Updated 28 May 2025
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Zenopsis Gill 1862 zen, a form of Zeus; ópsis (Gr. ὄψις), appearance, presumably referring to its similarity to Zeus but with osseous plates at base of dorsal- and three anal-fin spines

Zenopsis conchifer (Lowe 1852) concha (Neo-Latin) from kónchē (Gr. κόγχη), mussel or cockle; fero, to bear, referring to how osseous plates at base of dorsal and anal fins “resemble the depressed shells of a Fissurella [a limpet] seen in profile”

Zenopsis filamentosa Kai & Tashiro 2019 Latin for filamentous, referring to filamentous membranes extending from spinous portion of dorsal fin, their length more than twice SL

Zenopsis nebulosa (Temminck & Schlegel 1845) Latin for dark, dusky or cloudy, presumably referring to numerous, irregularly placed, dark or dusky blotches on sides of juveniles (one grayish blotch on adults)

Zenopsis oblonga Parin 1989 Latin for oblong (longer than broad), described as the most “low-bodied” species in the genus

Zenopsis stabilispinosa Nakabo, Bray & Yamada 2006 stabilis (L.), firm; spinosa (L.), thorny, referring to third anal-fin spine fused to its pterygiophore

Zeus Linnaeus 1758 from zaeus (ζαιός), ancient Greek name for this fish dating to at least Pliny’s Natural History; some scholars have confused zaeus with the Greek god Zeus, culminating in the oft-repeated but unfounded claim that the fish had also been called “Piscis Jovii” in classical texts, with Zeus being the equivalent to the Roman god Jove or Jupiter

Zeus capensis Valenciennes 1835 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Cape of Good Hope, type locality

Zeus faber Linnaeus 1758 Latin for craftsman; according to Renaissance scholars Gyllius (1553) and Salviani (1558), faber was its local name in Dalmatia (now part of present-day Croatia), referring to how its dorsal-, ventral- and anal-fin spines, and possibly also its head bones, are said to resemble the tools of a craftsman