COMMENTS
v. 19.0 – 18 April 2024 view/download PDF
8 families · 26 genera · 285 species
Family ANABANTIDAE Climbing Gouramies
4 genera · 34 species
Anabas Cloquet 1816 from the Greek anabás, having gone up, referring to the ability of A. testudineus to “climb” out of the water and “walk” short distances, including, according to legend, trees and shrubs growing along the banks (perhaps horizontal branches overhanging the water)
Anabas cobojius (Hamilton 1822) presumably a local Bengali name, as it was Hamilton’s practice to derive trivial names “from some of those used by the natives of India”
Anabas testudineus (Bloch 1792) turtle-like, referring to top part of skull, which is very hard and solid like that of a turtle
Anabas tongtruongensis Nguyen, Ngô & Nguyen 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Tong Truong, old name of area that now encompasses Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh Province, Viêt Nam, type locality, and alluding to “Tong Truong tilapia,” its local name
Ctenopoma Peters 1844 ctenos, comb; poma, operculum, referring to serrated operculum of C. multispine
Ctenopoma acutirostre Pellegrin 1899 acutus, sharp or pointed; rostris, beaked, referring to “very acute” (translation) muzzle
Ctenopoma ashbysmithi Banister & Bailey 1979 in the memory of 2nd Lt. Adrian Ashby-Smith (1952-1976), part of the Zaire River Expedition during which type was collected (biographical footnote: he was killed at Mount Sangay in Ecuador when the volcano erupted, sending a mass of hot rocks into the air, causing Ashby-Smith and other members of the expedition to fall over 600 m)
Ctenopoma gabonense Günther 1896 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Gabon, where presumed type locality (Ogowe River) is situated (but common throughout much of the Congo River basin)
Ctenopoma garuanum (Ahl 1927) –anum, adjectival suffix: Garua (locally spelled Garoua), Cameroon, where type locality (Benoué River) is situated and only known area of occurrence
Ctenopoma kingsleyae Günther 1896 in honor of writer and explorer Mary Henrietta Kingsley (1862-1900), who collected type (and that of Microctenopoma nanum)
Ctenopoma machadoi (Fowler 1930) in honor of Jose Augusto Machado, Chef de Poste of the Quanza region, who collected Angola fishes for the Gray African Expedition (1929), and rendered assistance in many other ways
Ctenopoma maculatum Thominot 1886 spotted, referring to “more or less intense” (translation) spots on sides
Ctenopoma multispine Peters 1844 multi-, many; spinis (neuter: spine), spiny, presumably referring to numerous prickly rays on dorsal and anal fin
Ctenopoma muriei (Boulenger 1906) in honor of Scottish physician and naturalist James Murie (1832-1925), who did “most of the collecting” during an 1861-1862 expedition to the White Nile River of Sudan, type locality
Ctenopoma nebulosum Norris & Teugels 1990 cloudy or dark, referring to its darkly mottled body
Ctenopoma nigropannosum Reichenow 1876 nigro-, black; pannosum, dressed in rags or tattered, presumably referring to black transverse bands on dark olive-brown body in spirits
Ctenopoma ocellatum Pellegrin 1899 having little eyes, referring to ocellus or eyespot at base of caudal fin
Ctenopoma pellegrini (Boulenger 1902) in honor of French ichthyologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873-1944), who has been “very busy” (translation) studying the fishes of the Congo River basin
Ctenopoma petherici Günther 1864 in honor of John Petherick (1813-1882), Welsh ivory trader and consul in East Central Africa, who collected type [note latinization of name, dropping the “k”]
Ctenopoma weeksii Boulenger 1896 in honor of John Henry Weeks (1861-1924), Baptist missionary, ethnographer, explorer and diarist, who collected type ~50 miles south of his mission station in Monsembe, upper Congo River, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Microctenopoma Norris 1995 micro-, small, referring to small size compared to other anabantids, especially Ctenopoma
Microctenopoma ansorgii (Boulenger 1912) in honor of explorer William John Ansorge (1850-1913), who collected type
Microctenopoma congicum (Boulenger 1887) –icum, belonging to: lower Congo River system of West-central Africa, where it occurs
Microctenopoma damasi (Poll & Damas 1939) in honor of Hubert Damas (1910-1964), professor, University of Liège (Belgium), who collected type during one of his expeditions in central Africa (Poll prepared the descriptions but added Damas as co-author of the monograph in which they appeared, therefore making Damas the co-author of a name that honors himself)
