COMMENTS
v. 9.0 – 12 Dec. 2024 view/download PDF
Nomenclatural note: Order Tetraodontiformes historically called Plectognathi (plectos, braided or woven together; gnathos, jaw), referring to suturing (or at least immovable attachment of maxillary to premaxillary (true for all plectognaths except for suborders Triacanthoidei and Triacanthodoidei).
Family TRIODONTIDAE Threetooth Puffers
one extant species
Triodon Cuvier 1829 tri-, three; odon, tooth, referring to three fused teeth in jaws, the upper jaw with a median suture, the lower jaw without
Triodon macropterus Lesson 1829 macro-, long or large; pterus, fin, allusion not explained, presumably referring to large fin-like dewlap or belly flap reaching from throat to anal fin
Family TRIACANTHIDAE Triplespines
4 genera · 7 species
Pseudotriacanthus Fraser-Brunner 1941 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may resemble Triacanthus (and its one species previously placed in it), such an appearance is false
Pseudotriacanthus strigilifer (Cantor 1849) strigilis, a scraper; fero, to bear, presumably referring to its scales, each of which “resembles a small curry-comb, which makes the skin in every direction rough to the touch”
Triacanthus Oken 1817 tri-, three; acanthus, thorn or spine, referring to large first dorsal-fin spine and two large pelvic-fin spines, unlike Balistes (Balistidae), original genus of T. biaculeatus, which lacks the pelvic spines
Triacanthus biaculeatus (Bloch 1786) bi-, two; aculeatus, spined, referring to two sharply pointed pelvic-fin spines
Triacanthus nieuhofii Bleeker 1851 in honor of Johan Nieuhof (1618-1672), Dutch East India Company, who, in 1682, was the first person to describe and illustrate this species, which he called “Hoornvisch”
Tripodichthys Tyler 1968 tripodis, three-legged stand, referring to bathypteroid-like tripodal stance envisioned for the fish resting on its two erect pelvic-fin spines and lower lobe of caudal fin; ichthys, fish
Tripodichthys angustifrons (Hollard 1854) angustus, narrow; frons, forehead, referring to longer, narrow snout compared to Triacanthus brevirostris (=biaculeatus), its presumed congener at the time
Tripodichthys blochii (Bleeker 1852) in honor of physician-naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799), who described its presumed congener Triacanthus biaculeatus in 1786
Tripodichthys oxycephalus (Bleeker 1851) oxy, sharp or acute; cephalus, head, referring to long, acutely shaped head
Trixiphichthys Fraser-Brunner 1941 tri-, three and xiphos, sword, allusion not explained, presumably referring to large first dorsal-fin spine and two large pelvic-fin spines; ichthys, fish
Trixiphichthys weberi (Chaudhuri 1910) in honor of ichthyologist Max Weber (1852-1937), whose “observations and remarks … have been very helpful” in Chaudhuri’s description of this species
Family TRIACANTHODIDAE Spikefishes
11 genera · 24 species
Subfamily HOLLARDINAE
Hollardia Poey 1861 –ia, belonging to: physician-naturalist Henri Hollard (1801-1866), “in recognition of the excellent work he published in Anuales des Sciences naturelles” (translation); Hollard described Tripodichthys angustifrons (Triacanthidae) in 1854 and was a pioneer in studying the anatomy and classification of plectognath fishes
Hollardia goslinei Tyler 1968 in honor of ichthyologist William A. Gosline (1915-2002), University of Michigan, who was instrumental, along with other colleagues, in collecting fishes killed by the eruption of Mauna Loa (Island of Hawai‘i) in 1950, including type of this one
Hollardia hollardi Poey 1861 in honor of physician-naturalist Henri Hollard (1801-1866) [see genus]
Hollardia meadi Tyler 1966 in honor of ichthyologist Giles W. Mead (1928-2003), who gave Tyler his “first encouragement and opportunity to study fishes, especially plectognaths”
Parahollardia Fraser-Brunner 1941 para-, near, referring to close relationship with Hollardia
Parahollardia lineata (Longley 1935) lined, referring to eight longitudinal “streaks of green” on body
Parahollardia schmidti Woods 1959 in honor of herpetologist Karl P. Schmidt (1890-1957), Chief Curator, Department of Zoology, Chicago Natural History Museum (published in a memorial issue of Copeia dedicated to Schmidt)
Subfamily TRIACANTHODINAE
Atrophacanthus Fraser-Brunner 1950 atrophia, rudimentary; acanthus, thorn or spine, referring poor development of last three dorsal-fin spines
Atrophacanthus japonicus (Kamohara 1941) –icus, belonging to Japan, type specimen (destroyed during WW2) dredged off Shikoku, Kochi Prefecture, Japan
Bathyphylax Myers 1934 bathys, deep; phylax, guard, i.e., a guardian of deep water, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to habitat of B. bombifrons (collected at 113 m) and metaphorical all-seeing or guardian nature of its large eyes
Bathyphylax bombifrons Myers 1934 bombus, humming or buzzing; frons, forehead, referring to tubular snout, reminiscent of a resonating wind instrument (George S. Myers, pers. comm. with James C. Tyler, reported in Tyler 1986)
Bathyphylax omen Tyler 1966 Anglo-Saxon word meaning sign, prophecy or augury, referring to phyletic importance of species in this genus as “harbingers” of the long-snouted and conically toothed Halimochirurgus
Bathyphylax pruvosti Santini 2006 in honor of Patrice Pruvost (b. 1966), collection manager of the ichthyological collection of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), who helped making material from his museum’s collection available to Santini
Halimochirurgus Alcock 1899 halimos, of the sea; chirurgus, surgeon, referring to long tubular snout with small mouth opening of H. centriscoides, “remarkably like the surgical instrument known as a catheter” (per Alcock in a follow-up 1899 publication)
Halimochirurgus alcocki Weber 1913 in honor of physician-naturalist Alfred William Alcock (1859-1933), Superintendent of the Indian Museum (West Bengal, India), who proposed the genus in 1899
Halimochirurgus centriscoides Alcock 1899 –oides, having the form of: similar to the shrimpfishes of Centriscus (Syngnathiformes: Centriscidae) in body shape
Johnsonina Myers 1934 -ia, belonging to: financier and philanthropist Eldridge R. Johnson (1899-1986), sponsor of the Johnson-Smithsonian Deep-Sea Expedition of 1933, during which type was collected
Johnsonina eriomma Myers 1934 eri-, very; omma, eye, referring to “enormous” eyes and ocellated spot (eyespot) on body, the latter unique in the family
Macrorhamphosodes Fowler 1934 –oides, having the form of: referring to resemblance of M. platycheilus to snipefishes of Macroramphosus (Syngnathiformes: Centriscidae)
Macrorhamphosodes platycheilus Fowler 1934 platys, wide; cheilus, lip, referring to “broadly expanded” upper lip
Macrorhamphosodes uradoi (Kamohara 1933) of Urado, Tosa Province (now Kochi Prefecture), Japan, where type was found at a fish market
