Thorsen & Albert 2004 Latin for having little eyes (ocelli), referring to diagnostic eye-like markings at pectoral-fin base