Updated 24 Feb. 2026
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Allomogurnda Allen 2003 állos (ἄλλος), other or different, referring to its general appearance, resembling Mogurnda

Allomogurnda flavimarginata Allen 2003 flavus (L.), yellow; marginata (L.), edged or bordered, referring to broad yellow margins on dorsal fins

Allomogurnda hoesei Allen 2003 in honor of American-born Australian ichthyologist Douglass F. Hoese (b. 1942), Australian Museum (Sydney), for numerous contributions to gobiid systematics

Allomogurnda insularis Allen 2003 Latin for of islands, referring to type locality, situated on Goodenough Island, eastern Papua New Guinea

Allomogurnda landfordi Allen 2003 in honor of Alan and Julia Landford, formerly of Bulolo, Papua New Guinea, for their assistance with collecting paratypes of this species and those of A. flavimarginata [preferably spelled landfordorum since name honors more than one person, ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction]

Allomogurnda montana Allen 2003 Latin for of or pertaining to mountains, referring to its occurrence in primary forest at an elevation of ~580 m

Allomogurnda multicincta Allen & Hoese 2017 multi– (L.), many; cincta Medieval Latin for belt or girdle (but said by authors to mean bar or band), referring to series of relatively narrow brown bars on body

Allomogurnda nesolepis (Weber 1907) nêsos (νῆσος), island; lepís (λεπίς), scale, referring to “scales between the eyes and crest forming a kind of island in which those scales are larger than those behind them” (translation)

Allomogurnda papua Allen 2003 Papua, English historical name for southeastern Papua New Guinea, where it occurs

Allomogurnda sampricei Allen 2003 in honor of Samuel Price, a “keen teenage naturalist” from Jayapura, Indonesia, who collected holotype

Belobranchus Bleeker 1856 tautonymous with Eleotris belobrancha Valenciennes 1837 (but unnecessarily renamed as B. quoyi), referring to branchiostegal rays, which terminate anteriorly into a spine

Belobranchus belobranchus (Valenciennes 1837) bélos (βέλος), arrow; branchus, from bránchia (βράγχια), gills, referring to its branchiostegal rays, which terminate anteriorly into a spine

Belobranchus segura Keith, Hadiaty & Lord 2012 in honor of Gilles Ségura, hydrobiologist and the authors’ friend, for his “extensive and enthusiastic work on freshwater fauna” [a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]

Bunaka Herre 1927 from bunak, Negrito name for B. pinguis (=gyrinoides) in the Philippines

Bunaka gyrinoides (Bleeker 1853) -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (εἶδος), form or shape: gyrī́nos (γυρῖνος), tadpole, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to body anteriorly cylindrical and posteriorly compressed

Caecieleotris Walsh & Chakrabarty 2016 caecus (L.), blind, referring to its lack of eyes; Eleotris, type genus of family

Caecieleotris morrisi Walsh & Chakrabarty 2016 in honor of “good friend and colleague” Thomas L. Morris, “renowned cave diver and speleobiologist, intrepid explorer, and respected conservationist devoted to the protection of karst habitats and their associated biotas”; Morris discovered this species and collected the holotype

Calumia Smith 1958 etymology not explained nor evident

Calumia eilperinae Allen & Erdmann 2010 in honor of environmental journalist Juilet Eilperin (b. 1971), “who has continued to expose [report on?] and support the Bird’s Head Seascape marine conservation program [encompassing Cenderawasih Bay, West Papua, Indonesia, type locality] through her excellent reportage of the initiative”

Calumia godeffroyi (Günther 1877) in honor of shipping magnate Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy (1813–1885), who commissioned natural history collections in Australia and the South Seas, and whose Museum Godeffroy (Hamburg, Germany), housed holotype and published its description

Calumia papuensis Allen & Erdmann 2010 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Papua Province, Indonesia, type locality

Calumia profunda Larson & Hoese 1980 Latin for deep, referring to its being found at relatively deep (38 m) coral reefs

Dormitator Gill 1861 Latin for “one who sleeps,” derived from dormeur, vernacular used in the early 19th-century French colonies of South America and source of the English vernacular “sleeper,” presumably referring to their seemingly lethargic behavior (see Eleotris)

Dormitator cubanus Ginsburg 1953 -anus (L.), belonging to: Cuba, known only from the western Atlantic waters off Cuba