Mephisto Tyler 1966 named for the devil Mephisto, second only to Satan among the fallen archangels and more familiar as Mephistopheles of the Faustian legend, referring to reddish exterior, black interior, and horn-like spines of M. fraserbrunneri
Mephisto albomaculosus Matsuura, Psomadakis & Tun 2018 albus, white; maculosus, spotted, referring to numerous white spots on head and body
Mephisto fraserbrunneri Tyler 1966 in honor of ichthyologist Alec Fraser-Brunner (1906-1986), British Museum (Natural History) and then-director of the Van Kleef Aquarium in Singapore, for his “laudable” series of “Notes on the plectognath fishes,” which, despite their modest title, “in actuality present the pioneering generic revisions of the families of plectognath fishes which form the basis of our present knowledge of the classification of the Order”
Paratriacanthodes Fowler 1934 para-, near, referring to close relationship with Triacanthodes
Paratriacanthodes abei Tyler 1997 in honor of the late Tokiharu Abe (1911-1996), Museum of Tokyo University and the Fish Museum at Tsukiji Fish Market, an “authority on the fishes of Japan, and especially on the tetraodontiform fugus; he always shared his enthusiasm, knowledge, and specimens with other researchers having similar interests”
Paratriacanthodes herrei Myers 1934 in honor of ichthyologist-lichenologist Albert W. Herre (1868-1962), an authority on fishes of the Philippines, where this species was discovered
Paratriacanthodes retrospinis Fowler 1934 retro-, backward; spinis, spine, referring to well-developed retrorse barbs on first dorsal- and pelvic-fin spines
Triacanthodes Bleeker 1857 –oides, having the form of: referring to presumed close relationship with Triacanthus (Triacanthidae)
Triacanthodes anomalus (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) odd or irregular (i.e., different), referring to how this species is “not quite modeled on the same type” (translation) as other species then placed in Triacanthus (Triacanthidae)
Triacanthodes ethiops Alcock 1894 blackened or scorched, allusion not explained, presumably referring to “uniform blue-black” color of small preserved type specimen (probably yellowish to reddish in life)
Triacanthodes indicus Matsuura 1982 Indian, referring to western Indian Ocean, only known area of occurrence
Triacanthodes intermedius Matsuura & Fourmanoir 1984 named for “intermediate condition of character states” between Triacanthodes and Paratriacanthodes
Tydemania Weber 1913 –ia, belonging to: Lieut. G. F. Tydeman, commander of the Siboga, Dutch research vessel in the East Indies (1899-1900) and Weber’s “loyal colleague” (translation), from which type of T. navigatoris was collected
Tydemania navigatoris Weber 1913 sailor or mariner, especially the navigator, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to Lieut. G. F. Tydeman, for whom genus is named
Family DIODONTIDAE Porcupinefishes or Burrfishes
7 genera · 19 species
Allomycterus McCulloch 1921 allo-, other (i.e., different); mycterus, nostril, having a bifid nasal tentacle without openings, different from Chilomycterus and Dicotylichthys
Allomycterus pilatus Whitley 1931 armed with a javelin, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to body covered in short, fixed, blade-like spines
Chilomycterus Brisout de Barneville 1846 chilos, lip; mycterus, nostril, referring to nostrils having the appearance of two lips, or formed of two tentacles united at the base
Chilomycterus antennatus (Cuvier 1816) –atus, adjectival suffix: antenna or feeler, referring to large tentacle over eye and tentacles along lower part of sides
Chilomycterus antillarum Jordan & Rutter 1897 of the Antilles, referring to Kingston, Jamaica, type locality (occurs in western Atlantic from North Carolina to Florida, Panama to northern Brazil, and the West Indies)
Chilomycterus mauretanicus (Le Danois 1954) –icus, belonging to: Mauritania, type locality (occurs in eastern Atlantic from Mauritania to Angola, with possible strays to South Africa)
Chilomycterus reticulatus (Linnaeus 1758) netted or net-like but fish is actually spotted; Linnaeus based description on account in Artedi (1738), which itself was based on Willughby (1686), in which fish is described as “muricatus & reticulatus” (spiny & net-like)
Chilomycterus schoepfii (Walbaum 1792) in honor of German naturalist and military surgeon Johann David Schöpf (1752-1800), who explored the United States and the Bahamas (1783-1784), studying their natural history; Walbaum’s description is based on Schöpf’s 1788 account of this species
Chilomycterus spinosus (Linnaeus 1758) spiny, referring to short, stout, triangular, and immovable spines all over body
Cyclichthys Kaup 1855 cyclos, round or circular, presumably referring to shape of C. orbicularis when inflated with water or air; ichthys, fish
Cyclichthys hardenbergi (de Beaufort 1939) in honor of Dutch biologist Johann Dietrich Frans Hardenberg (1902-1980), Laboratorium voor het Onderzoek der Zee (Batavia), who sent type to de Beaufort for identification
Cyclichthys orbicularis (Bloch 1785) circular or disc-shaped, referring to body shape when inflated with water or air
Cyclichthys spilostylus (Leis & Randall 1982) spilos, spot; stylos, pillar or post, referring to contrasting spot at base of each spine
Dicotylichthys Kaup 1855 di-, two and cotyla, cup-shaped cavity or hollow, presumably referring to bifid nostril of adults; ichthys, fish
Dicotylichthys punctulatus Kaup 1855 diminutive of punctum, spot, referring to small black spots on back and abdomen
Diodon Linnaeus 1758 di-, two; odon, tooth, referring to two fused teeth (but separated by a median suture) in jaws
Diodon bocagei (Steindachner 1866) patronym not explained, probably in honor of José Vicente Barbosa du Bocage (1823-1907), curator of Zoology at the Museum of Natural History in Lisbon (see Luciobarbus bocagei, Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae: Barbinae)
Diodon eydouxii Brisout de Barneville 1846 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of Joseph Fortuné Théodore Eydoux (1802-1841), naturalist and naval surgeon, who helped collect type aboard La Bonite during its 1836-1837 circumnavigation of the globe
Diodon holocanthus Linnaeus 1758 holo-, entire; acanthus, thorn or spine, referring to scales modified into spines all over body
Diodon hystrix Linnaeus 1758 porcupine, referring to scales modified into spines all over body
Diodon liturosus Shaw 1804 blotched or patched, referring to “large, crescent-shaped black spot or patch” on nape, a “somewhat oval patch” above pectoral fin, and two transverse ones, the first beneath the eye and the second between eye and pectoral fin
Diodon nicthemerus Cuvier 1818 nyctos, night; hemera, day, referring to blackish-brown above, silvery white below
Lophodiodon Fraser-Brunner 1943 lophos, crest, proposed as a subgenus of Diodon with two-rooted, erectile spines only on front of head
