COMMENTS
v. 28.0 – 1 Feb. 2024 view/download PDF
Family ASPREDINIDAE Banjo Catfishes
13 genera · 49 species
Subfamily PSEUDOBUNOCEPHALINAE
Acanthobunocephalus Friel 1995 acantho-, spiny, referring to rigid, locking dorsal spine, i.e., a spiny Bunocephalus
Acanthobunocephalus nicoi Friel 1995 in honor of Leo G. Nico, Research Biologist, U.S. Geological Survey, who collected type
Acanthobunocephalus scruggsi Carvalho & Reis 2020 in honor of Earl Scruggs (1924-2012), a prominent American banjo player known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, known as the ‘‘Scruggs style,’’ which is characteristic of bluegrass music; name also alludes to the common name “banjo catfishes” and the “remarkable resemblance” of this species with this musical instrument
Pseudobunocephalus Friel 2008 pseudo-, false or deceptive, referring to fact that members of this genus have previously been mistaken for juveniles of various species of Bunocephalus
Pseudobunocephalus amazonicus (Mees 1989) –icus, belonging to: Amazon River, referring to distribution in the middle Amazon basin (including Rio Madeira) of Bolivia and Brazil
Pseudobunocephalus bifidus (Eigenmann 1942) forked, referring to bifid postmental barbels
Pseudobunocephalus iheringii (Boulenger 1891) in honor of German-Brazilian zoologist Hermann von Ihering (1850-1930), who helped collect type
Pseudobunocephalus lundbergi Friel 2008 in honor of John G. Lundberg (b. 1942), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Friel’s Ph.D. advisor, for numerous contributions to neotropical ichthyology and the systematics of siluriform and gymnotiform fishes
Pseudobunocephalus quadriradiatus (Mees 1989) quadri-, four; radiatus, rayed, referring to four-rayed pectoral fin rather than the usual five
Pseudobunocephalus rugosus (Eigenmann & Kennedy 1903) rugose or wrinkled, referring to “very conspicuous” warts all over the skin
Pseudobunocephalus timbira Leão, Carvalho, Reis & Wosiacki 2019 named for the Timbira indigenous groups who live in the area (lower Tocantins and Mearim river basins in Maranhão, Pará and Tocantins states, Brazil) where this catfish occurs
Subfamily HOPLOMYZONTINAE
Dupouyichthys Schultz 1944 in honor of Schultz’ friend Walter Dupouy (1906-1978), director of the Museo de Ciencias Naturales (Caracas, Venezuela); ichthys, fish
Dupouyichthys sapito Schultz 1944 common name of this catfish in the Maracaibo Basin, Venezuela
Ernstichthys Fernández-Yépez 1953 in honor of biologist Adolfo (also spelled Adolf) Ernst (1832-1899), Chair of Natural Science at the Central University of Venezuela; ichthys, fish
Ernstichthys anduzei Fernández-Yépez 1953 in honor of Pablo J. Anduze (1902-1989), Venezuelan explorer, ethnologist, medical entomologist, and former governor of Amazonas State, Venezuela, for his continued interest in the natural history of Venezuela’s Amazon region
Ernstichthys intonsus Stewart 1985 unshaved or bearded, referring to “extreme proliferation of barbels”
Ernstichthys megistus (Orcés V. 1961) largest, referring to its large size (up to 67 mm SL) compared to Dupouyichthys sapito and Hoplomyzon atrizona, its presumed congeners at the time
Ernstichthys taquari Dagosta & de Pinna 2021 named for upper Rio Taquari drainage, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, where type locality (Rio Taquarizinho) is situated, from the Tupí takwa’ri, combining ta’kwara (a common name for bamboo-like plants of family Poaceae) and a diminutive “i”
Hoplomyzon Myers 1942 hoplo-, armed, referring to body “armed with six longitudinal series of bony bucklers”; myzon, to suck, presumably referring to resemblance to Asian (Exostoma) and neotropical (Astroblepus) catfishes (as noted by Myers) that have sucker mouths (a resemblance mainly due to adnate maxillary barbels in Hoplomyzon [John Friel, pers. comm])
Hoplomyzon atrizona Myers 1942 ater, black; zona, band, referring to three black crossbands on body, “very bold and striking”
Hoplomyzon cardosoi Carvalho, Reis & Friel 2017 in honor and memory of Alexandre Rodrigues Cardoso, a “dear colleague who prematurely passed away … for his humbleness, positive attitude, and dedicated friendship,” and for his contributions to the taxonomy of neotropical fishes, including the family Aspredinidae
Hoplomyzon papillatus Stewart 1985 with buds, referring to numerous short, papillae-like mental barbels
Hoplomyzon sexpapilostoma Taphorn & Marrero 1990 sex, six; papilla, tubercle; stoma, mouth, referring to six buccal papillae (four on upper lip, one at each corner of mouth)
Micromyzon Friel & Lundberg 1996 micro-, small, referring to its size, <16 mm SL; myzon, sucker, used here because it is the suffix of the name Hoplomyzon, type genus of tribe Hoplomyzontini
Micromyzon akamai Friel & Lundberg 1996 in honor of ichthyologist Alberto Akama, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Belém, Pará, Brazil), for his “enthusiastic help” in collecting the type series
Micromyzon orinoco Carvalho, Lundberg, Baskin, Friel & Reis 2016 named for its distribution in the lower Río Orinoco, Venezuela
Subfamily ASPREDININAE
Amaralia Fowler 1954 -ia, belonging to: herpetologist (and anti-venom serum expert) Afrânio do Amaral (1894-1982), in honor of his work in Brazilian natural history
Amaralia hypsiura (Kner 1855) hypselos, high or tall; oura, tailed, referring to thick (or high) caudal peduncle
Amaralia oviraptor Friel & Carvalho 2016 ovum, egg; raptor, robber or plunderer, often used as a term for predator, referring to apparent dietary specialization of Amaralia on eggs and developing embryos of other catfishes
Aspredinichthys Bleeker 1858 Aspredo, referring to previous placement of A. tibicen in that genus; ichthys, fish
Aspredinichthys filamentosus (Valenciennes 1840) with filaments, referring to elongate first ray of dorsal fin
Aspredinichthys tibicen (Valenciennes 1840) latinization of trompetter, or trompetfisi (trumpeter), Dutch-Surinamese local name for this and other aspredinid catfishes, alluding to the sound they make when taken out of the water (Isaäc J.H. Isbrücker, pers. comm.)