Dormitator latifrons (Richardson 1844) latus (L.), wide or broad; frons (L.), brow or face, referring to its broad and flat head

Dormitator lebretonis (Steindachner 1870) -is (L.), genitive singular of: Dr. Lebreton (forename not given), “dear friend” (translation), who helped Steindachner in “every way” (translation) during his stay in Dagana, Senegal (type locality)

Dormitator maculatus (Bloch 1792) Latin for spotted, described as having brown spots on head and sides and black spots on belly

Eleotris Bloch & Schneider 1801 Eléōtris (Ἐλέωτρις), Ancient Greek name for an unidentified fish from the Nile, meaning unknown, applied by Gronow (1756) to gobiiform fishes without explanation; Jordan and Gilbert (1883) say name is derived from ēleós (ἠλεός), “bewildered” (actually, it means distraught or crazed), but this appears to be a folk etymology

Eleotris acanthopoma Bleeker 1853 acantho-, from ákantha (ἄκανθα), thorn; pṓma (πῶμα), lid or cover, i.e., opercle, referring to conical and curved preopercular spine

Eleotris amblyopsis (Cope 1871) amblýs (ἀμβλύς), dull, blunt or not sharp; ópsis (ὄψις), appearance, referring to its prominent chin

Eleotris annobonensis Blanc, Cadenat & Stauch 1968 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Annobón Island, Gulf of Guinea, type locality

Eleotris aquadulcis Allen & Coates 1990 aqua (L.), water; dulcis (L.), sweet, referring to its purely freshwater habitat

Eleotris beliziana Sauvage 1880 -ana (L.), belonging to: Belize, one of the type localities (also described from French Guiana)

Eleotris bosetoi Mennesson, Keith, Ebner & Gerbeaux 2016 in honor of the authors’ friend David Boseto, for his “extensive and enthusiastic” work on the freshwater fauna of the Solomon Islands (he also helped collect holotype)

Eleotris daganensis Steindachner 1870 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: near Dagana, Senegal, type locality

Eleotris diamsoi Mennesson, Keith & Feunteun 2020 named for the DIAMSOI (DIversité des Amphihalins du Sud-Ouest de l’océan Indien) program of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), which enabled the collection of specimens in Madagascar

Eleotris douniasi Keith, Mennesson, Dahruddin & Hubert 2021 in honor of Edmond Dounias, Institute for Research and Development (Indonesia), for his “kindness and for facilitating field missions in Indonesia for several years”

Eleotris eigenmanni Popta 1921 in honor of German-born American ichthyologist (1863–1927), the “great fish expert” (translation) of South America [although this species occurs in Indonesia]

Eleotris fasciata Chen 1964 Latin for banded, presumably referring to two longitudinal short black bands projecting from hind margin of eye, and a third band below median of eye, all three reaching or nearly reaching hind margin or preoperculum

Eleotris feai Thys van den Audenaerde & Tortonese 1974 in honor of Leonardo Fea (1852–1903), Italian explorer, zoologist, painter and naturalist, who collected holotype in 1902

Eleotris fusca (Bloch & Schneider 1801) Latin for dark or dusky, referring to its brown body coloration

Eleotris klunzingerii Pfeffer 1893 in honor of German physician and zoologist Carl Benjamin Klunzinger (1834–1914), whose 1870 synopsis of Red Sea fishes is cited many times by Pfeffer

Eleotris lutea Day 1876 Latin for yellow, but Day did not mention this color; instead, he said it is “dirty-grayish” with dark/black spots (contemporary accounts appear to confirm grayish coloration)

Eleotris macrocephala (Bleeker 1857) big-headed, from makrós (μaκρóς), long or large, and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, referring to its “considerably” (translation) longer (but more slender and lower) head compared with its Culius (=Eleotris) congeners in the Indian Archipelago

Eleotris mauritiana Bennett 1832 -ana (L.), belonging to: Mauritius (Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean), type locality

Eleotris melanosoma Bleeker 1853 mélanos (μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; sṓma (σῶμα), body, presumably referring to dark- or black-green (“nigricante-viridi”) upper body color

Eleotris melanurus Bleeker 1849 mélanos (μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; urus, from ourá (οὐρά), tail, referring to black caudal-fin base [species inquirenda, provisionally included here; often spelled melanura by those who treat name as an adjective]