Microctenopoma fasciolatum (Boulenger 1899) banded, referring to 6-7 “wavy darker vertical bars” on body, “broader than the spaces between them”
Microctenopoma intermedium (Pellegrin 1920) described as intermediate in form between M. nanum and M. ansorgii
Microctenopoma lineatum (Nichols 1923) lined, presumably referring to “narrow pale line” separating “two longitudinal parallel dark shades” on sides
Microctenopoma milleri (Norris & Douglas 1991) in honor of ichthyologist Rudolph (Rudy) J. Miller (1934-2017), Oklahoma State University (USA), “who has long been involved in the study of anabantoid fish behavior and evolution”
Microctenopoma nanum (Günther 1896) dwarf, referring to its size, described at 67 mm in length
Microctenopoma nigricans Norris 1995 blackish, referring to dark coloration of nuptial males (large males are almost black)
Microctenopoma ocellifer (Nichols 1928) ocellus, eye-spot; fero, to bear, presumably referring to “somewhat vertical dusky blotch” at base of caudal fin
Microctenopoma pekkolai (Rendahl 1935) in honor of Wäinö Pekkola, preparator, Zoological Institute, University of Turku (Finland), who collected fishes from the White Nile of Sudan in 1914, including type of this one
Microctenopoma steveboyesi Skelton, Stauffer, Chakona & Wisor 2021 in honor of Rutledge Steven “Steve” Boyes, an “inspiring ornithologist, conservationist, and a National Geographic explorer”; he is a founder of the Wild Bird Trust and the leader of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project, on which expeditions in Angola this species was discovered
Microctenopoma stevenorrisi Skelton, Stauffer, Chakona & Wisor 2021 in honor of Steven “Steve” Norris, a “leading” researcher of African anabantids, who proposed the genus in 1995; he examined specimens of this species and recognized that they were new but did not describe them at the time
Microctenopoma uelense Norris & Douglas 1995 –ensis, Uele River drainage, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where nearly all known specimens have been collected
Sandelia Castelnau 1861 –ia, belonging to: Mgolombane Sandile (1820-1878, spelled “Sandelie” by Castelnau), Chief of the Ngqika tribe, who led his people in the Cape Frontier Wars (during which he was killed), possibly fighting against Andrew Geddes Bain, for whom the type species was likely named; these clashes marked the first use of firearms by local tribes, contributing to Sandile’s reputation as a hero and mighty warrior
Sandelia bainsii Castelnau 1861 in honor of “savant géologue M. [Monsieur] Bains,” probably Andrew Geddes Bain (1797-1864, note spelling), Scottish-born geologist, paleontologist, road engineer, and explorer in northern South Africa; he collected zoological specimens, published articles about his journeys, and served as a captain in the Cape Frontier Wars, possibly fighting against the tribal chief Sandile, for whom genus is named
Sandelia capensis (Cuvier 1829) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, type locality
Family HELOSTOMATIDAE Kissing Gourami
Helostoma Cuvier 1829 manuscript name coined by Kuhl, who did not explain its meaning; probably from helos, nail, and stoma, mouth, “with some connection with a nail driven into the muzzle” (per Cuvier 1831, translation), presumably referring in some way to its small, compressed and protractile mouth
Helostoma temminckii Cuvier 1829 in honor of Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1778-1858), director of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden, Netherlands), who supplied Kuhl and van Hasselt’s unpublished description of this species (which they named H. striolatum) [originally spelled temminkii, presumably a typo]
Family OSPHRONEMIDAE Gouramies and Fighting Fishes
14 genera · 138 species
Subfamily OSPHRONEMINAE Giant Gouramies
Osphronemus Lacepède 1801 according to Cuvier (1831), misspelling of Osphromenus, manuscript name coined by Commerçon meaning olfactory, referring to its labyrinth organ, which Commerçon supposed was an organ of smell
Osphronemus exodon Roberts 1994 ex-, outside; odon, tooth, referring to enlarged and external teeth of large adults
Osphronemus goramy Lacepède 1801 presumably from gurami, Malay and Javanese name for this species
Osphronemus laticlavius Roberts 1992 latus, broad, clavius, purple or crimson stripe on a tunic (a mark of distinction worn by Romans), referring to color of pectoral-fin margin, soft-rayed portion of dorsal and anal fins, and entire caudal fin of adult males