Aspredo Scopoli 1777 presumably tautonymous with Silurus aspredo (Scopoli [ex Gronow] did not indicate species)
Aspredo aspredo (Linnaeus 1758) roughness, presumably referring to tuberculate skin
Bunocephalus Kner 1855 buno-, mound or knob; cephalus, head, referring to rounded cusps or bumps on head
Bunocephalus aleuropsis Cope 1870 etymology not explained, perhaps a-, not, leuros, smooth and –opsis, appearance, referring to five series of “wartlets” each side of tail (another interpretation: aleuron, flour and –opsis, appearance, referring to “head densely punctulated with white”)
Bunocephalus aloikae Hoedeman 1961 of Aloiké village, French Guiana, type locality
Bunocephalus amaurus Eigenmann 1912 dark, referring to dark chocolate coloration
Bunocephalus chamaizelus Eigenmann 1912 etymology not explained, perhaps derived from chamai, dwarf, referring to small size of Eigenmann’s specimens (22-44 mm) [likely belongs in a new or different genus]
Bunocephalus colombianus Eigenmann 1912 Colombian, referring to country where it is endemic
Bunocephalus coracoideus (Cope 1874) etymology not explained, presumably adjectival form of coracoid, referring to longer postcorcoids compared to Benocephalus melas (=B. aleuropsis)
Bunocephalus doriae Boulenger 1930 in honor of herpetologist Giacomo Doria (1840-1913), “eminent Director of the Genoa Civic Museum” (translation) [although named after a man, some classically trained zoologists latinized the names of individuals whose names ended with the letter “a” by adding an “e” to the spelling]
Bunocephalus erondinae Cardoso 2010 in memory of the author’s mother, Erondina Rodrigues Cardoso
Bunocephalus hartti Carvalho, Cardoso, Friel & Reis 2015 in honor of Charles Frederick Hartt (1840-1878), geologist, paleontologist and naturalist; his notable accomplishments include the publication of “Geology and physical geography of Brazil” (1870), and serving as founder and director of the section of geology at the Museu Nacional of Brazil from 1866 to 1867
Bunocephalus hertzi Esguícero, Castro & Pereira 2020 in honor of Hertz Figueiredo dos Santos, Laboratório de Ictiologia de Ribeirão Preto (Universidade de São Paulo) co-discoverer of this species, “in deep appreciation for his approximately three decades of unfailing contribution” to the study of neotropical fishes
Bunocephalus knerii Steindachner 1882 patronym not identified but clearly in honor of ichthyologist Rudolf Kner (1810-1869), who was Steindachner’s teacher and friend
Bunocephalus larai Ihering 1930 in honor of Rodolpho Lara Campos, sponsor of expedition that collected type
Bunocephalus minerim Carvalho, Cardoso, Friel & Reis 2015 typically regional manner of pronouncing the Portuguese word mineirinho, diminutive of mineiro, a person from Minas Gerais, Brazil, referring to region where this species is found and to its relative small size compared to congeners
Bunocephalus verrucosus (Walbaum 1792) covered with verrucae, or warts, referring to warty tubercles on body
Platystacus Bloch 1794 platys, flat, referring to short and flat body; acus, needle, referring to long and compressed tail
Platystacus cotylephorus Bloch 1794 cotyla, cup or cavity; phorus, to bear, referring to cup-like hollows (now called cotylephores) on abdomen (to which developing embryos are attached, a fact not known at the time)
Pterobunocephalus Fowler 1943 pterus, referring to large anal fin of Bunocephalus (subgenus Pterobunocephalus) albifasciatus (=P. depressus)
Pterobunocephalus depressus (Haseman 1911) referring to its “greatly depressed” body
Pterobunocephalus dolichurus (Delsman 1941) dolichos, long; oura, tail, referring to its “very long” tail relative to others then classified in the short-tailed subfamily Bunocephalinae
Xyliphius Eigenmann 1912 wooden or wood-like, allusion not explained, probably referring to cryptic coloration of X. magdalenae, which can be said to resemble a small piece of wood
Xyliphius anachoretes Figueiredo & Britto 2010 Greek for hermit or recluse, referring to rarity of the two known specimens, each one found alone and far apart
Xyliphius barbatus Alonso de Arámburu & Arámburu 1962 bearded, referring to 30 dendritic papillae on lower lip
Xyliphius kryptos Taphorn & Lilyestrom 1983 hidden, referring to its difficult-to-sample habitat, at the “bottom of turbulent rivers with strong currents, in total darkness” (translation)
Xyliphius lepturus Orcés V. 1962 leptos, thin; oura, tail, referring to comparatively slender caudal peduncle, its depth about 1/20 of SL
Xyliphius magdalenae Eigenmann 1912 of the Magdalena River basin, Colombia, where it is endemic
Xyliphius melanopterus Orcés V. 1962 melanos, black; pterus, fin, referring to its predominantly black fins
Xyliphius sofiae Carvalho, Reis & Sabaj 2017 in honor of the first author’s daughter, Sofia, “for inspiring wisdom in her father”
Family DORADIDAE Thorny Catfishes
31 genera · 96 species
Subfamily ACANTHODORADINAE
Acanthodoras Bleeker 1862 acanthus, spine or thorn, probably referring to upper and hind parts of body covered by bony plates; Doras, type genus of family
Acanthodoras cataphractus (Linnaeus 1758) clad in armor, referring to any or all of the following: heavily ossified nuchal shield; bony spine-like posterior cleithral (humeral) process; sturdy and well-serrated pectoral-fin spines; deep, bony thorn-bearing plates along sides of body from tympanal region to caudal-fin base (Mark H. Sabaj Pérez, pers. comm.)
Acanthodoras depressus (Steindachner 1881) referring to strongly depressed head, almost completely flat across the top
Acanthodoras spinosissimus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) very spiny, presumably referring to “short sharp” spines on humeral process, “a series of which near the lower margin, is enlarged”
Subfamily WERTHEIMERINAE
Franciscodoras Eigenmann 1925 Francisco, referring to São Francisco River basin, Brazil, where F. marmoratus is endemic; Doras, type genus of family
Franciscodoras marmoratus (Lütken 1874) marbled, referring to its coloration
Kalyptodoras Higuchi, Britski & Garavello 1990 kalyptos, covered, referring to embedded condition of most lateral scutes; Doras, type genus of family
Kalyptodoras bahiensis Higuchi, Britski & Garavello 1990 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Bahia State, Brazil, where it is known only from the Rio Paraguaçu
Wertheimeria Steindachner 1877 –ia, belonging to: Mr. Wertheimer, who collected type, either Louis Wertheimer of the Thayer Expedition to Brazil, or Achilles Wertheimer, who died on the expedition due to a snakebite (see Pogonopoma wertheimeri, Loricariidae)
Wertheimeria maculata Steindachner 1877 spotted, referring to large, oval, blue-gray spots on upper body, top of head, and pectoral and dorsal fins
Subfamily AGAMYXINAE
Agamyxis Cope 1878 aga-, much or very; myxa, slime, allusion not explained; according to Mark Sabaj Pérez (pers. comm.), Agamyxis closely resembles and sometimes occurs with Acanthodoras, which, when disturbed, exude a white milky mucous from the axillary region of their pectoral spines; perhaps John Hauxwell, who collected holotype of A. pectinifrons (type species of Agamyxis) shared such an observation with Cope
Agamyxis albomaculatus (Peters 1877) albus, white; maculatus, spotted, referring to white spots on body, abdomen and caudal fin
Agamyxis pectinifrons (Cope 1870) pectinatus, comb-toothed; frons, brow, referring to preorbital bone, or “comb,” the first bone in the infraorbital series (also known as the lacrimal), which is strongly toothed, forming a serrated crest anterior to the orbit (Mark H. Sabaj Pérez, pers. comm.)
Subfamily RHINODORADINAE
Rhinodoras Bleeker 1862 rhinos, snout, referring to pointed snout of R. dorbignyi; Doras, type genus of family
Rhinodoras armbrusteri Sabaj Pérez 2008 in honor of Jonathan W. Armbruster (b. 1969), for “sterling” contributions to the collection and study of neotropical fishes, and for “deftly” leading the expedition to Guyana that led to the discovery of this species
Rhinodoras boehlkei Glodek, Whitmire & Orcés V. 1976 in honor of ichthyologist James E. Böhlke (1930-1982), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for his work on South American freshwater fishes
Rhinodoras dorbignyi (Kner 1855) in honor of naturalist Alcide d’Orbigny (1802-1857), who collected in South America for the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris) from 1827-1833
Rhinodoras gallagheri Sabaj Pérez, Taphorn & Castillo G. 2008 in honor of Francis Richard Gallagher (b. 1935), mailroom supervisor, Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (1967-2003), for dedicated service to the global community of taxonomists and systematists via the shipping and receiving of countless loans of biological specimens
Rhinodoras thomersoni Taphorn & Lilyestrom 1984 in honor of Jamie E. Thomerson (1935-2015), Southern Illinois University, who introduced the senior author to the study of fishes and led his first trip to South America (he also led expedition that collected type)
Rhynchodoras Klausewitz & Rössel 1961 rhynchos, referring to its turned-down, proboscis-like snout; Doras, type genus of family
Rhynchodoras castilloi Birindelli, Sabaj Pérez & Taphorn 2007 in honor of Venezuelan biologist Otto E. Castillo G., who collected much of the type material, for his lifelong dedication to the study and stewardship of his country’s rich diversity of freshwater fishes
Rhynchodoras woodsi Glodek 1976 in honor of Loren P. Woods (1914-1979), Curator of Fishes, Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago), for numerous contributions to ichthyology
Rhynchodoras xingui Klausewitz & Rössel 1961 named for the Rio Xingu, Brazil, type locality
Subfamily ASTRODORADINAE
Amblydoras Bleeker 1862 amblys, blunt, referring to smooth (non-serrated) dorsal-fin spine; Doras, type genus of family
Amblydoras affinis (Kner 1855) related, referring to close similarity to Doras dentatus (=Platydoras costatus), its presumed congener at the time
Amblydoras bolivarensis (Fernández-Yépez 1968) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Estado Bolívar, Venezuela, type locality
Amblydoras gonzalezi (Fernández-Yépez 1968) in honor of civil engineer Marcelo González Molina (1923-2000), who provided access to the type locality
Amblydoras monitor (Cope 1872) allusion not explained; in presenting his paper to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia in 1871, Cope reportedly described the swim bladder of A. monitor as having a “gun-boat style of shape,” perhaps a reference to USS Monitor, an ironclad warship commissioned in 1862 during the U.S. Civil War that received much attention at the time (name could also be comparing the fish’s bony shields to the Monitor’s ironclad hull; note that in the same paper Cope compared Physopyxis lyra to a “miniature iron-clad with mast and outriggers”)
Amblydoras nauticus (Cope 1874) –icus, belonging to: Nauta, Peru, type locality
Amblydoras nheco (Higuchi, Birindelli, Sousa & Britski 2007) referring to the town of Nhecolândia, Rio Paraguay basin, Brazil, type locality; nheco apparently does not have any particular significance other than having probably been a nickname for the town founder
Anadoras Eigenmann 1925 an-, without, referring to absence of plates between dorsal and adipose fins; Doras, type genus of family
Anadoras grypus (Cope 1872) curved, referring to its short, smoothly curved snout (Mark H. Sabaj Pérez, pers. comm.)