Lophodiodon calori (Bianconi 1854) patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of Bianconi’s colleage at University of Bologna, Luigi Calori (1807-1896), physician and human-anatomy professor [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Tragulichthys Whitley 1931 tragula, javelin, referring to numerous sharp spines on body; ichthys, fish
Tragulichthys jaculiferus (Cuvier 1818) jaculum, dart or javelin; fero-, to bear, referring to numerous sharp spines on body
Family TETRAODONTIDAE Puffers
27 genera · 196 species
Subfamily TETRAODONTINAE
Amblyrhynchote Bibron 1855 amblys, blunt, rhynchus, snout; –otes, pertaining to or having the nature of, referring to prominent blunt chin [spelling and authorship often given as Amblyrhynchotes Troschel 1856]
Amblyrhynchote honckenii (Bloch 1785) in honor of German botanist, aristocrat and “dear friend” (translation) Gerhard August Honckeny (also spelled Honkeny, 1724-1805), who, in some capacity, provided or presented type to Bloch
Arothron Müller 1841 etymology not explained, perhaps a-, without, and rothron, variant or incorrect spelling of rothon, nostril, referring to two finger-like nasal tentacles instead of nasal pores
Arothron caeruleopunctatus Matsuura 1994 caeruleo-, blue; punctatus, spotted, referring to numerous blue spots on head and body
Arothron carduus (Cantor 1849) thistle, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “rather long, very fine, hair-like and crowded” spines (spinules) on back
Arothron diadematus (Rüppell 1829) crowned, referring to brownish-black band over crown of head, through eye and around pectoral fins
Arothron firmamentum (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) sky or heaven, allusion not explained, probably referring to profusion of small white spots on back and belly (with larger spots on sides), like stars in the night sky
Arothron hispidus (Linnaeus 1758) rough or bristly, referring to small spinules covering head and body (except around snout and rear of caudal peduncle)
Arothron immaculatus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) spotless, allusion not explained, presumably referring to body without spots or bands (except for large yellowish-brown to black blotch around pectoral-fin base)
Arothron inconditus Smith 1958 rough, unplanned or crude, but perhaps Smith used it (incorrectly) to mean rough (i.e., bristly), the “whole body spinate”
Arothron manilensis (Marion de Procé 1822) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Manila Bay, Philippines, type locality (occurs in eastern Indian and western Pacific oceans from Myanmar and Indonesia east to Hawaiian Islands, Samoa and Tonga, north to southern Japan, south to Australia and New Caledonia)
Arothron mappa (Lesson 1831) sheet, from mappa mundi, “sheet of the world” (i.e., map), “countless streaks that crisscross the body surface and flanks in all directions” (translation), like the markings or pathways on a map
Arothron meleagris (Anonymous 1798) guinea fowl, referring to innumerable white spots on body, which resembles color pattern of a guinea fowl [name coined by Commerçon in an unpublished manuscript, published as a vernacular name by Lacepède in 1798, then latinized in an anonymous book review later that year, from whence the name dates; authorship sometimes given as Bloch & Schneider 1801]
Arothron multilineatus Matsuura 2016 multi-, many; lineatus, lined, referring to many white lines on head and body
Arothron nigropunctatus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) nigro-, black; punctatus, spotted, referring to scattered black spots on head and body
Arothron reticularis (Bloch & Schneider 1801) reticular, referring to many brown reticulations (along with lines and spots) on upper body
Arothron stellatus (Anonymous 1798) starry, referring to stellate base at prickles that cover body [based on unpublished description by Commerçon, published with a vernacular name by Lacepède in 1798, then assigned “stellatus” in an anonymous book review later that year, from whence the name dates; authorship often given as Bloch & Schneider 1801]
Auriglobus Kottelat 1999 aurum, gold, presumably referring to gold to greenish-gold or greenish-gold upper body color of most species; globus, globe or sphere, presumably referring to round shape when inflated with water or air
Auriglobus amabilis (Roberts 1982) lovely, presumably referring to “highly distinctive” coloration in life, “lime-green dorsally, with a darkened area along the base of the dorsal fin, and a reddish eye”
Auriglobus modestus (Bleeker 1850) modest or unassuming, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to dull or plain coloration compared to colorfully patterned congeners in Arothron, presumed subgenus at time of description
Auriglobus nefastus (Roberts 1982) wicked or abominable, referring to its primary diet of fish fins and scales
Auriglobus remotus (Roberts 1982) remote, referring to type locality (Kinabatangan basin, mouth of Sungai Deramakot, Malaysia)
Auriglobus silus (Roberts 1982) pug-nosed, allusion not explained, a character that seems to apply to all members of the genus
Carinotetraodon Benl 1957 carino-, keeled, referring to ridges along backs and bellies of males that can be raised when displaying or threatening rivals; Tetraodon, similar to that genus in having short dorsal and anal fins
Carinotetraodon borneensis (Regan 1903) –ensis, suffix denoting place: southern Sarawak, Borneo, only known area of occurrence
Carinotetraodon imitator Britz & Kottelat 1999 referring to color pattern that closely resembles that of C. travancoricus
Carinotetraodon irrubesco Tan 1999 to redden or to blush, referring to red dorsal and caudal fins of mature males
Carinotetraodon lorteti (Tirant 1885) in honor of teacher and friend Louis Charles Émile Lortet (1836-1909), physician, botanist, zoologist, paleontologist, Egyptologist, anthropologist, and then-Dean of the School of Medicine and Director of its Museum in Lyon, France
Carinotetraodon salivator Lim & Kottelat 1995 one who salivates, referring to distinct pale blotch on lower lip, which resembles a drop of saliva
Carinotetraodon travancoricus (Hora & Nair 1941) –icus, belonging to: central Travancore, Kerala, India, where type locality (Rambha [or Pamba] River) is situated
Chelonodontops Smith 1958 ops, appearance, closely related to Chelonodon (=Leiodon) but differs in having no spines on sides or back, and in the “curious” cup-like nasal tentacle
Chelonodontops alvheimi Psomadakis, Matsuura & Thein 2018 in honor of Oddgeir Alvheim (b. 1944), Institute of Marine Research (Bergen, Norway), for a “lifetime spent at sea on the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen. Among his duties onboard, Oddgeir has made a tremendous effort to document the rich tropical marine fauna from surveyed regions around the world and firstly photographed this new species from a trawl haul off the coast of Myanmar in November 2013.”