Osphronemus septemfasciatus Roberts 1992 septem, seven; fasciatus, striped or banded, referring to seven-barred color pattern throughout life
Subfamily BELONTIINAE Combtail Gouramies
Belontia Myers 1923 latinization of Belontja, one of the native names for B. hasselti in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia
Belontia hasselti (Cuvier 1831) in honor of Dutch physician and biologist Johan Coenraad van Hasselt (1797-1823), who explored the colonial Dutch East Indies and collected type with his friend Heinrich Kuhl in 1820
Belontia signata (Günther 1861) marked, referring to round blackish spot on middle of base of soft dorsal fin and/or oblong blackish spot parallel to, and below, posterior portion of lateral line
Subfamily MACROPODUSINAE Fighting Fishes and Paradisefishes
Betta Bleeker 1849 from Ikan Wader bettah (ikan = fish), local Javanese name of B. trifasciata (=picta)
Betta akarensis Regan 1910 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Akar River, Sarawak state, Malaysia, type locality (also occurs in Brunei)
Betta albimarginata Kottelat & Ng 1994 albus, white; marginata, edged or bordered, referring to white margin on fins (except for pectoral) of males
Betta anabatoides Bleeker 1851 –oides, having the form of: allusion not explained but probably referring to its Anabas-like shape or appearance
Betta andrei Tan 2023 in honor of Andre Chandra, “an intrepid fish collector and enthusiast, who rendered much assistance to the author in procuring specimens and information” and presumably engaged in “fishy discussions and good meals”
Betta antoni Tan & Ng 2006 in honor of Irwan Anton (Pontianak, Indonesia), for his “generous help and gift of specimens”
Betta apollon Schindler & Schmidt 2006 a handsome young man, inspired by the handsome Apollon or Apollo, mythological Greek god of music, poetry, medicine, and archery (among others), referring to the beautiful appearance of males
Betta aurigans Tan & Lim 2004 aurum, gold; ganos, brightness, referring to iridescent golden scales on body and belly
Betta balunga Herre 1940 named for the Balung River, 45 miles from Tawau, Malaysia, where type specimen was caught in a “tiny brook tributary”
Betta bellica Sauvage 1884 bellicose (warlike), allusion not explained but almost certainly referring to the fighting behavior of males
Betta breviobesa Tan & Kottelat 1998 brevis, short; obesus, fat or stout, referring to “stocky and thick-set appearance of the body”
Betta brownorum Witte & Schmidt 1992 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Barbara (née Demaree) Brown, Curatorial Associate in Vertebrate Zoology, Ichthyology, American Museum of Natural History, and her husband, horticulturist Allan Brown (1911-2009), who first collected this species
Betta burdigala Kottelat & Ng 1994 Latin name of Bordeaux, a city in southwest France famous for its red wines of “long conservation,” referring to this fish’s color, reminiscent of the color of “old red wine”
Betta channoides Kottelat & Ng 1994 –oides, having the form of: referring to its head, similar in shape to some species of snakeheads (Channidae, Channa)
Betta chini Ng 1993 in honor of Datuk (honorific title) Chin Phui-Kong (1923-ca. 2016), Malaysian ichthyologist, the “dean” of Sabahan freshwater fishes
Betta chloropharynx Kottelat & Ng 1994 chloros, green; pharynx, throat, referring to diagnostic green patches on throat
Betta coccina Vierke 1979 scarlet, referring to its red body color
Betta compuncta Tan & Ng 2006 branded or tattooed, referring to distinct black pattern on body (especially females); also refers to traditional tattooing practices of the local Iban people of Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia
Betta cracens Tan & Ng 2005 slender or graceful, referring to slender body compared to other members of the B. pugnax group
Betta dennisyongi Tan 2013 in honor of Dennis Yong Ghong Chong, a “distinguished and knowledgeable naturalist well experienced in many facets of tropical Southeast Asian fauna and flora with an avid interest in labyrinth fishes. He has accompanied the author on many trips and shared many interesting stories, tips and gastronomic delights”; he also collected and donated specimens and assisted in field logistics
Betta dimidiata Roberts 1989 halved or diminished, referring to small size, described at up to 35 mm SL
Betta edithae Vierke 1984 in honor of German aquarist Edith Korthaus (1923-1987), editor of Das Aquarium, who, with Walter Foersch (see B. foerschi), discovered this species and collected many other rare or new fishes in Borneo