Anadoras insculptus (Miranda Ribeiro 1912) sculptured, referring to sculptured nature of exposed bones of cranium and pectoral girdle (Mark H. Sabaj Peréz, pers. comm.)
Anadoras regani (Steindachner 1908) patronym not identified but probably in honor of ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan (1878-1943), Natural History Museum (London)
Anadoras weddellii (Castelnau 1855) in honor of British physician-botanist Hugh Algernon Weddell (1819-1877), who presented type (a dried skin) and a drawing of it
Astrodoras Bleeker 1862 astro-, starry, referring to the elevated (e.g., stargazing) eyes of A. asterifrons; Doras, type genus of family
Astrodoras asterifrons (Kner 1853) asterias, starry; frons, brow, allusion not explained, presumably referring to raised superciliary margin, creating elevated (e.g., stargazing) eyes
Hypodoras Eigenmann 1925 hypo-, under, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to anterior two thirds of adipose fin under a rhomboidal plate; Doras, type genus of family
Hypodoras forficulatus Eigenmann 1925 diminutive of forficatus, forked, referring to posterior swim bladder, described as “forked (divided into two horns)”
Physopyxis Cope 1871 physo-, bladder; pyxis, box, referring to “osseus box” that encloses and protects large, greatly developed swim bladder of P. lyra
Physopyxis ananas Sousa & Rapp Py-Daniel 2005 generic name of the pineapple, Ananas (Bromeliaceae), referring to stout body and spiny appearance due to additional row(s) of spines on lateral plates
Physopyxis cristata Sousa & Rapp Py-Daniel 2005 crested, referring to externally visible series of emergent neural spines
Physopyxis lyra Cope 1872 lyre, referring to the postcoracoid processes, “curved, and the extremities dilated outwards, so as to present with the thoracic portion exactly the form of the Grecian lyre”
Scorpiodoras Eigenmann 1925 scorpio-, referring to “banjo- or scorpion-shaped” posterior swim bladder of S. heckelii; Doras, type genus of family
Scorpiodoras heckelii (Kner 1855) in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Johann Jakob Heckel (1790-1857), who provided manuscript names and descriptions for many of the doradids that Kner ultimately described
Scorpiodoras liophysus Sousa & Birindelli 2011 leios, smooth or bald; physa, bladder, referring to absence of a secondary swim bladder
Subfamily DORADINAE
Anduzedoras Fernández-Yépez 1968 in honor of Pablo J. Anduze (1902-1989), Venezuelan explorer, ethnologist and medical entomologist, and later governor of Amazonas State, Venezuela, whom Fernández-Yépez said dedicated many years to practicing medicine in the jungle, and always found time to collect zoological specimens; Doras, type genus of family
Anduzedoras oxyrhynchus (Valenciennes 1821) oxys, sharp; rhynchus, snout, referring to compressed head with relatively pointed snout
Centrochir Agassiz 1829 kentron, thorn or spine; cheiros, hand, referring to unrayed pectoral spines
Centrochir crocodili (Humboldt 1821) of a crocodile, referring to its local name in Colombia, pexe que mata el Cayman (fish that kills caiman), referring to its sharp pectoral fins, known to kill caiman (or crocodiles) that attempt to eat it
Centrodoras Eigenmann 1925 centrum, middle, referring to eye in middle of head of C. brachiatus; Doras, type genus of family
Centrodoras brachiatus (Cope 1872) armed, presumably referring to “very large” pectoral spines
Centrodoras hasemani (Steindachner 1915) in honor of John D. Haseman (1882-1969), field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who collected type
Doraops Schultz 1944 –opsis, appearance, similar to other members of the family Doradidae
Doraops zuloagai Schultz 1944 in honor of Venezuelan geologist Guillermo Zuloaga (1904-1984), assistant chief of exploration, Standard Oil Co. of Venezuela, who was largely responsible for inviting Schultz to study the fishes of the Maracaibo Basin
Doras Lacepède 1803 as defined by Lacepède, doras means cuirass, a piece of armor covering body from neck to waist (e.g., breastplate), probably referring to hard bony plates and/or thick, leathery skin (name does not mean “spear” per Valenciennes [1840] and others)
Doras carinatus (Linnaeus 1766) keeled, referring to spines on midlateral scutes (which reminded Linnaeus of the longitudinal keels in “Scombris,” presumably Scomber scombrus, Atlantic Mackerel)
Doras higuchii Sabaj Pérez & Birindelli 2008 in honor of Horácio Higuchi, Universidade de São Paulo, for his “groundbreaking contributions” to the systematics of doradid catfishes
Doras micropoeus (Eigenmann 1912) micro-, small; poieo, to make, referring to reduced or “rudimentary” anterior midlateral scutes
Doras phlyzakion Sabaj Pérez & Birindelli 2008 Greek for blister, referring to abundant pores on ventral surface
Doras zuanoni Sabaj Pérez & Birindelli 2008 in honor of Jansen Alfredo Sampaio Zuanon, for his “extensive and valuable” contributions to the collection, taxonomy and natural history of neotropical fishes, including discovery of this species
Hassar Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 Arawak name for species of Doras in Guyana
Hassar affinis (Steindachner 1881) related, described as a variation of the closely related H. orestis
Hassar gabiru Birindelli, Fayal & Wosiacki 2011 in honor of Leandro Melo de Sousa, known to his friends as “Gabiru,” for his many contributions to the understanding of the Doradidae, including his M.Sc. and Ph.D. dissertations; he also helped collect part of the type series
Hassar orestis (Steindachner 1875) in honor of paleontologist Orestes Saint John (1841-1921), member of Thayer Expedition, who collected type (name was given by Louis Agassiz, leader of the Expedition)
Hassar shewellkeimi Sabaj Pérez & Birindelli 2013 in honor of Shewell “Bud” DeBenneville Keim (1918-2014), electrical engineer, World War II veteran, and nephew of Henry Weed Fowler (1878-1965), the first full-time curator of fishes at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for his generous support of Academy ichthyology, including the preservation of Fowler’s legacy and the stewardship of his uncle’s fishes
Hassar wilderi Kindle 1895 in honor of zoologist Burt Green Wilder (1841-1925), Cornell University, who sent the collection made by C. F. Hartt in Brazil to Carl H. Eigenmann for identification (and then transmitted to Kindle for final determination)
Hemidoras Bleeker 1858 hemi-, partial, referring to species related to (and previously placed in) Doras but which lack teeth in the jaws and palate
Hemidoras morrisi Eigenmann 1925 in honor of Percival Morris, who collected type and served as Eigenmann’s assistant, majordomo and interpreter in the Iquitos region of Peru
Hemidoras boulengeri Steindachner 1915 in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Georges A. Boulenger (1858-1937), British Museum (Natural History)
Hemidoras morei (Steindachner 1881) patronym not identified, nor can identity be inferred based on available information (could this be named after the same person Steindachner honored with the characid name Brycon moorei [note spelling] in 1878?)
