Updated 11 May 2025
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Desmodema Walters & Fitch 1960 desmos (Gr. δεσμός), bond, tie or connection (authors says “band”); démas (Gr. δέμας), body (the “s” deleted for euphony), referring to slim, ribbon-like body
Desmodema lorum Rosenblatt & Butler 1977 Latin for a whip, referring to its elongate tail
Desmodema polystictum (Ogilby 1898) polý (Gr. πολύ), many, and stictum, from stiktós (Gr. στικτός), spotted, referring to numerous spots on head and body
Trachipterus Goüan 1770 trachýs (Gr. τραχύς), rough; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to rough (i.e., granular) dorsal- and ventral-fin rays of T. trachypterus] [proposed without a species, type by subsequent designation]
Trachipterus altivelis Kner 1859 alti-, from altus (L.), high; velis, from velum (L.), sail, probably referring to its large and long dorsal fin, extending nearly entire length of back
Trachipterus arawatae Clarke 1881 of Arawata, Jackson’s Bay, New Zealand, where holotype had been trapped during low tide in a pool used as a store-pond for keeping mussel-bait alive for fishing
Trachipterus arcticus (Brünnich 1788) Latin for northern, presumably referring to occurrence in the North Atlantic Ocean based on Iceland type locality
Trachipterus fukuzakii Fitch 1964 in honor of Ben Fukuzaki, San Pedro, California, USA, a boat owner and fisherman “whose keen interest in the creatures of the sea has led him to save and donate to science most of the animals he captures that are either unknown to him or which he recognizes as rare or unusual,” including more than 15 young and adult ribbonfish of three species and the first two known specimens of this species
Trachipterus ishikawae Jordan & Snyder 1901 in honor of biologist Chiyomatsu Ishikawa (1861–1935), Curator of the Imperial Museum, Tokyo Imperial University [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from a masculine noun that ends in “a”]
Trachipterus jacksonensis (Ramsay 1881) -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, type locality
Trachipterus trachypterus (Gmelin 1789) rough-finned, from trachýs (Gr. τραχύς), rough, and pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to sharp, serrated and rough (i.e., granular) fins (“pinnis aculeatis serratis scabris”)
Zu Walters & Fitch 1960 Zu, the storm god of Babylonian mythology, “a fitting name … since, until recent years, these fishes were known mainly from individuals found cast ashore in the wakes of storms”
Zu cristatus (Bonelli 1820) Latin for crested, referring to long anterior rays of dorsal fin on upper part of head (sometimes called a nuchal crest or pennant)
Zu elongatus Heemstra & Kannemeyer 1984 Latin for prolonged, referring to its more elongate body compared with Z. cristatus