Betta enisae Kottelat 1995 in honor of Enis Widjanarti, for her efficient and enthusiastic help during field work in the Kapuas lakes
Betta falx Tan & Kottelat 1998 scythe, referring to “continuous curved shape” of broad distal margins of anal and caudal fins of breeding males
Betta ferox Schindler & Schmidt 2006 wild, bold, courageous, or fierce, referring to the behavior of the “fighting fish”
Betta foerschi Vierke 1979 in honor of German physician and aquarist Walter Foersch (1932-1993), who, with Edith Korthaus (see B. edithae), collected type
Betta fusca Regan 1910 dusky, a “dark longitudinal band through eye; scales with dark edges; fins dusky”
Betta gladiator Tan & Ng 2005 warrior or fighter, referring to its aggressive and territorial behavior; captive specimens fought continuously and had to be kept separately or they would have killed each other
Betta hendra Schindler & Linke 2013 in honor of Hendra Tommy, owner of Kurnia Aquarium (Palangkaraya, Kalimantan Tengah, Borneo), who discovered and exported this species [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Betta hipposideros Ng & Kottelat 1994 hippos, horse; sideros, iron, i.e., horseshoe, referring to horseshoe-shaped marking on throat
Betta ibanorum Tan & Ng 2004 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: Iban, indigenous people of northwestern Borneo, where this species is endemic
Betta ideii Tan & Ng 2006 in honor of Takashige Ide, “intrepid fish collector and friend,” who collected type
Betta imbellis Ladiges 1975 peaceful, referring to how males rarely fight each other, unlike B. splendens
Betta krataios Tan & Ng 2006 from the Greek kratys, strong or sturdy, referring to its “body build” (i.e., “thick-set” body)
Betta kuehnei Schindler & Schmidt 2008 in honor of German aquarist Jens Kühne, for his contribution to the knowledge of fighting fishes; he was one of the first who recognized this species as undescribed and made “hard efforts to collect enough specimens to compose the type series”
Betta lehi Tan & Ng 2005 in honor of fisheries biologist Charles Leh, Curator of Zoology, Sarawak Museum (Malaysia), for his “kind help”
Betta livida Ng & Kottelat 1992 jealous, i.e., green with envy, referring to its iridescent green eyes
Betta macrostoma Regan 1910 macro-, long or large; stoma, mouth, referring to maxillary extending just beyond middle of eye
Betta mahachaiensis Kowasupat, Panijpan, Ruenwongsa & Sriwattanarothai 2012 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Maha Chai, subdistrict of Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand, type locality
Betta mandor Tan & Ng 2006 named for Mandor area, Kalimantan Barat, Borneo, type locality
Betta midas Tan 2009 Midas, a mythical king whose touch turned everything to gold, referring to iridescent gold opercle and body scales
Betta miniopinna Tan & Tan 1994 minius, red; pinna, fin, referring to its red pelvic fins
Betta nuluhon Kamal, Tan & Ng 2020 Kadazandusun (language spoken by Dusan peoples of Sabah, Malaysia, type locality) word meaning hill, referring to its hillstream habitat
Betta obscura Tan & Ng 2005 indistinct or inconspicuous, “referring to the fish in general”
Betta ocellata de Beaufort 1933 having little eyes, referring to an “indistinct” ocellus or eyespot below median line at base of caudal fin
Betta omega Tan & Ahmad 2018 last letter of Greek alphabet, referring to Ω-like shape on throat, and to the “last members of this species in the quickly disappearing black water habitat type in Malaysia and Southeast Asia” (near extinction or already extinct)
Betta pallida Schindler & Schmidt 2004 pallid, i.e., pale or colorless compared to some of its more-colorful congeners [possibly a junior synonym of B. prima]
Betta pallifina Tan & Ng 2005 pallidus, pale; finus, boundary, referring to hyaline subdistal band anal and caudal fins of females
Betta pardalotos Tan 2009 pardalis, leopard; otos, ear, referring to spotted pattern on opercle
Betta patoti Weber & de Beaufort 1922 in honor of W. J. Tissot van Patot, who collected fishes in Borneo for the Zoölogisch Museum (Amsterdam), including type of this one
Betta persephone Schaller 1986 named for the Greek goddess Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades to live in the underworld but was allowed to visit her mother in the upper world, referring to how this species lives both above and within the leaf litter of peat swamp forests and associated streams (not named for its largely blackish color pattern as some aquarium websites attest)