Chelonodontops laticeps (Smith 1948) latus, wide; ceps, head, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “broad” interorbital
Chelonodontops leopardus (Day 1878) presumably referring to leopard-like pattern of white spots on olive upper body
Chelonodontops patoca (Hamilton 1822) from Patoka, local name for puffers (this one is called the “great Patoka”) along the Ganges River estuaries of India (occurs in Indo-West Pacific from Madagascar, Persian Gulf, India and Sri Lanka east to French Polynesia, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia and New Caledonia, in marine, brackish and fresh waters)
Chelonodontops pleurospilus (Regan 1919) pleuro-, side; spilos, spot, referring to dark spots on sides, which form about three irregular longitudinal series, the spots of the lowest series confluent anteriorly to form a stripe from mouth to lower end of pectoral-fin base
Chonerhinos Bleeker 1854 chonos, funnel; rhinos, snout, referring to funnel-shaped depression at nasal openings
Chonerhinos naritus (Richardson 1848) referring to nares or nostrils: “It differs also from any other fish we have seen in its nostril, which is single and has an orifice equal in extent to the length and breadth of the cavity.”
Contusus Whitley 1947 grind or crush, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its tetraodontid teeth, which it uses to crush and even crack open prey items (e.g., crabs)
Contusus brevicaudus Hardy 1981 brevis, short; caudus, tail, referring to “significantly” shorter caudal peduncle compared to C. richei
Contusus richei (Fréminville 1813) in honor of Claude Riche (1762-1797), naturalist on Bruni d’Entrecasteaux’s 1791 expedition in search of the lost ships of Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, during which type was collected
Dichotomyctere Duméril 1855 dichotomos, cut in two equal parts; mycterus, nostril, allusion not explained, presumably referring to bifid tentacle on each side of nostril of D. fluviatilis
Dichotomyctere erythrotaenia (Bleeker 1853) erythros, red; taenia, band or ribbon, referring to reddish stripe along upper part of lower, pale-colored area of body
Dichotomyctere fluviatilis (Hamilton 1822) of a river, referring to occurrence in fresh water (occurs in brackish water also)
Dichotomyctere kretamensis (Inger 1953) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kretam Kechil River system, Kinabatangan District, East Coast Residency, Malaysia, type locality (also occurs in Indonesia)
Dichotomyctere nigroviridis (Marion de Procé 1822) nigro-, black, viridis, green, referring to dark spots on green upper body in life
Dichotomyctere ocellatus (Steindachner 1870) having eye-like spots, referring to 4-6 ocelli on body (highly variable, sometimes joining to form shape of the number 8)
Dichotomyctere sabahensis (Dekkers 1975) –ensis, suffix denoting place: endemic to Sabah and “perhaps to other parts of Borneo”
Ephippion Bibron 1855 saddle, referring to back armed with bony plates, forming a sort of carapace
Ephippion guttifer (Bennett 1831) gutta, spot; fero, to bear, referring to white spots on upper body
Feroxodon Su, Hardy & Tyler 1986 ferox, ferocious; odon, tooth, referring to its “fierce” biting habits, implicated in several unprovoked attacks on human toes (e.g., in 1979, a girl lost three toes to this puffer near Proserpine, Queensland, Australia)
Feroxodon multistriatus (Richardson 1854) multi-, many; striatus, striped, referring to numerous thin, brown and white lines on head and body curving toward tail
Guentheridia Gilbert & Starks 1904 –idia, belonging to: ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830-1914), who described G. formosa in 1870 and, in 1869 (actually 1868), authored an “admirable summary of the state of our knowledge” of the fishes of Central America, with “valuable discussions of the faunal relations of both marine and freshwater forms”
Guentheridia formosa (Günther 1870) beautiful, presumably reflecting Günther’s opinion of color pattern of juveniles, with cross lines on head, concentric rings enclosing rings on back, and reticulations on sides (adults are spotted)
Javichthys Hardy 1985 Java, off southern coast of which where J. kailolae appears to be endemic; ichthys, fish
Javichthys kailolae Hardy 1985 in honor of Patricia J. Kailola, The University of the South Pacific (Suva, Fiji), for her interest in and contribution to the knowledge of Indo-Pacific fishes
Lagocephalus Swainson 1839 lagos, hare; cephalus, head, allusion not explained, presumably referring to powerful, hare-like incisor teeth of L. stellatus and L. pennantii (both = lagocephalus) [not tautonymous with Tetraodon lagocephalus Linnaeus 1758 since Swainson did not mention that name]
Lagocephalus cheesemanii (Clarke 1897) in honor of England-born New Zealand botanist-naturalist Thomas Frederick Cheeseman (1846-1923), Curator of the Auckland Museum, who sent type to Clarke
Lagocephalus guentheri Miranda Ribeiro 1915 in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830-1914), who described this puffer as a variety of Tetrodon lunaris in 1870
Lagocephalus inermis (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) unarmed, referring to smooth back and sides (spines on belly only)
Lagocephalus laevigatus (Linnaeus 1766) smoothed, referring to smooth back and sides (spines on belly only)
Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Linnaeus 1758) lagos, hare; cephalus, head, allusion not explained, presumably referring to its powerful, hare-like incisor teeth
Lagocephalus lunaris (Bloch & Schneider 1801) of the moon, referring to lunate caudal fin
Lagocephalus sceleratus (Gmelin 1789) noxious, an extremely poisonous and potentially deadly fish if eaten by humans; manuscript name coined by Johann Reinhold Forster (1729-1798), naturalist aboard Captain Cook’s second voyage on HMS Resolution, after he, his son, and Captain Cook ate a small portion of this puffer’s liver in New Caledonia and got very sick for three days
Lagocephalus spadiceus (Richardson 1845) nut-brown, referring to dorsal coloration
Lagocephalus suezensis Clark & Gohar 1953 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Gulf of Suez, Suez, Egypt, type locality (occurs in Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific from Myanmar east to Indonesia, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia, and in the Mediterranean as a Lessepsian immigrant)
Leiodon Swainson 1839 leios, smooth and odon, tooth; Swainson proposed name on p. 194, but changed it to Leisomus (somus, body) on p. 328, indicating on both pages that the genus is distinguished by its smooth body, so perhaps Leiodon is a lapsus for Leisomus (Bleeker 1865, serving as first reviser, selected Leiodon over Leisomus)
Leiodon cutcutia (Hamilton 1822) etymology not explained, apparent latinization of katkatiya, a local Gangetic name (per Hamilton’s notes as published by Hora in 1929)
Leiodon dapsilis (Whitley 1943) abundant or plentiful, allusion not explained nor evident[often placed in Chelonodon, here treated as a junior synonym of Leiodon]
Marilyna Hardy 1982 in honor of Hardy’s wife Marilyn, who “spared no efforts in bibliographic research throughout my studies on Australian tetraodontids, and who assisted uncomplainingly at poison stations in the hot, muddy, and potentially dangerous mangrove swamps of North Queensland”