Eleotris oxycephala Temminck & Schlegel 1845 sharp-headed, from oxýs (ὀξύς), sharp or pointed, and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, referring to its more pointed head compared to Odontobutis obscura (Odontobutidae), its presumed congener at the time

Eleotris pellegrini Maugé 1984 in honor of French zoologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873–1944), who reported this species as E. vittata in 1933

Eleotris perniger (Cope 1871) per– (L.), very, continuous or throughout; niger (L.), dark or black, presumably referring to dark-brown body color and/or black bars on fins

Eleotris picta Kner 1863 Latin for painted, probably referring to numerous spots and white striations on lower body

Eleotris pisonis (Gmelin 1789) -is (L.), genitive singular of: William Piso (1611–1678), Dutch physician and naturalist, who, with Georg Marcgrave, wrote about this goby (and provided a pre-Linnaean name) in 1648

Eleotris sahanaensis Mennesson, Keith & Feunteun 2020 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Sahana River, Madagascar, type locality

Eleotris sandwicensis Vaillant & Sauvage 1875 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Sandwich Islands, former name of Hawaiian Islands, where it is endemic

Eleotris senegalensis Steindachner 1870 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Senegal, type locality

Eleotris soaresi Playfair 1867 in honor of João da Costa Soares of Mozambique, type locality (Soares was a Portuguese slaver involved in what the French called the “Free Labour System”)

Eleotris sumatraensis Mennesson, Keith, Sukmono, Risdawati & Hubert 2021 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Sumatra, where it is endemic

Eleotris tecta Bussing 1996 Latin for disguised or hidden, referring to its apparent scarcity and the fact that it has not been distinguished until recently from its congener, E. picta

Eleotris tubularis Heller & Snodgrass 1903 Neo-Latin for tubular, presumably referring to anterior nostril tubes extending beyond mouth

Eleotris valadei Keith, Mennesson & Henriette 2020 in honor of hydrobiologist Pierre Valade, Ocea Consult, who collected several specimens of this species at Reunion Island and Mayotte

Eleotris vittata Duméril 1861 Latin for banded, referring to broad black band on sides

Eleotris vomerodentata Maugé 1984 vomer (L.), plowshare, but in ichthyology the bone forming the front part of the roof of the mouth; dentata (L.), toothed, referring to an oval-shaped patch of small caniniform teeth on vomer

Eleotris woworae Keith, Mennesson, Sauri & Hubert 2021 in honor of Daisy Wowor (b. 1956), evolutionary biologist and carcinologist, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (Cibinong), who helped the authors collect freshwater fishes all around Indonesia

Eleotris wuhanlini Endruweit 2024 in honor of Wu Han-Lin, Shanghai Ocean University (Shanghai, China) who described this species as E. acanthopoma haunanensis in 1991 but used a preoccupied name

Erotelis Poey 1860 anagram of Eleotris, a closely related genus

Erotelis armiger (Jordan & Richardson 1895) arma (L.), weapons; -iger (L.), to have or bear, referring to concealed antrorse hook below preopercle

Erotelis clarki (Hildebrand 1938) in honor of pathologist Herbert C. Clark (1877–1960), director of the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (Panama), who made possible the “investigations resulting in the discovery of this and several other new species of Panamanian fishes”

Erotelis shropshirei (Hildebrand 1938) in honor of James B. Shropshire, supervisor of malaria control for the U.S. Army in Panama, who “took the holotype in the dry dock at Mount Hope, when it was pumped out, and who assisted [Hildebrand] in many other ways while he was working in Panama in 1937”

Erotelis smaragdus (Valenciennes 1837) Latin for emerald, alluding to esmeralda negra, its common name in Havana, Cuba (type locality)

Erotelis smaragdus civitatum Ginsburg 1953 etymology not explained, perhaps from civitatis (L.), of the state, referring to its distribution along the northern Gulf coast of the United States, whereas the nominate form occurs in the West Indies

Fagasa Schultz 1943 named for Fagasa, Polynesian village and bay, Tutuila Island, American Samoa, type locality of F. tutuilae