Betta pi Tan 1998 16th letter of Greek alphabet, referring to π-like mark on throat
Betta picta (Valenciennes 1846) painted, described as having a shiny, yellowish color on the back with two large brown spots, a rose-colored belly, orange cheeks, a black stripe from eye to caudal fin, and pink fins, the dorsal dotted with black and the caudal and anal fins edged in black
Betta pinguis Tan & Kottelat 1998 stout, referring to its “thick-set” body
Betta prima Kottelat 1994 first, allusion not explained, but Kottelat said he first became aware of this species during his first day of field work in Asia in 1981
Betta pugnax (Cantor 1849) combative, described as a “variety” of the “Pla Kat” (fighting fish) of Thailand, the “exhibition of whose combats is a popular amusement with the Siamese”
Betta pulchra Tan & Tan 1996 handsome, referring to the “beauty of this fish,” particularly its green iridescent scales in life
Betta raja Tan & Ng 2005 Raja, Malay and Indonesian vernacular for this species, meaning king or prince
Betta renata Tan 1998 kidney-like, referring to kidney-shaped marking on throat
Betta rubra Perugia 1893 red, primary color of body and fins
Betta rutilans Witte & Kottelat 1991 being red, referring to it usually deep-red color
Betta schalleri Kottelat & Ng 1994 in honor of German tropical-fish importer Dietrich Schaller, for “his interest in Betta and sometime non-conventional approach of biology. Unconventional thoughts certainly contribute more to the evolution of knowledge than do mainstream ideas.”
Betta siamorientalis Kowasupat, Panijpan, Ruenwongsa & Jeenthong 2012 –is, genitive singular of: Siam, former name of Thailand, and orientalis, Latin for east, referring to its occurrence in eastern Thailand
Betta simorum Tan & Ng 1996 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Thomas G. K. Sim and his wife Farah, proprietors of Sindo Aquarium, for being “such excellent hosts” during the authors’ stays in Jambi Province, Sumatra, Indonesia (type locality)
Betta simplex Kottelat 1994 plain, presumably referring to less-vibrant coloration compared to other members of the B. picta group (e.g., very faint dark stripes in live males)
Betta smaragdina Ladiges 1972 emerald-green, referring to shining emerald-green (sometimes green and blue) scales of both sexes
Betta spilotogena Ng & Kottelat 1994 spilos, spot; genys, cheek, referring to distinctive spotted pattern on operculum of adults
Betta splendens Regan 1910 bright, shining or splendid, referring to its natural coloration: dark greenish-olive above, red below, with red caudal-, anal- and pelvic-fin rays
Betta stigmosa Tan & Ng 2005 full of marks, referring to patterned opercle and barred pattern on dorsal, caudal and anal fins of both sexes
Betta stiktos Tan & Ng 2005 dappled or spotted, referring to rows of round spots on dorsal fin of males
Betta strohi Schaller & Kottelat 1989 in honor of H. Stroh, a missionary priest and amateur naturalist who discovered this species in Borneo, which he took back to Germany in 1978 [possibly a junior synonym of B. foerschi]
Betta taeniata Regan 1910 striped or banded, referring to 2-3 blackish longitudinal bands on sides
Betta tomi Ng & Kottelat 1994 in honor of Lam Toong Jin (b. 1940), known as “Tom,” head of the Department of Zoology, National University of Singapore, who has “generously” supported the authors’ research over the years
Betta tussyae Schaller 1985 in honor of Tussy Nagy, who, with her husband, Austrian aquarist Peter Nagy (see Parosphromenus nagyi), were the first to bring this species to Europe (1979)
Betta uberis Tan & Ng 2006 abundant, referring to high number of dorsal-fin rays compared to other members of the B. coccina group
Betta unimaculata (Popta 1905) uni-, one; maculata, spotted, presumably referring to round spot at caudal-fin base
Betta waseri Krummenacher 1986 in honor of German aquarist Alfred Waser, who led expedition to Malaysia during which type was collected
Macropodus Lacepède 1801 macro-, long; podus, foot, referring to long, filamentous, first soft ray of pelvic fins
Macropodus baviensis Nguyen & Nguyen 2005 –ensis, Ba Vi district, Ha Tay province, Viêt Nam, type locality (possibly a junior synonym of M. opercularis)
Macropodus erythropterus Freyhof & Herder 2002 erythro-, red; pterus, fin, referring to red spot or bars on dorsal and caudal fins of living specimens
Macropodus hongkongensis Freyhof & Herder 2002 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Hong Kong, China, type locality (also occurs in Fujian and Guangdong provinces)