Marilyna darwinii (Castelnau 1873) in honor of Charles Darwin (1809-1882), the “great naturalist of the age,” for whom Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia (type locality) is named
Marilyna meraukensis (de Beaufort 1955) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Merauke River, southern New Guinea, type locality
Marilyna pleurosticta (Günther 1872) pleuro-, side; stiktos, spotted or blotched, referring to series of three black round spots on each side of body
Omegophora Whitley 1934 omega, last letter of Greek alphabet; phora, to bear, probably referring to narrow, black, Ω-shaped ring around pectoral-fin base of O. armilla
Omegophora armilla (Waite & McCulloch 1915) bracelet, referring to narrow black ring around pectoral-fin base
Omegophora cyanopunctata Hardy & Hutchins 1981 cyano-, blue; punctata, spotted, referring to blue spots on cheeks and sides
Pao Kottelat 2013 from local names of pufferfishes in Thai (pla pao) and Lao (pa pao) languages, with pla and pa meaning fish and pao meaning purse
Pao abei (Roberts 1998) in honor of the late Tokiharu Abe (1911-1996), Zoological Institute of Tokyo University, a “lifelong student of pufferfishes”
Pao baileyi (Sontirat 1985) in honor of ichthyologist Reeve M. Bailey (1911-2011), Sontirat’s professor at the University of Michigan, who gave him “a lot of knowledge in term[s] of fish anatomy” and was also interested in Thai freshwater fishes
Pao barbatus (Roberts 1998) bearded, presumably referring to three “bold” black marks on chin
Pao bergii (Popta 1905) patronym not identified, possibly in honor of Latvian zoologist Friedrich Wilhelm Karl (“Carlos”) Berg (1843-1902), Museo Nacional de Buenos Aires
Pao brevirostris (Benl 1957) brevis, short; rostris, snout, proposed as a subspecies of P. leiurus with a shorter, blunter snout
Pao cambodgiensis (Chabanaud 1923) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cambodia, where it is endemic
Pao cochinchinensis (Steindachner 1866) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cochinchine (now southern Viêt Nam), type locality
Pao fangi (Pellegrin & Chevey 1940) in honor of Ping-Wen Fang (1903-1944), Metropolitan Museum of Natural History and Biological Laboratory of the Science Society of China, who specialized in the study of Chinese fishes
Pao hilgendorfii (Popta 1905) patronym not identified, possibly in honor of German zoologist and paleontologist Franz Hilgendorf (1839-1904)
Pao leiurus (Bleeker 1850) leios, smooth; oura, tail, referring to small spines covering head and body but absent on tail (and snout)
Pao ocellaris (Klausewitz 1957) having an eye-like spot, referring to large ocellus on sides
Pao palembangensis (Bleeker 1851) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Palembang, Sumatra, Indonesia, type locality
Pao palustris (Saenjundaeng, Vidthayanon & Grudpun 2013) of a marsh or swamp, referring to its primary habitat of marshlands, swamps and floodplains
Pao suvattii (Sontirat & Soonthornsatit 1985) in honor of Chote Suvatti (1904-?), former dean of the Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetart University, Bangkok, a “Thai-pioneer” ichthyologist (per Sontirat 1989)
Pao turgidus (Kottelat 2000) Latin for puffy, swollen, bombastic or pompous, clearly referring to its being a pufferfish
Pelagocephalus Tyler & Paxton 1979 pelagius, of the sea, referring to “envisioned offshore, openwater habitat of the streamlined” P. coheni; cephalus, head, referring both to its “sleek” head and similarity of its name with that of Lagocephalus, “one of the several genera closely related to it”
Pelagocephalus coheni Tyler & Paxton 1979 in honor of Daniel M. Cohen (1930-2017), then-Director of the National Systematics Laboratory of the National Marine Fisheries Service (Washington, D.C.), a “collector of many invaluable Indo-Pacific fishes for the use of others, and a benefactor of both of the authors on many occasions”
Pelagocephalus marki Heemstra & Smith 1981 in honor of Mark Pote, who, in 1979, then a schoolboy, “found an unusual little puffer fish alive in a tide pool at Port Alfred on the southeast coast of South Africa. Despite his efforts to keep it alive, the fish died the next day and was then donated to the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology” (now the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity)
Polyspina Hardy 1983 poly, many; spina, spine, an “extremely” spiny fish, its spine very long and dense over anterior ⅔ of body
Polyspina piosae (Whitley 1955) of PIOSA, type collected by Whitley while he was attending the Pan Indian Ocean Science Association’s congress in Perth, Western Australia
Reicheltia Hardy 1982 –ia, belonging to: John and Bonnie Reichelt, friends who assisted in seine netting along the southern New South Wales coast, whereby new locality records for R. halsteadi were obtained
Reicheltia halsteadi (Whitley 1957) in honor of physician-biotoxicologist Bruce W. Halstead (1920- 2002), for his studies on poisonous and venomous fishes [biographical footnote: in 1985, Halstead was convicted of fraud, and lost his license to practice medicine, after selling cancer patients a substance that was 99.4% water and contained a brownish sludge made up primarily of coliform bacteria]
Sphoeroides Anonymous 1798 –oides, having the form of: sphaera, ball or sphere, referring to round shape when fish is inflated with air or water, especially when viewed from the front [published as a vernacular name by Lacepède in 1798, then latinized in an anonymous book review later that year, from whence the name dates]
Sphoeroides andersonianus Morrow 1957 –ianus, belonging to: Wendell W. Anderson, Sr. (1901-1959), investment banker and yachtsman (Detroit, Michigan, USA), for his “stimulation in advancing marine research”; Anderson funded the Yale South American Expedition of 1953, during which type was collected
Sphoeroides angusticeps (Jenyns 1842) angustus, narrow; –ceps, head, referring to more elongate head compared to S. annulatus (described in same publication)
Sphoeroides annulatus (Jenyns 1842) ringed, referring to series of broad, oval, dark brownish-black rings, one within the other, on upper body, the outer and largest ring including nearly entire surface of back and sides
Sphoeroides asellus (Müller & Troschel 1849) small ass or donkey, allusion not explained nor evident
Sphoeroides camila Carvalho, Rotundo, Pitassy & Sazima 2023 in honor of Camila Carvalho, one of the daughters of the lead author [a noun in apposition, without the genitive “ae”]
Sphoeroides dorsalis Longley 1934 of the back, presumably referring to pair of skin flaps (lappets) on back, midway between eye and dorsal fin
Sphoeroides georgemilleri Shipp 1972 in honor of George C. Miller, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Center, Miami Laboratory, who aided Shipp “greatly” in the collection of Central American materials for study; he also reviewed the manuscript
Sphoeroides greeleyi Gilbert 1900 in honor of ichthyologist-physiologist Arthur W. Greeley (1875-1904), San Diego State Normal School (California, USA), who collected type [biographical footnote: Greeley died in St. Louis, age 28, after an appendectomy]