Hemidoras stenopeltis (Kner 1855) stenos, narrow; peltis, small shield, probably referring to long and narrow humeral process
Hemidoras stuebelii (Steindachner 1882) in honor of German geologist-vulcanologist Alphons Stübel (1835-1904), who collected type
Leptodoras Boulenger 1898 leptos, thin, referring to longer body (with longer anal fin) compared to Oxydoras; Doras, type genus of family
Leptodoras acipenserinus (Günther 1868) sturgeon-like, presumably referring to “peculiar” shape of head and snout, “elongate triangular, pointed, and much depressed in its anterior portion”
Leptodoras cataniai Sabaj Pérez 2005 in honor of David Catania, for his dedicated service to the ichthyological community since 1985 as Collection Manager of Fishes, California Academy of Sciences
Leptodoras copei (Fernández-Yépez 1968) in honor of zoologist-paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope (1840-1897), for many excellent contributions to the study of neotropical fishes, including doradid catfishes
Leptodoras hasemani (Steindachner 1915) in honor of John D. Haseman (1882-1969), Carl Eigenmann’s student and field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who collected type
Leptodoras juruensis Boulenger 1898 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Río Jurua, Brazil, type locality (also occurs in Peru)
Leptodoras linnelli Eigenmann 1912 in honor of George Linnell, Essequibo Exploring Company, who provided Eigenmann with boats and crewmen for his expedition to British Guiana
Leptodoras marki Birindelli & Sousa 2010 in honor of Mark Sabaj Pérez (b. 1969), Collection Manager of Fishes at the Illinois Natural History Survey (1995-2000) and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (2000-present), for dedicated service to the ichthyological community, and for encouraging the study of doradid catfishes as a co-principal investigator of the All Catfish Species Inventory
Leptodoras myersi Böhlke 1970 in honor of Böhlke’s professor and good friend George S. Myers (1905-1985), ichthyologist, Stanford University
Leptodoras nelsoni Sabaj Pérez 2005 in honor of Douglas Nelson, for dedicated service to the ichthyological community since 1993 as Collection Manager of Fishes, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Leptodoras oyakawai Birindelli, Sousa & Sabaj Pérez 2008 in honor of Osvaldo Takeshi Oyakawa, for dedicated service to the ichthyological community since 1989 as Collection Manager of the Fish Collection at the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo
Leptodoras praelongus (Myers & Weitzman 1956) prae-, in front of; longus, long, presumably referring to longer snout compared to Hassar lipophthalmus (=Anduzedoras oxyrhynchus)
Leptodoras rogersae Sabaj Pérez 2005 in honor of Mary Ann Rogers, for her dedicated service to the ichthyological community since 1988 as Collection Manager of Fishes, Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago)
Lithodoras Bleeker 1862 lithos, stone, presumably referring to heavily armored body, including belly; Doras, type genus of family
Lithodoras dorsalis (Valenciennes 1840) of the back, presumably referring to 5-6 oblong plates between dorsal and adipose fins
Megalodoras Eigenmann 1925 megalo-, large, presumably referring to large size of M. uranoscopus (up to 60 cm SL and 4.8 kg)
Megalodoras guayoensis (Fernández-Yépez 1968) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Caño de Guayo, Delta Amacuro, Estado Delta, Venezuela, type locality
Megalodoras uranoscopus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) urano, sky; scopus, watcher, “eye more superior [on top of head] than lateral [on sides]”
Nemadoras Eigenmann 1925 nema-, thread, referring to “simple” (vs. fringed) maxillary barbels; Doras, type genus of family
Nemadoras elongatus (Boulenger 1898) referring to elongate body (depth 5 times in total length) compared to presumed congeners at the time
Nemadoras hemipeltis (Eigenmann 1925) hemi– partial; peltis, small shield, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to fontanel “not continued as a groove to the dorsal plate”
Nemadoras humeralis (Kner 1855) presumably referring to rough and very wide humeral process, its greatest width equal to the eye
Orinocodoras Myers 1927 Orinoco, referring to Orinoco River basin, Venezuela, where O. eigenmanni is endemic; Doras, type genus of family
Orinocodoras eigenmanni Myers 1927 in honor of ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann (1863-1927), “who recently [1925] placed the classification of the Doradidae on a firm foundation”
Ossancora Sabaj Pérez & Birindelli 2011 oss, bone; ancora, anchor, referring to shape and articulation of pectoral spine and posterior cleithral and coracoid processes, which resemble shank and flukes, respectively, of a Danforth anchor
Ossancora asterophysa Birindelli & Sabaj Pérez 2011 aster, star; physa, bladder, referring to proliferation of diverticula along periphery of swim bladder
Ossancora eigenmanni (Boulenger 1895) in honor of ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann (1863-1927), author of an “excellent” synopsis (1890) of South American catfishes
Ossancora fimbriata (Kner 1855) fringed, probably referring to fimbriae present on maxillary and mental barbels (may also refer to many diverticula on swim bladder)
Ossancora punctata (Kner 1855) spotted, presumably referring to dark dots conspicuously evident on head and body of syntypes
Oxydoras Kner 1855 oxy, sharp or pointed, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “conically elongated” (translation) snouts of O. kneri (reported as O. niger) and O. (=Hemidoras) stenopeltis
Oxydoras kneri Bleeker 1862 in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Rudolph Kner (1810-1869), who described this catfish under the name Doras (Oxydoras) niger in 1855
Oxydoras niger (Valenciennes 1821) black, presumably referring to dark-brown or black coloration
Oxydoras sifontesi Fernández-Yépez 1968 in memory of Venezuelan meteorologist-hydrologist Ernesto Sifontes (1881-1959), who devoted much of his life to studying the Río Orinoco, where this catfish occurs
Platydoras Bleeker 1862 platy, broad or flat, presumably referring to depressed head; Doras, type genus of family
Platydoras armatulus (Valenciennes 1840) diminutive of armatus, armed, a Latin transliteration of armadillo, Spanish for “little armored one,” apparently its local name in Brazil, probably referring to bony shields along middle of body, covered with backwards-pointing spines
Platydoras birindellii Sousa, Chaves, Akama, Zuanon & Sabaj 2018 in honor of colleague and friend José Luís O. Birindelli (b. 1979), Universidade de São Paulo, “for enriching our knowledge of doradid catfishes and inspiring the next generation of Neotropical ichthyologists with his enthusiasm and integrity”
Platydoras brachylecis Piorski, Garavello, Arce H. & Sabaj Pérez 2008 brachy, short; lekis, plate or dish, referring to relatively shallow midlateral scutes
Platydoras costatus (Linnaeus 1758) ribbed, possibly referring to rib-like appearance of longitudinal bony plates
Platydoras hancockii (Valenciennes 1840) in honor of British naturalist (and father of modern taxidermy) John Hancock (1808-1890); in 1829 he reported how this catfish, using the name Doras (now Platydoras) costatus, can crawl on land during droughts in search of water
Pterodoras Bleeker 1862 pterus, fin, referring to forked caudal fin; Doras, type genus of family
Pterodoras granulosus (Valenciennes 1821) granulated, presumably referring to 23-28 shallow lateral plates (or scutes) along length of body, which may give the scaleless skin a granulated appearance
Pterodoras rivasi (Fernández-Yépez 1950) in honor of Luis A. Rivas L. (no other information available), who collected fishes with Fernández-Yépez and assisted with the description of this species
Tenellus Birindelli 2014 diminutive of tener, delicate, referring to delicate appearance of all included species
Tenellus cristinae (Sabaj Pérez, Arce H., Sousa & Birindelli 2014) in honor of Maria Cristina Sabaj Pérez, teacher at Friends’ Central School (Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, USA), for her contributions to the collection of the type series and to the well-being of the senior author (her husband)
Tenellus leporhinus (Eigenmann 1912) lepo-, hare or rabbit; rhinus, snout, referring to “peculiar leporine snout”
Tenellus ternetzi (Eigenmann 1925) in honor of ichthyologist and naturalist Carl Ternetz (1870-1928), who collected type
Tenellus trimaculatus (Boulenger 1898) tri-, three; maculatus, spotted, referring to black spot on dorsal fin and at base of each caudal-fin lobe
Trachydoras Eigenmann 1925 trachys, rough, referring to granular opercle, preopercle and coracoid-process; Doras, type genus of family
Trachydoras brevis (Kner 1853) short, referring to its short (length) but high (height) body
Trachydoras gepharti Sabaj & Arce H. 2017 in honor of George W. Gephart, Jr., President & CEO of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University from 2010 to 2017, for his “bold, deft and heartfelt leadership of a Glorious Enterprise into its third century” [“Glorious Enterprise” alludes to the title of a 2012 book about the Academy, which is America’s oldest natural history museum]
Trachydoras microstomus (Eigenmann 1912) micro-, small; stomus, mouth, its width “equal to half the distance between gill-openings”
Trachydoras nattereri (Steindachner 1881) patronym not identified but probably in honor of Johann Natterer (1787-1843), who explored South America and collected specimens for 18 years