Fagasa tutuilae Schultz 1943 of Tutuila Island, American Samoa, type locality

Formosaneleotris Chen 2024 Formosa, classical name of Taiwan, where type locality of F. hualienensis is situated; Eleotris, type genus of family

Formosaneleotris hualienensis Chen 2024 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Hualien River basin of Taiwan, type locality [an enigmatic species that may belong in Butidae]

Giuris Sauvage 1880 etymology not explained, perhaps alluding to Glossogobius giuris (Hamilton 1822), a gobiid from the Ganges River, whose name is a Latinization of ghiyuri, a local Gangetic name (per Hamilton’s notes as published by Hora in 1934)

Giuris aporocephalus (Macleay 1884) á– (ἄ), privative, without; póros (πόρος), hole or passage; cephalus, from kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, presumably referring to absence of visible preopercular pores, unlike Ophiocara porocephalum (Butidae), its presumed congener at the time

Giuris caussei Keith, Mennesson & Lord 202 in honor of Romain Causse, Muséum national de Histoire naturelle (Paris), for his dedication to ichthyology and the “invaluable” help he provided the authors both in the field and in the laboratory

Giuris charpini Keith & Mennesson 2020 in honor of Nicolas Charpin, Vies d’Ô douce (an NGO), for his “work for the improvement of knowledge and the protection of the freshwater fauna of New Caledonia,” where this species occurs

Giuris laglaizei (Sauvage 1880) in honor of Léon-François Laglaize, French traveler and naturalist, who collected holotype

Giuris margaritaceus (Valenciennes 1837) Neo-Latin for pearly, referring to what Valenciennes perceived as pearl-like white spots on its sides

Giuris tolsoni (Bleeker 1854) in honor of R. P. Tolson, member of the trading house Anderson, Tolson & Co. in Batavia (now Jakarta), who discovered this species while exploring a coal mine near Meeuwenbaai (Seagulls Bay) in Java, Indonesia, and “most kindly” (translation) gave it to Bleeker

Giuris viator Keith, Mennesson, Lord & Hubert 2020 Latin for traveler or pilgrim, referring to its wide distribution, from Mayotte (Indian Ocean) to Indonesia (Java, Lombok, Ceram, Ambon, Halmahera, Sulawesi), and Papua New Guinea, Salomon, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia (Pacific Ocean)

Giuris yahayai Keith & Mennesson 2020 in honor of friend and colleague Ibrahim Yahaya, Centre National de Documentation et de Recherche Scientifique, for his work on the fauna of the Comoros archipelago, where this species occurs

Gobiomorphus Gill 1863 gobio, from gobius (L.), a fish of small value or a gudgeon, i.e., a goby; morphus, from morphḗ (μορφή), form, repeating the meaning of the type species epithet, G. gobioides, referring to how this New Zealand species resembles the “most common gobies” (translation) of European coasts

Gobiomorphus alpinus Stokell 1962 Latin for alpine (of a high mountain), referring to its occurrence at 1036 m

Gobiomorphus australis (Krefft 1864) Latin for southern, presumably referring to its endemic occurrence in Australia

Gobiomorphus basalis (Gray 1842) Medieval Latin for basal or at the base, referring to “broad yellow basal band” on pectoral fins

Gobiomorphus breviceps (Stokell 1939) brevis (L.), short; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to shorter head compared with Philypnodon grandiceps, its presumed congener at the time

Gobiomorphus cotidianus McDowall 1975 Latin for common or ordinary, referring to its vernacular name, “common bully”

Gobiomorphus coxii (Krefft 1864) patronym not identified, probably in honor of physician-naturalist James C. Cox (1834–1912), who collected a snake that Krefft described in a companion paper, and a trustee of the Sydney (now Australian) Museum, where Krefft worked

Gobiomorphus dinae Thacker, Geiger & Shelly 2023 in honor of Dinah Arndt, Director of the Climate Media Centre (New South Wales, Australia), for her “unstinting support” of freshwater fish research and fieldwork across both Australia and New Zealand; she is a “hobbyist who contributes specimens to museums in both Australia and New Zealand, and she helped with collecting a number of the samples we used” (C. Thacker, pers. comm.)