Sphoeroides kendalli Meek & Hildebrand 1928 in honor of William C. Kendall (1861-1939), U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, for his many “valuable” contributions to our knowledge of American ichthyology
Sphoeroides lispus Walker 1996 smooth, referring to lack of spinules and lappets (skin flaps)
Sphoeroides lobatus (Steindachner 1870) lobed, presumably referring to pair of skin lobes on back and/or small triangular flaps of skin (cirri) scattered along sides
Sphoeroides maculatus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) spotted, referring to scattered black spots on back, sides and cheeks
Sphoeroides marmoratus (Lowe 1838) marbled, referring to diffuse brownish-black spots or blotches on body [Tetraodon laevissimus Bowdich 1825 is a senior synonym treated as a nomen oblitum]
Sphoeroides nephelus (Goode & Bean 1882) with cloud-like spots or white specks, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to many small rosettes of pale dots on upper body
Sphoeroides pachygaster (Müller & Troschel 1848) pachys, thick; gaster, belly, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to thick, inflatable belly
Sphoeroides parvus Shipp & Yerger 1969 small, not known to reach 120 mm SL
Sphoeroides psittacus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) parrot, allusion not explained, possibly referring to fused teeth that form beak-like plates, giving it a parrot-like appearance
Sphoeroides rosenblatti Bussing 1996 in honor of Richard H. Rosenblatt (1930-2014), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, for his contribution to the biology of fishes, especially those of the eastern tropical Pacific region
Sphoeroides sechurae Hildebrand 1946 of Sechura Bay, Peru, type locality
Sphoeroides spengleri (Bloch 1785) in honor of friend and fellow naturalist Lorentz Spengler (1720-1807) of Copenhagen, who sent type specimen to Bloch
Sphoeroides testudineus (Linnaeus 1758) like a turtle (testudo), presumably referring to turtle-like head or jaws, dating to “orbis oblongus testudinis capite” in Clusius’ Exoticorum libri decem (1605)
Sphoeroides tocantinensis (Amaral, Brito, Silva & Carvalho 2013) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Tocantins, Brazil, where type locality (Porto Nacional) is situated (named for the state, not the Tocantins River, where it occurs)
Sphoeroides trichocephalus (Cope 1870) trichos, hair; cephalus, head, referring to “long, close set” spinules on head, “like seal bristles”
Sphoeroides tyleri Shipp 1972 in honor of plectognath taxonomist James C. Tyler (b. 1935), then of the Lerner Marine Laboratory (Bimini, Bahamas); he also reviewed Shipp’s manuscript
Sphoeroides yergeri Shipp 1972 in honor of ichthyologist Ralph W. Yerger (1922-2003), Florida State University
Takifugu Abe 1949 taki-fugu, Japanese name for T. oblongus, taki possibly meaning “to be cooked in liquid” (per FishBase), and fugu meaning pufferfish [type species is fixed by indication (monotypy), so authorship does not date to Marshall & Palmer 1950 in Zoological Record as indicated by some; Gastrophysus Müller 1843 is a senior synonym used by some workers but is unofficially suppressed since Takifugu is in prevailing usage, in which case the ICZN should be petitioned to rule on the matter; other workers treat Gastrophysus as a synonym of Lagocephalus]
Takifugu alboplumbeus (Richardson 1845) albus, white; plumbeus, lead-colored, referring to numerous white spots on lead-colored upper body
Takifugu bimaculatus (Richardson 1845) bi-, two; maculatus, spotted, referring to black spot on side and another at base of pectoral fin
Takifugu chrysops (Hilgendorf 1879) chrysos, gold; ops, eye, referring to gold-red or yellow iris
Takifugu coronoidus Ni & Li 1992 corona-like, referring to pale and wide coronal rim surrounding dark-brown ocellus on upper-posterior pectoral fin
Takifugu exascurus (Jordan & Snyder 1901) excultus, adorned; oura, tail, presumably referring to caudal-fin rays “distinctly spotted and reticulated like sides of body”
Takifugu flavidus (Li, Wang & Wang 1975) yellowish, referring to “pure yellow” (translation) color on sides of adult specimens
Takifugu flavipterus Matsuura 2017 flavus, yellow; pterus, fin, referring to yellow anal fin
Takifugu guttulatus (Richardson 1845) diminutive of guttatus, dotted, described as having “numerous whitish round dots” on dorsum in spirits
Takifugu oblongus (Bloch 1786) oblong, referring to more elongate body compared to Sphoeroides testudineus, its presumed congener at the time
Takifugu obscurus (Abe 1949) dark, allusion not explained, presumably referring to dark-brown coloration in life (except for white belly and orange lower sides) and/or dark-brown dorsal, caudal and pectoral fins (even in formalin)
Takifugu ocellatus (Linnaeus 1758) having eye-like spots, referring to ocellus behind pectoral fin (which usually connects with ocellus on other side of body, forming a saddle across the back)
Takifugu orbimaculatus Kuang, Li & Liang 1984 orbis, circle or ring; maculatus, spotted, referring to moderately dark ocellus formed laterally behind pectoral fin
Takifugu pardalis (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) like a leopard, referring to leopard-like color pattern of black spots on orange background of back and upper body
Takifugu plagiocellatus Li 2002 plagios, side; ocellatus, having eye-like spots, referring to ocellus on side above pectoral fin [possibly a synonym of T. guttulatus]
Takifugu porphyreus (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) purplish, referring to body color, “brown tending to strongly purple” (translation) in life
Takifugu radiatus (Abe 1947) radiate, referring to “whitish, radiating ring” around black blotch near posterior part of pectoral fin (per Abe 1948)
Takifugu reticularis (Tian, Cheng & Wang 1975) reticular, referring to “blackish network” (translation) on back of adult specimens
Takifugu rubripes (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) ruber, red; pes, foot, usually referring to pelvic fins (which puffers lack), in this case probably referring to red anal fin
Takifugu snyderi (Abe 1988) in honor of ichthyologist John Otterbein Snyder (1867-1943), who reviewed Japanese plectognaths with David Starr Jordan in 1901
Takifugu stictonotus (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) stictos, spotted; notos, back, referring to densely spotted back and upper body
Takifugu variomaculatus Li & Kuang 2002 vario-, various; maculatus, spotted, referring to variously shaped spots on back
Takifugu vermicularis (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) vermiculate, referring to “large number of vermiculated lines” (translation) on head and upper body
Takifugu xanthopterus (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) xanthus, yellow; pterus, fin, referring to its yellow fins
Tetractenos Hardy 1983 tetra, four; ctenos, comb, referring to four gill rakers on each of the anterior ceratobranchials, compared to two rows in related genera [junior objective synonym of Aphanacanthus Le Danois 1959 (aphanes, inconspicuous; acanthus, thorn or spine, a ms. name coined by Bibron some time before his death in 1848, possibly referring to short spines on back and/or minute spines on cheek of unknown species now provisionally identified as T. hamiltoni), but prevailing usage may apply]