Trachydoras paraguayensis (Eigenmann & Ward 1907) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Corumba, Paraguay, type locality (also occurs in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil)
Trachydoras steindachneri (Perugia 1897) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Franz Steindachner (1834-1919), who described several doradid taxa
Family AUCHENIPTERIDAE Driftwood Catfishes
25 genera · 128 species
Subfamily AUCHENIPTERINAE
Ageneiosus Lacepède 1803 a-, not; geneiosus, chinned or bearded, presumably referring to apparent lack of barbels (short maxillary barbels are almost indistinguishable)
Ageneiosus akamai Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 in honor of Alberto Akama, Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi (Belém, Pará, Brazil), for his many contributions to the systematics of neotropical catfishes
Ageneiosus apiaka Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 in honor of the Apiakás, an Amerindian ethnic group from the Teles Pires River, upper Tapajós River basin (Pará, Brazil), type locality
Ageneiosus dentatus Kner 1857 toothed, referring to its “remarkably long and pointed” teeth (translation)
Ageneiosus inermis (Linnaeus 1766) “pinnis inermibus,” i.e., unarmed fins, an apparent misnomer since this catfish possesses dorsal- and pectoral-fin spines
Ageneiosus intrusus Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 intruded, referring to how premaxilla projects beyond the dentary, a distinctive character of this species
Ageneiosus lineatus Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 lined, referring to longitudinal dark stripes along side of body, a distinctive character of this species
Ageneiosus magoi Castillo & Brull G. 1989 in honor of Francisco Mago-Leccia (1931-2004), for his contributions to the study and knowledge of Venezuelan fishes, and his valuable work forming a new generation of ichthyologists
Ageneiosus militaris Valenciennes 1835 solider or war-like, presumably referring to long dorsal spine, serrated on both sides
Ageneiosus pardalis Lütken 1874 like a leopard, referring to reticulated or spotted pattern on head and back
Ageneiosus polystictus Steindachner 1915 poly, many; stictus, spot, referring to very small, brownish-purple spots and dots on body and anal fin
Ageneiosus ucayalensis Castelnau 1855 –ensis, suffix denoting place: lake near near Río Ucayali, Peru, type locality (but occurs throughout Amazon and Orinoco River basins)
Ageneiosus uranophthalmus Ribeiro & Rapp Py-Daniel 2010 uranos, sky or heaven; ophthalmos, eye, referring to dorsally oriented eyes
Ageneiosus vittatus Steindachner 1908 banded, referring to prominent dorsal and midlateral stripes on body
Asterophysus Kner 1858 aster, star; physus, bladder, referring to digitiform diverticula surrounding swim bladder, which give it a star-like appearance
Asterophysus batrachus Kner 1858 frog, referring to its wide, frog-like mouth
Auchenipterichthys Bleeker 1862 referring to previous placement of A. thoracatus in Auchenipterus; ichthys, fish
Auchenipterichthys coracoideus (Eigenmann & Allen 1942) –eus, adjectival suffix: referring to it granular caracoid process
Auchenipterichthys longimanus (Günther 1864) longus, long; manus, hand, referring to long pectoral spine, which is 2/7 of TL
Auchenipterichthys punctatus (Valenciennes 1840) spotted, referring to brown or blackish spots on body and fins
Auchenipterichthys thoracatus (Kner 1858) armored (as in breastplate), referring to exposed coracoid process that forms a plate on sides of abdomen
Auchenipterus Valenciennes 1840 auchen, nape; pterus, fin, presumably referring to elevated nape, which gives the appearance that dorsal fin originates at the neck region
Auchenipterus ambyiacus Fowler 1915 –acus, adjectival suffix: Ambyiacu (also spelled Ampiyacu) River, Ecuador, type locality (also occurs in Guyana, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela)
Auchenipterus brachyurus (Cope 1878) brachys, short; oura, tail, referring to shorter “caudal region” compared to A. nuchalis
Auchenipterus brevior Eigenmann 1912 shorter, referring to shorter mandibular barbels compared to A. demerarae
Auchenipterus britskii Ferraris & Vari 1999 in honor of Heraldo A. Britski (Universidade de São Paulo), for his contribution to our knowledge of auchenipterid fishes and the freshwater fishes of South America
Auchenipterus demerarae Eigenmann 1912 of the Demerara River, presumably the type locality in Wismar, Guyana
Auchenipterus dentatus Valenciennes 1840 toothed, referring to velvety teeth on both jaws
Auchenipterus fordicei Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 in honor of Morton W. Fordice, (1864-1939), farmer, politician and “student of American fishes”
Auchenipterus menezesi Ferraris & Vari 1999 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Rui Simões de Menezes (1917-2001), for his studies of the life history of freshwater fishes of northeastern Brazil, including this species
Auchenipterus nigripinnis (Boulenger 1895) nigri-, black; pinnis, fin, referring to “deep black” pectoral and ventral fins
Auchenipterus nuchalis (Spix & Agassiz 1829) nuchal, referring to elevated nape
Auchenipterus osteomystax (Miranda Ribeiro 1918) osteo-, bone; mystax, moustache, referring to ossified maxillary barbels of mature males
Entomocorus Eigenmann 1917 entome, notch; korys, helmet, presumably referring to “hard, reticulated, or pitted” top of head
Entomocorus benjamini Eigenmann 1917 in honor of Marcus Benjamin (1857-1932), editor of the publications of the United States National Museum
Entomocorus gameroi Mago-Leccia 1984 in honor of Alonso Gamero (1923-1980), Dean of the Faculty of Science, Universidad Central de Venezuela, who guided Mago-Leccia’s introduction to ichthyology
Entomocorus melaphareus Akama & Ferraris 2003 melanos, black; aphareus, pelvic fin of a tuna, referring to dark pelvic fin
Entomocorus radiosus Reis & Borges 2006 rayed, referring to its many (19-22, rarely 18) anal-fin rays
Epapterus Cope 1878 etymology not explained, possibly epa– from epaites, beggar, or epedanos, weak or infirm; pterus, fin, presumably referring to rudimentary “soft portion” of dorsal fin
Epapterus blohmi Vari, Jewett, Taphorn & Gilbert 1984 in honor of Tomas Blohm (1926-2008), Venezuelan cattle rancher, naturalist and conservationist, who generously made his ranch available to the authors, which greatly facilitated their research
Epapterus dispilurus Cope 1878 di-, two; spilos, spot; oura, tail, referring to black spot on middle of each caudal-fin lobe
Liosomadoras Fowler 1940 leios, smooth and soma, body, referring to naked or unarmed sides and tail; Doras, type genus of Doradidae, in which it had originally been placed
Liosomadoras morrowi Fowler 1940 in honor of William C. Morrow, who led Peruvian expedition that collected type
Liosomadoras oncinus (Jardine 1841) –inus, adjectival suffix: onca, jaguar, referring to “body yellowish brown, variously spotted with black, and not unlike the markings of a jaguar”
Pseudauchenipterus Bleeker 1862 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may resemble Auchenipterus, such an appearance is false
Pseudauchenipterus affinis (Steindachner 1877) related, referring to presumed close relationship with the similar P. jequitinhonhae
Pseudauchenipterus flavescens (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) golden yellow, referring to yellow ground color on head, yellow opercle and triangular spot behind eye, yellow sides and ventral surface, and plain yellow fins
Pseudauchenipterus jequitinhonhae (Steindachner 1877) of the Rio Jequitinhonha, southeastern Brazil, type locality
Pseudauchenipterus nodosus (Bloch 1794) knotty or swollen, referring to large swelling at base of dorsal fin
Pseudepapterus Steindachner 1915 pseudo-, false; referring to similarity of P. hasemani to Epapterus dispilurus, particularly the reduced dorsal fin
Pseudepapterus cucuhyensis Böhlke 1951 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cucuhy (or Cucuí), a Brazilian district at the border with Colombia, type locality
Pseudepapterus gracilis Ferraris & Vari 2000 slender or thin, referring to more elongate body compared to congeners
Pseudepapterus hasemani (Steindachner 1915) in honor of John D. Haseman (1882-1969), field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who collected type
Pseudotatia Mees 1974 pseudo-, false, referring to “same general body-shape” as Tatia, but with higher ray counts in all but the caudal fin
Pseudotatia parva Mees 1974 small, 32.5-46.0 mm SL
Spinipterus Akama & Ferrraris 2011 spina, spine; pterus, fin, referring to four rows of serrations along pectoral- and dorsal-fin spines
Spinipterus acsi Akama & Ferraris 2011 named for ACSI, acronym of the All Catfishes Species Inventory, supported by the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Program of the National Science Foundation
Spinipterus moijiri Rocha, Rossoni, Akama & Zuanon 2019 Moijiri, name for this catfish (actual meaning unknown) among the Paumari Indians who inhabit the Río Tapauá, Río Purus basin, Amazonas, Brazil (type locality)
Tetranematichthys Bleeker 1858 tetra, four and nema, thread, referring to four very small barbels on adults; ichthys, fish
Tetranematichthys barthemi Peixoto & Wosiacki 2010 in honor of Ronaldo Borges Barthem, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Belém, Pará, Brazil), for his contribution to ichthyology, in particular to fisheries ecology in the Amazon
Tetranematichthys quadrifilis (Kner 1858) quadri-, fourfold; filis, thread, referring to four very small barbels on adults