Gobiomorphus gobioides (Valenciennes 1837) -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (εἶδος), form or shape: gobius (L.), a fish of small value or a gudgeon, i.e., a goby, referring to how this New Zealand species resembles the “most common gobies” (translation) of European coasts

Gobiomorphus hubbsi (Stokell 1959) in honor of American ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894–1979), who drew attention to the distinctiveness of this species while collecting with Stokell in 1949

Gobiomorphus huttoni (Ogilby 1894) in honor of Capt. Frederick Wollaston Hutton (1836–1905), English zoologist and Army officer, “whose researches have tended so much to elucidate the history of the New Zealand fishes”

Gobiomorphus mataraerore Thacker, Geiger & Shelly 2023 derived from three Maori words: mata, face, referring to the distinctive facial expression of Gobiomorphus fishes; rae, forehead, referring to its elongate forehead; rore, in honor of the type locality that lies within the region traditionally referred to as Kaharore (a traditional bird snare)

Gobiomorus Lacepède 1800 gobio, from gobius (L.), a fish of small value or a gudgeon, i.e., a goby; omorus, from homoros (ὅμορος), having the same borders with or neighborly, a “neighbor or ally of the gobies” (translation), referring to their affinities and similarities (note: second part of name does not derive from moros, meaning dull, sluggish or stupid, referring to their seemingly lethargic behavior, as reported elsewhere)

Gobiomorus dormitor Lacepède 1800 Latin for “one who sleeps,” derived from “dormeur,” vernacular used in the early 19th-century French colonies of South America, presumably referring to their seemingly lethargic behavior (see Eleotris) and source of the English vernacular “sleeper”

Gobiomorus maculatus (Günther 1859) Latin for spotted, referring to irregular blackish spots on yellowish body

Gobiomorus polylepis Ginsburg 1953 polý (πολύ), many; lepís (λεπίς), scale, referring to smaller, more numerous (70–80) lateral line scales compared with congeners

Guavina Bleeker 1874 tautonymous with Eleotris guavina Valenciennes 1837 (Spanish name for this species and perhaps sleeper gobies in general)

Guavina guavina (Valenciennes 1837) Spanish name for this species (and perhaps sleeper gobies in general) reported by Portuguese-Cuban naturalist Antonio Parra (1739–?) in 1787

Guavina micropus Ginsburg 1953 micro-, from mikrós (μικρός), small; pus, from poús (πούς), foot (homologous to the ventral fin), referring to its “strikingly small” ventral fins

Hemieleotris Meek & Hildebrand 1916 hemi-, from hḗmisys (ἥμισυς), half, referring to similarity to and/or close affinity with Eleotris

Hemieleotris latifasciata (Meek & Hildebrand 1912) latus (L.), wide or broad; fasciata (L.), banded, referring to well-defined black band extending from tip of snout and through eye to base of caudal fin

Hemieleotris levis Eigenmann 1918 alternate spelling of laevis (L.), smooth, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to cycloid scales on head, breast, belly, and in front of dorsal fin

Hypseleotris Gill 1863 hypsēlós (ὑψηλός), high or tall, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to somewhat elevated dorsal profile of H. cyprinoides; Eleotris, type genus of family

Hypseleotris acropinna Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 acro, from acer (L.), sharp or pointed; pinna (L.), fin, referring to its elongate, pointed second dorsal and anal fins, which help to distinguish it from H. bucephala

Hypseleotris alexis (Whitley 1959) -is (L.), genitive singular of: Alex, presumably from Alexishafen, near Madang, Papua New Guinea, where type locality (a freshwater lake) is situated

Hypseleotris aurea (Shipway 1950) Latin for golden, referring to tawny yellow body with a “slight golden appearance” in life

Hypseleotris barrawayi Larson 2007 in honor of the late Sandy Barraway, “traditional [aboriginal] owner of the Sleisbeck country [land or region], who had great knowledge of the fauna and stories associated with that country”

Hypseleotris bucephala Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 from bouképhalos (βουκέφαλος), bull-headed, from boū́s (βοῦς), bull (metaphorically used to mean big), and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, referring to blunt profile and enlarged forehead seen particularly in the males

Hypseleotris compressa (Krefft 1864) Latin for squeezed or pressed together, referring to its “compressed” body

Hypseleotris cyprinoides (Valenciennes 1837) -oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (εἶδος), form or shape: Cyprinus, referring to how it “singularly resembles” the European cyprinid Cyprinus (now Alburnus) alburnus or “some neighboring species” (translations)