Tetractenos glaber (Fréminville 1813) bald or smooth, described as “absolutely devoid of spines” (translation) on body, but spines are minute and embedded
Tetractenos hamiltoni (Richardson 1846) in honor of William Hamilton (1762-1829), surgeon and superintendent of a Royal Navy convict ship, who presented type to the Museum of Haslar Hospital (Hampshire, England), where Richardson studied it after he established the museum in 1838
Tetraodon Linnaeus 1758 tetra-, four; odon, tooth, referring to four fused teeth (but separated by a median suture) in jaws
Tetraodon duboisi Poll 1959 in honor of A. Dubois, Belgian pharmacist and aquarist, who collected type and kept it in his aquarium, showing Poll that it differed from the similarly colored T. schoutedeni in shape and behavior
Tetraodon lineatus Linnaeus 1758 lined, referring to alternating light-and-dark bands or stripes on body
Tetraodon mbu Boulenger 1899 local name for this puffer in what is now Ubangi Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tetraodon miurus Boulenger 1902 curtailed, referring to smaller, truncate caudal fin compared to larger, rounded caudal fin of T. mbu
Tetraodon pustulatus Murray 1857 blistered, presumably referring to “number of small prickles” covering belly
Tetraodon schoutedeni Pellegrin 1926 in honor of zoologist Henri Schouteden (1881-1972), who collected many new species in the Belgian Congo, including type of this one
Torquigener Whitley 1930 etymology not explained, perhaps torquatus, adorned with a necklace or collar, referring to row of papillae in front of gill-openings of T. tuberculiferus, and gena or genio-, cheek or chin, referring to prominent, raised chin [name does not refer to their ability to build circular nests on sandy sea bottom (torquis, ring; gener, to cause) as reported by Wikipedia since this behavior was not yet known by 1930]
Torquigener albomaculosus Matsuura 2014 albus, white; maculosus, spotted, referring to many white spots on body
Torquigener altipinnis (Ogilby 1891) alti-, high; pinnis, fin, referring to “high and falcate” dorsal and anal fins, “the second or highest ray of the former being two and a half times the height of the last ray, while in the latter there is a corresponding difference though in a lesser degree”
Torquigener andersonae Hardy 1983 in honor of Jennifer M. E. Anderson, a “very friendly and pleasant colleague, with whom [Hardy] shared working facilities whilst at the University of New South Wales”
Torquigener brevipinnis (Regan 1903) brevis, short; pinnis, fin, referring to “shortness of the bases of the dorsal and anal fins” compared to T. hypselogeneion
Torquigener flavimaculosus Hardy & Randall 1983 flavus, yellow; maculosus, spotted, referring to its many yellow spots, particularly in the mid-lateral row of its body [treated as a junior synonym of T. hypselogeneion by some workers]
Torquigener florealis (Cope 1871) flowery, allusion not explained, possibly referring to floral-like pattern of whitish spots on dorsum, delineated by a rosette of smaller brown spots
Torquigener gloerfelti Hardy 1984 in honor of independent fisheries consultant Thomas Gloerfelt-Tarp (b.1949), “who has labored for some years compiling an extensive and well-documented account of Indonesian fishes, and who has provided [Hardy] with many tetraodontid specimens,” including presumably type of this one
Torquigener heemstrai Matsuura 2024 in honor of the late Phillip C. Heemstra (1941–2019), Rhodes University (Grahamstown), for his “great” contribution to ichthyology in South Africa (where this pufferfish occurs)
Torquigener hicksi Hardy 1983 in honor of marine biologist Geoffrey R.F. Hicks, Curator of Crustacea, National Museum of New Zealand, a “close friend and colleague” who read and commented on parts of Hardy’s manuscript
Torquigener hypselogeneion (Bleeker 1852) hypselos, high; geneion, cheek, referring to prominent, raised chin
Torquigener marleyi (Fowler 1929) in honor of Natal fisheries officer Harold Walter Bell-Marley (1872-1945), who collected many South African fishes for Fowler, including type of this one
Torquigener pallimaculatus Hardy 1983 pallidus or pallens, pale; maculatus, spotted, referring to moderately large, irregularly rounded, pale spots on dorsum
Torquigener parcuspinus Hardy 1983 parcus, sparing; spinus, spine, referring to “sparse spination” in contrast to “relatively dense spination” of the superficially similar T. squamicauda
Torquigener paxtoni Hardy 1983 in honor of ichthyologist John R. Paxton (b. 1938), Australian Museum (Sydney), “in gratitude for his interest, cooperation and helpful advice” during Hardy’s revision of the genus
Torquigener perlevis (Ogilby 1908) very smooth, referring to complete absence of dermal spinules
Torquigener pleurogramma (Regan 1903) pleuro-, side; gramma, line, presumably referring to a “golden band on the sides usually bearing one or two longitudinal dark stripes and separated from the colour of the back by a dark longitudinal stripe, that of each side being connected across the back by two rather indistinct dark cross-bands, one behind the pectorals, the other through the base of the dorsal”
Torquigener randalli Hardy 1983 in honor of ichthyologist John E. Randall (1924-2020), Bishop Museum (Honolulu), for his “interest and cooperation in both this and other studies undertaken” by Hardy
Torquigener squamicauda (Ogilby 1910) squamus, scale; cauda, tail, referring to strongly developed double rows of flattened spine-enveloping papillae on both sides of lateral line extending to caudal-fin base
Torquigener tuberculiferus (Ogilby 1912) tuberculum, small protuberance; fero, to bear, referring to 7-8 fleshy tubercles on outer anterior edge of gill opening
Torquigener vicinus Whitley 1930 near or neighboring, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its proposal as a subspecies of T. tuberculiferus
Torquigener whitleyi (Paradice 1927) in honor of Australian ichthyologist-malacologist Gilbert Percy Whitley (1903-1975), for his work in identifying fishes collected by the H.M.A.S. Geranium, including type of this one
Tylerius Hardy 1984 –ius, belonging to: in honor of James C. Tyler (b. 1935), for his “very considerable” contributions to our knowledge of the classification of plectognath fishes
Tylerius spinosissimus (Regan 1908) very spiny, referring to head and body (but not tail) “entirely covered with rather strong two-rooted spines”
Subfamily CANTHIGASTRINAE Sharpnose Puffers or Tobies
Canthigaster Swainson 1839 [a]canthus, thorn or spine; gaster, belly, referring to conspicuous two-rooted prickles on belly of C. rostrata
Canthigaster amboinensis (Bleeker 1864) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ambon Island, Moluccas Islands, Indonesia, type locality (occurs in Indo-West Pacific from South Africa, East Africa, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Hawaiian Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia, with waifs reaching Galápagos Archipelago)
Canthigaster axiologus Whitley 1931 axios, worthy or fit; logos, word (marking), allusion not explained, presumably referring to “small round dots on the upper surface and on the caudal fin, and two oblique black bars on the forepart of the belly”