Tetranematichthys wallacei Vari & Ferraris 2006 in honor of English naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), who collected and first illustrated this species in his expedition to the Rio Negro and Rio Uaupés region (1850-1852)
Tocantinsia Mees 1974 –ia, belonging to: known only from the Tocantins River basin, Brazil
Tocantinsia piresi (Miranda Ribeiro 1920) in honor of Miranda Ribeiro’s good friend Antenor Pires, taxidermist on expedition that collected type
Trachelyichthys Mees 1974 trachely, referring to close similarity to and relationship with Trachelyopterus; ichthys; fish
Trachelyichthys decaradiatus Mees 1974 deci-, ten; radiatus, rayed, referring to 10 rays in ventral fin
Trachelyichthys exilis Greenfield & Glodek 1977 slim or slender, referring to slender (or shallower) posterior cleithral process compared to T. decaradiatus
Trachelyopterichthys Bleeker 1862 Trachelyopterus, referring to previous placement of T. taeniatus in that genus; ichthys, fish
Trachelyopterichthys anduzei Ferraris & Fernandez 1987 in honor of Pablo J. Anduze (1902-1989), Venezuelan explorer, ethnologist, medical entomologist, and former governor of Amazonas State, Venezuela, for his continued interest in the natural history of Venezuela’s Amazon region
Trachelypterichthys taeniatus (Kner 1858) banded, referring to dark-brown longitudinal stripes on sides
Trachelyopterus Valenciennes 1840 trachelos, neck; pterus, fin, presumably referring to elevated nape of T. coriaceus, which gives the appearance that dorsal fin originates at the neck region
Trachelyopterus albicrux (Berg 1901) albus, white; crux, cross, referring to white cross-like marking when viewed from above
Trachelyopterus amblops (Meek & Hildebrand 1913) amblys, blunt; ops, face or appearance, referring to short, “bluntish” head
Trachelyopterus ceratophysus (Kner 1858) ceratos, horn; physus, bladder, referring to two horn-shaped diverticula at terminal end of swim bladder
Trachelyopterus coriaceus Valenciennes 1840 leathery, i.e., cuirass-like, presumably referring to bony cephalic shield
Trachelyopterus cratensis (Miranda Ribeiro 1937) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Crato, Ceará, Brazil, where type locality (Rio Granjeiro) is situated
Trachelyopterus fisheri (Eigenmann 1916) in honor of automotive and real estate entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher (1874-1939) of Indianapolis, Indiana (USA), “who helped to make possible a second expedition to the type locality [Columbia] of this species” (possibly first cousin of Homer G. Fisher [1888-1918], Eigenmann’s student and co-author of several fishes species collected during the Columbia expedition)
Trachelyopterus galeatus (Linnaeus 1766) helmeted, presumably referring to skin-covered cephalic shield
Trachelyopterus insignis (Steindachner 1878) marked, distinctive or conspicuous, presumably referring to color pattern: one specimen with numerous dark purple spots and marblings on upper half of body, a second specimen with spots all over body and fins
Trachelyopterus lacustris (Lütken 1874) lacustrine (belonging to a lake), described from Lagoa Santa (and from Rio das Velhas), Minas Gerais, Brazil
Trachelyopterus leopardinus (Borodin 1927) leopard-like, presumably referring to its “striking ornamental coloration”: black irregular longitudinal stripes all over head, body and fins, and belly “prettily sprinkled” with gray dots
Trachelyopterus lucenai Bertoletti, Pezzi da Silva & Pereira 1995 in honor of Carlos Alberto Santos de Lucena, curator of fishes, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia de Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (where second and third authors were students)
Trachelyopterus peloichthys (Schultz 1944) pelos, mud, “living in very muddy bottoms with much vegetable debris”; ichthys, fish
Trachelyopterus porosus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) full of holes or pores, referring to “conspicuous” pores on snout and sides of head
Trachelyopterus striatulus (Steindachner 1877) diminutive of stria, furrow, presumably referring to elongate fontanelle
Trachelyopterus teaguei (Devincenzi 1942) in honor of Gerard Warden Teague (1885-1974), amateur ichthyologist-herpetologist, British Vice-Consul for Paraguay, and Director of Midland Uruguay Railway Company, and Devincenzi’s “enthusiastic collaborator” (translation), who collected part of the type series and co-authored volume in which description appeared
Trachycorystes Bleeker 1858 tautonymous with Auchenipterus trachycorystes, trachys, rough; corystes, helmeted, referring to rugose cranial shield
Trachycorystes menezesi Britski & Akama 2011 in honor of Naércio A. Menezes (b. 1937), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, who participated in 1976 expedition that collected type, for his “major” contributions to the knowledge of neotropical fishes
Trachycorystes trachycorystes (Valenciennes 1840) trachys, rough; corystes, helmeted, referring to rugose cranial shield
Tympanopleura Eigenmann 1912 tympano-, tympanum; pleuro, side, referring to prominent pseudotympanum consisting of an area on side of body devoid of epaxial musculature where gas bladder contacts internal coelomic wall
Tympanopleura atronasus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) atrum, black; nasus, nose, referring to intense black pigmentation on tip of snout in live and freshly preserved specimens
Tympanopleura brevis (Steindachner 1881) short, allusion not explained, possibly referring to relatively short head compared to Ageneiosus brevifilis (=inermis), its presumed congener at the time
Tympanopleura cryptica Walsh, Ribeiro & Rapp Py-Daniel 2015 hidden or concealed, referring to close morphological and pigmentation similarities with congeners and to its previously unrecognized taxonomic distinctiveness
Tympanopleura longipinna Walsh, Ribeiro & Rapp Py-Daniel 2015 longus, long; pinna, fin, referring to its long, multi-rayed anal fin relative to congeners
Tympanopleura piperata Eigenmann 1912 peppered, sides “everywhere lightly peppered with chromatophores”
Tympanopleura rondoni (Miranda Ribeiro 1914) 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 that collected type
Subfamily CENTROMOCHLINAE
Centromochlus Kner 1858 kentron, thorn or spine; mochlus, lever or crowbar, presumably referring to strongly serrated dorsal-fin spine
Centromochlus akwe Coelho, Chamon & Sarmento-Soares 2021 named for the Akwê (Xerente self-denomination) indigenous people who previously inhabited the middle and upper Tocantins River basin (Tocantins, Brazil), where this catfish occurs (today the Akwê-Xerente are restricted to the city of Tocantínia, north of Palmas City)
Centromochlus carolae (Vari & Ferraris 2013) in honor of Carol Youmans, Management Support Specialist, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for “invaluable” assistance to both authors over the years, particularly the senior author
Centromochlus existimatus Mees 1974 considered, allusion not explained, perhaps reflecting Mees’ statement: “I have considered the possibility that the differences between C. heckelii and C. existimatus are not specific but sexual, a possibility that appears to be strengthened by the fact that the two have so often been collected together (as evidenced by mixed samples in collection)”
Centromochlus heckelii (De Filippi 1853) in honor of Johann Jakob Heckel (1790-1857), curator of fishes, Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna
Centromochlus macracanthus Soares-Porto 2000 macro-, long; acanthus, thorn or spine, referring to elongate dorsal-fin spine, 28-35% of SL (although “etymology” section indicates pectoral-fin spine, presumably in error since dorsal spine is a diagnostic character of the species)
Centromochlus melanoleucus (Vari & Calegari 2014) melano-, black; leukos, white, referring to black-and-white color pattern
Centromochlus musaicus (Royero 1992) referring to its mosaic color pattern
Centromochlus orca Sarmento-Soares, Lazzarotto, Rapp Py-Daniel & Leitão 2017 referring to its coloration (black ground color sharply delimited from a white underside by a conspicuous wavy border), resembling that of the orca whale, Orcinus orca
Centromochlus schultzi Rössel 1962 in honor of ethnographer and fish collector Harald Schultz (1909-1966), who collected type
Duringlanis Grant 2015 named after Durin the Deathless, eldest of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” legendarium, referring to small size of species in this subgenus; glanis, sheatfish (Silurus glanis), now used as a general term for catfish [treated as a synonym of Tatia by some workers, in a clade that also includes Duringlanis; provisionally retained here pending further phylogenetic appraisal]
Duringlanis altae (Fowler 1945) in honor of Alta Dunn (wife of herpetologist Emmett Reid Dunn, see Tatia dunni), who first brought this species to Fowler’s attention
Duringlanis perugiae (Steindachner 1882) in honor of Italian ichthyologist Albert Perugia (1847-1897), Natural History Museum of Genoa, thanking him for donations of rare fishes from the Adriatic Sea to the Imperial and Royal Zoological Collection in Vienna
Duringlanis romani (Mees 1988) in honor of Benigno Roman Gonzalez (1913-1993), herpetologist, ichthyologist and Jesuit monk, who collected type
Ferrarissoaresia Grant 2015 –ia, belonging to: combination of Carl Ferraris, Jr. (b. 1950) and Luisa Maria Sarmento-Soares, for their contributions to the morphology and taxonomy of Centromochlinae from which Grant’s paper heavily depends, “notwithstanding the fact that [Grant] disagrees on some of [their] conclusions at supraspecies level” [treated as a synonym of Tatia by some workers, in a clade that also includes Ferrarissoaresia; provisionally retained here pending further phylogenetic appraisal]