Hypseleotris ebneri Keith & Mennesson 2023 in honor Brendan Ebner, friend and Research Scientist, New South Wales Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries (Australia), for his “work and passion” for the freshwater fauna of the Pacific islands

Hypseleotris ejuncida Hoese & Allen 1982 Latin for slender, thin, or reedy, referring to its slender body shape

Hypseleotris everetti (Boulenger 1895) in honor of Alfred Hart Everett (1848–1898), British civil servant and administrator, naturalist and zoological collector, who collected holotype

Hypseleotris galii (Ogilby 1898) in honor of friend and aquarist Albert Gale, Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales, who discovered this goby in a “stone tank” at the Royal Botanic Garden (Sydney) and bred it in the aquarium

Hypseleotris garawudjirri Shelley, Delaval & Le Feuvre 2023 combination of the words Garawud Jirri, meaning “light/little fish–floating around” in the Ngarinyin language (Kimberley Region, Western Australia; pronounced Gaarr-Arrd Jiddy); name refers to how the fish is often seen nearly motionless in the water column amongst fallen leaves and Pandanus roots

Hypseleotris guentheri (Bleeker 1875) in honor of German-born British ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830–1914), who reported this species as Eleotris (now Hypseleotris) cyprinoides in 1861

Hypseleotris gymnocephala Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 bare-headed, from gymnós (γυμνός), bare or naked, and kephalḗ (κεφαλή), head, referring to scaleless skin of forehead, nape and dorsal midline anterior to first dorsal fin

Hypseleotris hutchinsi (Hoese & Allen 1987) in honor of J. Barry Hutchins (b. 1946), Curator of Fishes, Western Australian Museum, who collected holotype

Hypseleotris kimberleyensis Hoese & Allen 1982 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Kimberley district, Western Australia, type locality

Hypseleotris klunzingeri (Ogilby 1898) in honor of German physician and zoologist Carl Benjamin Klunzinger (1834–1914), who reported this goby as E. cyprinoides in 1880

Hypseleotris leuciscus (Bleeker 1853) referring to similar body form compared to some Indian species of Leuciscus (then a catch-all genus for several cyprinoid fishes)

Hypseleotris maranda Shelley, Delaval & Le Feuvre 2023 Ngarinyin language word for the catchment (Roe River, Kimberley Region, Western Australia) where the species is found (pronounced Mar-un-da)

Hypseleotris moncktoni (Regan 1908) in honor of Charles Arthur Whitmore Monckton (1873–1936), New Zealand-born magistrate and explorer in British (now Papua) New Guinea, who “presented” holotype to the British Museum

Hypseleotris moolooboolaensis Thacker, Geiger & Unmack 2022 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Moolooboola (actually spelled Moocooboola), Aboriginal name for the Mary River (Queensland, Australia), in whose drainage this species occurs

Hypseleotris notata (Hoese & Allen 1987) Latin for marked, referring to vertical and chevron-shaped dark-brown bands on sides

Hypseleotris regalis Hoese & Allen 1982 Latin for royal or regal, referring to type locality, Prince Regent Reserve, West Kimberley, Western Australia

Hypseleotris wunduwala Shelley, Delaval & Le Feuvre 2023 “bush name” (Belaa language, pronounced Wundu-wala) of ethno-ecologist Dolores Cheinmora (1926–2011), who, alongside her daughter Agnes Charles, was a part of the 2004–2005 fish survey during which this species was first collected

Leptophilypnion Roberts 2013 diminutive of Leptophilypnus, to which this genus “seems to be related”

Leptophilypnion fittkaui Roberts 2013 in honor of Ernst Josef Fittkau (1927–2012), German zoologist, conservationist and advocate of Amerindian rights, who collected holotype in 1961

Leptophilypnion pusillus Roberts 2013 Latin for very small, referring to its size, 8.4–9.1 mm SL

Leptophilypnus Meek & Hildebrand 1916 leptós (λεπτός), thin or slender, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to elongate body of L. fluviatilis, similar to body shape of closely related Philypnus (=Gobiomorus) [philypnus, from phílos (φίλος), fond of, and hýpnos (ὕπνος), sleep, i.e., sleep-loving, apparently reflects the “sleeper” or “dormeur” vernacular]