Canthigaster aziz Matsuura, Bogorodsky, Mal & Alpermann 2020 named after King Abdulaziz University (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia), for providing the authors with research facilities and financial support during the Red Sea Biodiversity Project, during which type was collected
Canthigaster bennetti (Bleeker 1854) in honor of John Whitchurch Bennett (1790-1853), British military officer posted to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), printer, naturalist, and author of A Selection from the Most Remarkable and Interesting Fishes Found on the Coast of Ceylon (1828-1830), whose illustration of this species, Bleeker said, captured its salient features
Canthigaster caeruleolineata Fricke, Wickel, Pinault, Nicet & Delrieu-Trottin 2022 caeruleus, light blue; lineatus, lined, referring to numerous short, blue lines on head and body
Canthigaster callisterna (Ogilby 1889) etymology not explained, perhaps calli-, beautiful, and sterna, extended, referring to two dark-brown bands, the first extending from snout to upper caudal fin rays, the second from lower jaw to lower caudal-fin rays (sterna could also translate as “chested,” possibly referring to transverse bands on throat)
Canthigaster capistrata (Lowe 1839) bridled, muzzled or masked, allusion not explained nor evident
Canthigaster compressa (Marion de Procé 1822) compressed, referring to laterally compressed head and body (a characteristic of the subfamily distinguishing it from Tetraodontinae)
Canthigaster coronata (Vaillant & Sauvage 1875) crowned, allusion not explained nor evident
Canthigaster criobe Williams, Delrieu-Trottin & Planes 2012 named for the Centre de Recherche Insulaire et Observatoire de l’Environnement (CRIOBE), Moorea, French Polynesia, in recognition of the laboratory’s continuing support of marine research in French Polynesia
Canthigaster cyanetron Randall & Cea-Egaña 1989 cyano-, blue; etron, abdomen or belly, referring to predominantly blue color of abdomen due to numerous close-set blue stripes
Canthigaster cyanospilota Randall, Williams & Rocha 2008 cyano-, blue; spilota, marked, referring to numerous small bright-blue markings on body of living specimens (dark brown in alcohol)
Canthigaster epilampra (Jenkins 1903) epi-, upon, beside, over or after; lamprus, shining or beautiful, allusion not explained nor evident
Canthigaster figueiredoi Moura & Castro 2002 in honor of Jose Lima de Figueiredo (b. 1943), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, for contributions to the advancement of the taxonomy of Brazilian marine fishes, and his “long-term encouragement and support” to the authors
Canthigaster flavoreticulata Matsuura 1986 flavus, yellow; reticulata, net-like or netted, referring to reticulated yellow lines on body
Canthigaster inframacula Allen & Randall 1977 infra-, below; macula, spot, referring to diagnostic black spot on lower half of body
Canthigaster investigatoris (Annandale & Jenkins 1910) –is, genitive singular of: Royal Indian Marine Survey steamer Investigator, from which type was collected
Canthigaster jactator (Jenkins 1901) boaster or braggart, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its ability to inflate and/or its larger spots and more distended belly compared to the “very similar” C. punctatissima
Canthigaster jamestyleri Moura & Castro 2002 in honor of James C. Tyler (b. 1935), for his help and advice to the authors, and for his many contributions to the study of the systematics of plectognath fishes
Canthigaster janthinoptera (Bleeker 1855) ianthus (with Latin “i” replaced by Roman “j”), purple or violet; ptera, finned, described as having purple fins (not evident in contemporary descriptions and photographs)
Canthigaster leoparda Lubbock & Allen 1979 referring to leopard-like dark spots on sides
Canthigaster margaritata (Rüppell 1829) adorned with pearls, referring to numerous sky-blue spots on body
Canthigaster marquesensis Allen & Randall 1977 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Marquesas Islands, where it is endemic
Canthigaster natalensis (Günther 1870) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Port Natal (now Durban, South Africa), type locality (occurs in southwestern Indian Ocean from East Africa and South Africa to Mozambique Channel and western Mascarenes)
Canthigaster ocellicincta Allen & Randall 1977 ocellus, eyespot, referring to dark-brown ocellus at base of dorsal fin; cincta, belted or encircled, presumably referring to two brownish bars with intermediate whitish area between posterior portion of head and level of dorsal fin origin
Canthigaster papua (Bleeker 1848) presumably derived from Ikan Papoea d’jantan (“male Papuan fish”), name given to this puffer by Dutch naturalist François Valentijn (1666-1727, also spelled Valentyn) in 1726
Canthigaster petersii (Bianconi 1854) patronym not identified but probably in honor of herpetologist-explorer Wilhelm Peters (1815-1883), Director of the Berlin Museum, who traveled to Africa and returned to Berlin with an enormous collection of natural history specimens, and who is cited several times in Bianconi’s follow-up paper later in 1854
Canthigaster punctata Matsuura 1992 spotted, referring to dark spots on dorsal half of body, unlike the similar C. flavoreticulata, which has irregular dark lines
Canthigaster punctatissima (Günther 1870) very spotted, referring to entire body behind head covered with numerous round, whitish spots
Canthigaster pygmaea Allen & Randall 1977 small or dwarf, referring to very small size, with mature ova in females of only 25 mm SL
Canthigaster rapaensis Allen & Randall 1977 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Rapa Island (now called Rapa Iti), French Polynesia, type locality
Canthigaster rivulata (Temminck & Schlegel 1850) rivulated, i.e., marked by irregular streaks, presumably referring to “small lines and flexuous stripes of dark sky-blue intertwined in various directions” (translation) on nape and upper body
Canthigaster rostrata (Bloch 1786) beaked, referring to long and pointed snout
Canthigaster sanctaehelenae (Günther 1870) of Saint Helena Island in the southern-central Atlantic, type locality (also occurs at Ascension Island)
Canthigaster smithae Allen & Randall 1977 in honor of Margaret Mary Smith (1916-1987), first director of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology (now the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity), who assisted the junior author in collecting fishes at Mauritius and provided paratype of C. smithae collected off Durban (reported and figured as C. rostratus by Smith in 1965)
Canthigaster solandri (Richardson 1845) in honor of Swedish naturalist Daniel Solander (1733-1782), who discovered this species during Cook’s first voyage (1768-1771) and described it in an unpublished manuscript
Canthigaster supramacula Moura & Castro 2002 supra-, above; macula, spot, referring to ocellus-like spot on side of body, slightly ventral and anterior to dorsal-fin base
Canthigaster tyleri Allen & Randall 1977 in honor of plectognath taxonomist James C. Tyler (b. 1935), who sent Allen and Randall the first specimen from the Comoro Islands (now designated as a paratype)
Canthigaster valentini (Bleeker 1853) in honor of Dutch naturalist François Valentijn (1666-1727, also spelled Valentyn), who was the first to write about this species (as Ikan kaskasse) in 1726