Ferrarissoaresia meridionalis (Sarmento-Soares, Cabeceira, Carvalho, Zuanon & Akama 2013) southern, referring to distribution in the southern Brazilian Amazon, a region referred to as “Meridional Amazon”
Ferrarissoaresia ferrarisi (Birindelli, Sarmento-Soares & Lima 2015) in honor of Carl Ferraris, Jr. (b. 1950), for “numerous contributions to the systematics of Siluriformes, especially Auchenipteridae, including the first hypothesis recognizing Centromochlinae as sister to all other Auchenipteridae”
Gelanoglanis Böhlke 1980 gelanes, laughing or cheerful, referring to cheery appearance created by its “long and somewhat sinuous mouth,” with a “dorsally-directed fleshy flange from lower jaw on either side”; glanis, sheatfish (Silurus glanis), now used as a general term for catfish
Gelanoglanis nanonocticolus Soares-Porto, Walsh, Nico & Netto 1999 nanus, small; noticolus, night-lover, referring to diminutive adult size (~22 mm SL) and apparent nocturnal habits
Gelanoglanis pan Calegari, Reis & Vari 2014 Pan, Greek god of fertility and male sexuality, referring to large gonopodium of males
Gelanoglanis stroudi Böhlke 1980 in honor of philanthropist William Boulton Dixon Stroud (1917-2005), for his support of the author’s field studies and collecting in the Colombian llanos
Gelanoglanis travieso Rengifo, Lujan, Taphorn & Petry 2008 Spanish word for mischievous, lively and animated, reflecting its cheery appearance (see genus) and nocturnal habits
Gelanoglanis varii Calegari & Reis 2017 in honor of the authors’ “dear friend,” the late Richard P. Vari (1949-2016), Smithsonian Institution, for his “for his great devotion, fascination and contributions to the study of the Auchenipteridae and other Neotropical fishes and for his unlimited willingness to help young ichthyologists to develop their careers”
Gephyromochlus Hoedeman 1961 gephyra, bridge; –mochlus, proposed as a subgenus of Centromochlus, “intermediate in a way” (i.e., a bridge) between that genus and Auchenipterus
Gephyromochlus leopardus (Hoedeman 1961) referring to leopard-like “bars and flecks” on body
Glanidium Lütken 1874 diminutive of glanis, sheatfish (Silurus glanis), used as a general term for catfish, referring to small size (“statura parva”) of G. albescens (described at 4.75 unciae, or 11.7 cm)
Glanidium albescens Lütken 1874 whitish, referring to dark-white (“fusco-albescens”), or mottled, coloration
Glanidium botocudo Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2013 generic name given to native indigenous people wearing artifacts (botoques) on ears and lips; these Indians were the original inhabitants of large extensions of the Floresta Atlântica, including lands along the rio Mucuri valley and far west, to the rio Doce (Minas Gerais, Brazil), where this catfish occurs
Glanidium catharinensis Miranda Ribeiro 1962 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Santa Catarina, Brazil, where it is endemic
Glanidium cesarpintoi Ihering 1928 in honor of colleague Cesar Pinto (1896-1964), helminthologist, for assistance and hospitality during Ihering’s studies in São Paulo, Brazil
Glanidium melanopterum Miranda Ribeiro 1918 melano-, black; pterus, fin, referring to “inky black” (translation) terminal halves of ventral, anal and caudal fins
Glanidium ribeiroi Haseman 1911 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist-herpetologist Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro (1874-1939), Secretary of the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro
Tatia Miranda Ribeiro 1911 –ia, belonging to: Charles Tate Regan (1878-1943), Natural History Museum (London), for his many contributions to the knowledge of the South American freshwater fishes
Tatia akroa Souza, Sarmento-Soares, Canto & Ribeiro 2020 named for the Akroá indigenous people of Brazil, whose territory in the 19th century included the rio Manuel Alves sub-basin of rio Tocantins, where this catfish occurs
Tatia aulopygia (Kner 1858) aulos, tube or pipe; pyge, rump or buttocks, referring to genital papilla over anterior anal-fin rays of males
Tatia bockmanni (Sarmento-Soares & Buckup 2005) in honor of ichthyologist Flávio Alicino Bockman, Universidade de São Paulo, who collected specimens that led authors to recognize this species as undescribed
Tatia boemia Koch & Reis 1996 bohemian, i.e., “one who lives unconventionally, chiefly at night,” referring to its nocturnal habits
Tatia britski (Sarmento-Soares & Birindelli 2015) in honor of Heraldo Antonio Britski, who collected type, for “significant contributions and pioneer studies” on the systematics of auchenipterid catfishes
Tatia brunnea Mees 1974 brown, referring to “dark earth brown” color in life, brown spots on pectoral, dorsal and adipose fins, mostly brown dorsal fin, and large irregular blackish brown spots on tail
Tatia caudosignata DoNascimiento, Albornoz-Garzón & García-Melo 2019 caudo-, tail; signatus, marked, referring to distinctive color pattern of caudal fin, consisting of a narrow, white, bilobed band along its base and the uniformly darkly pigmented interradial membrane of the distal portion of the fin
Tatia caxiuanensis Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2008 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, a preservation area, Pará, Brazil, type locality
Tatia concolor Mees 1974 colored uniformly, the “plainest of all species, dark grey above, white below”
Tatia creutzbergi (Boeseman 1953) in honor of Peter H. Creutzberg (1921-2011), motion-picture cameraman on Dutch expedition to Suriname; he collected type with entomologist Dirk Cornelis Geijskes (1907-1985), Director, Suriname Museum, Paramaribo [often treated as a junior synonym of T. gyrina]
Tatia dunni (Fowler 1945) in honor of Emmett Reid Dunn (1894-1956), “in appreciation of his studies on Colombian herpetology”
Tatia galaxias Mees 1974 milky way, perhaps referring to “evenly spaced small white dots” on a dark brown body, which could be said to resemble stars in the Milky Way
Tatia gyrina (Eigenmann & Allen 1942) latinization of gyrinos, tadpole, presumably referring to its tadpole-like shape
Tatia intermedia (Steindachner 1877) intermediate, with eyes larger than T. aulopygia but smaller than Centromochlus heckelii, its presumed congener at the time
Tatia jaracatia Pavanelli & Bifi 2009 named for the rio Jaracatiá, lower rio Iguaçu basin, Paraná, Brazil type locality (jaracatiá is an indigenous name for a fructiferous tree common in the region)
Tatia luisae Ribeiro, Silva-Oliveira, Silva & Canto 2022 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Luisa M. Sarmento-Soares, for her many contributions to the systematics of Neotropical catfishes of the subfamily Centromochlinae
Tatia marthae Vari & Ferraris 2013 in honor of Martha Joynt, Management Support Specialist, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for “significant” assistance to both authors over the years, particularly the senior author
Tatia meesi Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2008 in honor of Dutch ichthyologist-ornithologist Gerloff F. Mees (1926-2013), for significant contributions to our knowledge of the genus Tatia, especially the species of the Guyana shield
Tatia neivai (Ihering 1930) in honor of Arthur Neiva (1880-1943), founder, Instituto Biológico, São Paulo
Tatia nigra Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2008 black, referring to its dark color pattern in large adults
Tatia punctata Mees 1974 spotted, referring to dense dark-gray mottling and spotting on a pale (unpigmented) body
Tatia reticulata Mees 1974 net-like or netted, referring to “network of white (unpigmented) lines” on a light pinkish-brown body
Tatia simplex Mees 1974 single, a “well-differentiated species so that, although only a single specimen was available, [Mees] felt no hesitation in describing it as new”
Tatia strigata Soares-Porto 1995 striped, referring to numerous streaks on lateral portion of body
Family CRANOGLANIDIDAE Armorhead Catfishes
Cranoglanis Peters 1881 crano-, helmet, referring to bony plates on top of head; glanis, sheatfish (Silurus glanis), now used as a general term for catfish
Cranoglanis bouderius (Richardson 1846) latinization of boidarion, Greek for little cow, referring to Chinese names New yu (“buffalo fish”) and Nou yu (“cow fish”)
Cranoglanis caolangensis Nguyen 2005 –ensis, suffix denoting place: combination of Cao Bang and Lang Son, two towns in Viêt Nam where it was collected in 1999 and 2001, respectively [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]
Cranoglanis henrici (Vaillant 1893) in honor of Prince Henri d’Orléans (1867-1901), who helped collect type
Cranoglanis multiradiata (Koller 1926) multi-, many; radiata, rayed, referring to its long, “multi-radial (actinomorphic)” anal fin (translation)
Cranoglanis songhongensis Nguyen 2005 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Song Hong (Red River), Hanoi, Viêt Nam, type locality [species inquirenda, provisionally included here]
Family ICTALURIDAE North American Catfishes
9 genera/subgenera · 52 species/subspecies
Ameiurus Rafinesque 1820 a-, without; meiosis, to reduce; urus, tailed, literally “not curtailed,” referring to absence of deep notch in caudal fin compared to forked tail of Ictalurus
Ameiurus brunneus Jordan 1877 brown, referring to brownish color of young and juveniles
Ameiurus catus (Linnaeus 1758) Latin for cat, referring to its cat-like whiskers
Ameiurus melas (Rafinesque 1820) black, referring to color (which varies to yellowish and brown)