Leptophilypnus fluviatilis Meek & Hildebrand 1916 Latin for riverine or of a river, presumably referring to its being collected in a “muddy brackish creek” near the Atlantic Coast in the Panama Canal Zone

Leptophilypnus guatemalensis Thacker & Pezold 2006 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Guatemala, where all known specimens are from

Leptophilypnus panamensis (Meek & Hildebrand 1916) -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: referring to distribution off Pacific slope of Panama (also occurs off Costa Rica)

Microphilypnus Myers 1927 micro-, from mikrós (μικρός), small, distinguished from Philypnus (=Gobiomorus) by its “minute” size [philypnus, from phílos (φίλος), fond of, and hýpnos (ὕπνος), sleep, i.e., sleep-loving, apparently reflects the “sleeper” or “dormeur” vernacular]

Microphilypnus acangaquara Caires & Figueiredo 2011 from the Tupí words akang, head, and quara, hole, referring to sensory pores on head, unique in the genus

Microphilypnus hypolyrasimeion Caires & Toledo-Piza 2018 hypó (ὑπό), under or beneath; lyra (L.), lyre; sēmeion (σημεῖον), sign, mark or token, referring to arched rows of melanophores on abdominal region, which resemble a lyre

Microphilypnus macrostoma Myers 1927 large-mouthed, from makrós (μaκρóς), long or large, and stóma (στόμα), mouth, presumably referring to “extremely prognathous” lower jaw, with lower teeth exposed

Microphilypnus tapajosensis Caires 2013 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: temporary pools along the middle Tapajós River, Amazonas, Brazil, where it is endemic

Microphilypnus ternetzi Myers 1927 in honor of Swiss-born ichthyologist and naturalist Carl Ternetz (1870–1928), who “through his personal effort, has brought together for Indiana University one of the finest collections of South American fresh-water fishes in existence,” including holotype of this one

Mogurnda Gill 1863 tautonymous with Eleotris mogurnda Richardson 1844 native name for this species at Port Essington, Northern Territory, Australia

Mogurnda adspersa (Castelnau 1878) alternative spelling of aspersa (L.), besprinkled, referring to small, rounded, dark-brown spots covering its body

Mogurnda aiwasoensis Allen & Renyaan 1996 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lake Aiwaso, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, type locality

Mogurnda arguni Allen & Hadiaty 2014 named for Arguni Bay, West Papua, Indonesia, general type locality

Mogurnda aurifodinae Whitley 1938 aurum (L.), gold or auriger (L.), gold-bearing; fodina (L., mine, i.e., of a gold mine, referring to the goldfields of Bulolo, Papua New Guinea, type locality [spelling often wrongly “corrected” to aurofodinae]

Mogurnda cingulata Allen & Hoese 1991 Latin for girdled or banded, referring to ~10 dark brown or grayish bars extending down on upper 2/3 of sides with lighter areas between bars

Mogurnda clivicola Allen & Jenkins 1999 clivus (L.), hill; –cola (L.), dweller or inhabitant, referring to its habitat in the stream-side valleys of Flinders Ranges, near Balcanoona, South Australia

Mogurnda furva Allen & Hoese 1986 Latin for dark, swarthy or black, referring to its characteristic coloration

Mogurnda kaifayama Allen & Jenkins 1999 named for Lake Kaifayama, Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia, type locality

Mogurnda kaimana Allen & Hadiaty 2014 named for Kaimana, capital of Kaimana Regency, West Papua, Indonesia, where type locality is situated

Mogurnda kutubuensis Allen & Hoese 1986 -ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lake Kutubu, Papua New Guinea, type locality

Mogurnda larapintae (Zietz 1896) of Larapinta, Arrernte Aborigine name for Finke River (Northern Territory, Australia), in whose tributaries this goby was collected

Mogurnda lineata Allen & Hoese 1991 Latin for lined or striped, referring to dark-brown to nearly blackish midlateral stripe between bases of pectoral and caudal fins

Mogurnda maccuneae Jenkins, Buston & Allen 2000 in honor of evolutionary biologist Amy McCune, Cornell University, “whose teaching and research in the field of ichthyology are truly inspirational”

Mogurnda magna Allen & Renyaan 1996 Latin for great, referring to its size, “which far exceeds” that of any congener

Mogurnda malsmithi Allen & Jebb 1993 in honor of Malcolm Smith, owner, Pacific Helicopters, Ltd., who generously donated the use of one of his aircraft, which helped the authors collect this species

Mogurnda mbuta Allen & Jenkins 1999 named for Lake Mbuta basin, Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia, type locality

Mogurnda mogurnda (Richardson 1844) native name for this species at Port Essington, Northern Territory, Australia, type locality

Mogurnda mosa Jenkins, Buston & Allen 2000 local Foe (Papua New Guinea) name for this species

Mogurnda oligolepis Allen & Jenkins 1999 olígos (ὀλίγος), few or scanty; lepís (λεπίς), scale, referring to low lateral scale count compared with M. mogurnda, the other species in the area

Mogurnda orientalis Allen & Hoese 1991 Latin for eastern, the most easternly member of the genus in New Guinea

Mogurnda pardalis Allen & Renyaan 1996 from pardalós (παρδαλός), spotted, referring to “detailed maze” of dark-brown spots and blotches on body

Mogurnda pulchra Horsthemke & Staeck 1990 Latin for beautiful, referring to color pattern, with blue blotches and red spots along middle of body and females with tangerine bellies

Mogurnda spilota Allen & Hoese 1986 from spilōtós (σπιλωτός), marked or stained, referring to color pattern in life, comprising ~10 irregular-shaped white blotches (about eye size) along middle of side from upper corner of operculum to base of caudal fin

Mogurnda thermophila Allen & Jenkins 1999 thermós (θερμός), hot; phila, from phílos (φίλος), fond of, referring to its occurrence in the complex of thermal artesian springs at Dalhousie, South Australia

Mogurnda variegata Nichols 1951 Latin for “of different sorts” (particularly colors), presumably referring to its varied color pattern, a maze of large dark brown blotches on a tan or yellowish ground, with dark brown spoke-like bands radiating from lower and posterior edge of eye

Mogurnda vitta Allen & Hoese 1986 Latin for band or ribbon, referring to broad white stripe from upper edge of operculum to base of caudal fin, bordered above and below with dark brown stripes, nearly equal in width to white stripe and joining at caudal base

Mogurnda wapoga Allen, Jenkins & Renyaan 1999 named for the Wapoga drainage system, Irian Jaya (West Papua), Indonesia, where it is endemic

Philypnodon Bleeker 1874 odon, from odoús (ὀδούς), tooth, referring to teeth on palatine and tongue (although modern accounts seem to dispute this), compared with their absence on the closely related Philypnus (=Gobiomorus) [philypnus, from phílos (φίλος), fond of, and hýpnos (ὕπνος), sleep, i.e., sleep-loving, apparently reflects the “sleeper” or “dormeur” vernacular]

Philypnodon grandiceps (Krefft 1864) grandis (L.), large; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, described as “very large, broad, depressed, without any apparent scales”

Philypnodon macrostomus Hoese & Reader 2006 makrós (μακρός), long or large; stomus, from stóma (στόμα), mouth referring to large mouth that develops in males [name is treated as a noun]

Ratsirakia Maugé 1984 -ia (L. suffix), belonging to: Didier Ratsiraka (1936–2021), President of Madagascar (1975–1993 and 1997–2002), where R. legendrei is endemic

Ratsirakia legendrei (Pellegrin 1919) in honor of Jean Legendre, physician of the French Colonial Troops in Madagascar, who observed this goby and provided “interesting details” (translation) about its biology

Tateurndina Nichols 1955 -ina (L.), adjectival suffix: Tate, named for the brothers George H. H. Tate (1884–1953), botanist and mammalogist, and Geoffrey M. Tate (1898–1964), expedition business manager and collector, Nichols’ colleagues at the American Museum of Natural History, for their participation in the Archbold Expeditions to New Guinea, during which holotype of T. ocellicauda was collected; urnd, presumably a reference to the closely related genus Mogurnda

Tateurndina ocellicauda Nichols 1955 ocellus, diminutive of oculus (L.), eye (but here meaning eyespot); cauda (L.), tail, referring to a “large, conspicuous, longitudinally oval black blotch at the base of caudal, partly surrounded by a bright band across peduncle in front of it, which is now whitish, but was yellow or orange when the specimens were placed in alcohol”