Ameiurus natalis (Lesueur 1819) Latin for “of or belonging to birth,” often applied to Christmas (Noel in French), as reflected in Lesueur’s vernacular name for this catfish, “Pimelode Noël,” allusion not explained but almost certainly in honor of Simon Barthélemy Joseph Noël de la Morinière (1765-1822), French naturalist, journalist, author, and fisheries inspector who devoted 20 years to a projected six-volume history of fisheries of which only one volume (1815) appeared (Lesueur mentioned Noël in his 1817 description of the American Eel, Angulla rostrata); most sources claim name means “having large nates or buttocks,” referring to either a swollen and elevated caudal peduncle, a large adipose fin, or the swollen head and nape muscles of breeding males, an etymological error apparently based on the assumption that natalis was the adjectival form of the Latin noun natis (rump or buttocks)
Ameiurus nebulosus (Lesueur 1819) Latin for cloudy, referring to olivaceous body color, “clouded with irregular brown spots”
Ameiurus platycephalus (Girard 1859) platys, flat; cephalus, head, referring to “very much depressed” head
Ameiurus serracanthus (Yerger & Relyea 1968) serra, saw; akanthos, thorn, referring to strongly serrated pectoral spine
Ictalurus Rafinesque 1820 ichthys, fish; aelurus, cat, i.e., “catfish”
Ictalurus australis (Meek 1904) southern, referring to specimens from southern Veracruz, México, that Meek had assigned to this species [treated as a junior synonym of I. mexicanus by some workers]
Ictalurus balsanus (Jordan & Snyder 1899) –anus, belonging to: Río Balsas basin, México, where it is endemic
Ictalurus dugesii (Bean 1880) in honor of Alfedo Dugès (1826-1910), French-born physician-naturalist in Guanajuato, México, who collected type
Ictalurus furcatus (Valenciennes 1840) forked, referring to forked tail [authorship often credited to Lesueur 1840, whose 1829 description of Pimelodus caudofurcatus (perhaps a senior synonym of I. punctatus) may have been unnecessarily renamed by Valenciennes]
Ictalurus lupus (Girard 1858) wolf, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps an oblique reference to similarity to Pimelodus vulpes Girard 1858, a synonym of I. punctatus (vulpes=fox)
Ictalurus meridionalis (Günther 1864) southern, being a southern (described from Guatemala) representative of the northern (central USA, eastern México) I. furcatus [treated as a junior synonym of I. furcatus by some workers]
Ictalurus mexicanus (Meek 1904) Mexican, referring to country where it is endemic
Ictalurus ochoterenai (de Buen 1946) in honor of Isaac Ochoterena (1885-1950), Director, Instituto de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, who provided facilities for de Buen’s work [treated as a junior synonym of I. dugesii by some workers]
Ictalurus pricei (Rutter 1896) in honor of ornithologist William Wightman Price (1871-1922), who collected type
Ictalurus punctatus (Rafinesque 1818) spotted, referring to small, dark spots on body
Noturus Rafinesque 1818 noton, back; oura, tail, i.e., tail over the back, referring to connected caudal and adipose fins
Subgenus Noturus
Noturus flavus Rafinesque 1818 yellow, referring to the Kentucky (USA) specimens Rafinesque examined, “entirely of rufous yellow”
Subgenus Rabida Jordan & Evermann 1896 rabidus, mad, reflecting “Mad-Tom” vernacular used by African-Americans in 19th-century Virginia for N. insignis; meaning of vernacular may refer to one’s anger after getting poked by one of their toxic spines or (as reported by Ono et al., 1983, Vanishing Fishes of North America, but without attribution), or to their seemingly insane swimming behavior (presumably when startled?)
Noturus albater Taylor 1969 albus, white; ater, black, referring to contrasting light areas on caudal fin and dark saddles on sides
Noturus baileyi Taylor 1969 in honor of ichthyologist Reeve M. Bailey (1911-2011), under whom Taylor’s study was conducted
Noturus crypticus Burr, Eisenhour & Grady 2005 hidden or secret, referring to nocturnal habits and for having kept its identity a secret from researchers for so long
Noturus elegans Taylor 1969 handsome, referring to its “neat or handsome color pattern”
Noturus eleutherus Jordan 1877 free, referring to “free adipose fin,” i.e., incomplete fusion of adipose and caudal fins
Noturus fasciatus Burr, Eisenhour & Grady 2005 banded, referring to striking saddled markings
Noturus flavater Taylor 1969 flavus, yellow; ater, black, referring to its coloration
Noturus flavipinnis Taylor 1969 flavus, yellow; pinna, fin, referring to yellowish dorsal fin
Noturus furiosus Jordan & Meek 1889 mad, “the poison of its axillary gland is more virulent than that of” its congeners
Noturus gladiator Thomas & Burr 2004 swordsman, referring to large and serrated pectoral spines
Noturus hildebrandi hildebrandi (Bailey & Taylor 1950) in honor of Samuel F. Hildebrand (1883-1949), “whose contributions to the ichthyology of the southeastern United States will long remain indispensable tools to his successors”
Noturus hildebrandi lautus Taylor 1969 washed or clean and neat, referring to its “trim, neat, and pleasing color pattern”
Noturus maydeni Egge 2006 in honor of ichthyologist Richard L. Mayden (b. 1955), Saint Louis University, for his work on species concepts and systematics and biology of central highlands (USA) fishes, and for publishing most of what is known about the life history of this cryptic madtom
Noturus miurus Jordan 1877 curtailed, referring to stout appearance of some specimens
Noturus munitus Suttkus & Taylor 1965 armed or protected, referring to large spines and serrae
Noturus placidus Taylor 1969 mild, quiet or gentle, referring to its “relatively poorly armed pectoral spine” compared to congeners
Noturus stanauli Etnier & Jenkins 1980 derived from the Cherokee words oostaunali (a shoal area in a river) and tsulistanauli (catfish), referring to occurrence over shoals with gravel substrate
Noturus stigmosus Taylor 1969 marked or branded, referring to two light spots in front of dorsal fin and brownish chromatophores on front part of abdomen
Noturus taylori Douglas 1972 in honor of William Ralph Taylor (1919-2004), U.S. National Museum, for his contributions to our knowledge of catfishes
Noturus trautmani Taylor 1969 in honor of Milton B. Trautman (1899-1991), Ohio State University, who collected type and studied the fishes of Big Darby Creek, Ohio, USA, where this madtom is (or was) endemic (likely extinct, not seen since 1957)
Subgenus Schilbeodes Bleeker 1858 –oides, having the form of: Schilbe (Schilbeidae), a genus of catfishes that lack an adipose fin (Bleeker mistakenly believed N. gyrinus lacked an adipose fin)
Noturus exilis Nelson 1876 slim, referring to its slender body
Noturus funebris Gilbert & Swain 1891 funereal, referring to its uniform black coloration
Noturus gilberti Jordan & Evermann 1889 in honor of friend and colleague Charles H. Gilbert (1859-1928), ichthyologist and fisheries biologist
Noturus gyrinus (Mitchill 1817) latinization of gyrinos, tadpole, referring to tadpole-like shape
Noturus insignis (Richardson 1836) remarkable or extraordinary, allusion not evident since Richardson did not provide a description; Taylor, in his 1969 revision of the genus, said the “probable intention [of the name] was to emphasize the [yellowish] color and the long adipose fin, features which were at one time considered unique”
Noturus lachneri Taylor 1969 in honor of Ernest A. Lachner (1916-1996), curator of fishes at the U.S. National Museum, for his “outstanding work and interest” in North American ichthyology
Noturus leptacanthus Jordan 1877 lepto-, slender; acanthus, spine, referring to “small and slender dorsal and pectoral spines which are devoid of internal serratures”
Noturus nocturnus Jordan & Gilbert 1886 nocturnal, referring to its uniform dark-brown coloration, without bars or markings
Noturus phaeus Taylor 1969 “of the hue or color of twilight,” according to Taylor, referring to its dusky, brown or grayish-brown coloration
Prietella Carranza 1954 –iella, diminutive connoting endearment: in honor of Carlos Prieto (no other information available), sponsor of expedition during which type was collected
Prietella lundbergi Walsh & Gilbert 1995 in honor of John G. Lundberg (b. 1942), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, for contributions to the systematics and paleontology of New World catfishes
Prietella phreatophila Carranza 1954 phreas, well; philos, an affinity for (i.e., living in a well), referring to type locality, a 2.5-m-deep well in Muzquiz, Coahuila, México
Pylodictis Rafinesque 1819 pelos, mud; ictis, variant spelling of ichthys, fish, with the “d” likely inserted for euphony, reflecting Rafinesque’s belief that P. limosus (an imaginary fish, based on a drawing by James Audubon, presumably presented to Rafinesque as a prank) lives on muddy bottoms and buries itself in the mud in the winter (Jordan 1877 synonymized P. limosus with P. olivaris, not realizing that the latter fish was imaginary)
Pylodictis olivaris (Rafinesque 1818) Latin for olive-colored, referring to its body color, “olivaceous, shaded with brown”
Satan Hubbs & Bailey 1947 after the Prince of Darkness, referring to its underground habitat
Satan eurystomus Hubbs & Bailey 1947 eury, wide; stoma, mouth, referring to wider mouth compared to sympatric Trogloglanis pattersoni
Trogloglanis Eigenmann 1919 troglo-, hole or cave, referring to underground habitat; glanis, sheatfish (Silurus glanis), now used as a general term for catfish
Trogloglanis pattersoni Eigenmann 1919 in honor of John Thomas “Pat” Patterson (1878-1960), embryologist and geneticist, University of Texas, who sent type to Eigenmann