Macropodus lineatus Nguyen, Ngo & Nguyen 2005 lined, presumably referring to 5-6 translucent black stripes on body, each one between the scales
Macropodus ocellatus Cantor 1842 having little eyes, referring to black ocellated spot on operculum
Macropodus oligolepis Nguyen, Ngo & Nguyen 2005 oligo-, few; lepis, scales, referring to fewer scales along lateral line (11) compared to M. baviensis (30-33)
Macropodus opercularis (Linnaeus 1758) opercular, referring to conspicuous brown ocellated spot on operculum
Macropodus phongnhaensis Ngô, Nguyen & Nguyen 2005 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, Viêt Nam, type locality
Macropodus spechti Schreitmüller 1936 in honor of P. Specht, a German aquarist based in the French port town of Le Havre who donated specimens to Schreitmüller
Malpulutta Deraniyagala 1937 local name for M. kretseri in Sri Lanka, combination of the Sinhalese words mal, flower and pulatta, local name for Belontia signata
Malpulutta kretseri Deraniyagala 1937 in honor of Oswald Leslie De Kretser II (1910-?), Sri Lankan lawyer (later judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon), who presented living specimens to Deraniyagala, which were “examined live in a small, flat sided glass specimen jar”
Parosphromenus Bleeker 1877 para-, near, similar to Osphronemus (which Bleeker spelled Osphromenus) but distinguished by absence of lateral line and undivided rays of dorsal and anal fins
Parosphromenus alfredi Kottelat & Ng 2005 in honor of ichthyologist Eric R. Alfred (1931–2019), former director of the National Museum of Singapore, whose work on Malayan fishes has been “most useful for recent studies”
Parosphromenus allani Brown 1987 in honor of Brown’s husband, horticulturist Allan Brown (1911-2009), who collected type with his wife (see P. barbarae)
Parosphromenus anjunganensis Kottelat 1991 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Anjungan (a village near type locality), Kalimantan Barat, Borneo
Parosphromenus barbarae Tan & Grinang 2020 in honor of Barbara Brown, wife of Allan Brown (see P. allani); together, they were the first to collect this species (in 1987)
Parosphromenus bintan Kottelat & Ng 1998 named for Bintan Resort Corporation (Indonesia and Singapore), who supported the work that led to the discovery of this species, and for Bintan Island, Riau Archipelago, Indonesia, where it appears to be endemic
Parosphromenus deissneri (Bleeker 1859) in honor of military health officer F. H. Deissner, who sent a collection of fishes from Bangka Island, Indonesia, including type of this one
Parosphromenus filamentosus Vierke 1981 filamentous, referring to thread-like extensions of dorsal and caudal fins
Parosphromenus gunawani Schindler & Linke 2012 in honor of Indonesian aquarium fish collector and exporter Gunawan “Thomas” Kasim, who, with the junior author and others, collected type
Parosphromenus harveyi Brown 1987 patronym not identified but in honor of Willi Harvey (1916-2013), a German-born aquarist who settled in Scotland after World War II and bred Parosphromenus species (among many other fishes); in an obituary, Brown described him as a “significant contributor to the wealth of tropical-fish-breeding knowledge that continues to be enjoyed by hobbyists”
Parosphromenus juelinae Shi, Guo, Haryono, Hong & Zhang 2021 in honor of Juelin Wang, who help collect paratypes, and whose “inspiration and assistance” made the authors’ study a success
Parosphromenus kishii Shi, Guo, Haryono, Hong & Zhang 2021 in honor of Hiroyuki Kishi, who discovered this species and P. quindecim and who contributed much first-hand field information on this genus over the last decade
Parosphromenus linkei Kottelat 1991 in honor of German aquarist, photographer and author Horst Linke, who discovered this species and other related species in Borneo
Parosphromenus nagyi Schaller 1985 in honor of Austrian aquarist Peter Nagy, who first brought this fish to Europe in 1979
Parosphromenus opallios Kottelat & Ng 2005 opal, a gemstone that can be almost any color, allusion not explained, possibly referring to multiple colors (depending on locality) of breeding males
Parosphromenus ornaticauda Kottelat 1991 ornatus, ornate; cauda, tail, referring to conspicuous color pattern of caudal fin
Parosphromenus pahuensis Kottelat & Ng 2005 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Muara Pahu, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia, just upriver of type locality (swift blackwater stream entering Mahakam River)
Parosphromenus paludicola Tweedie 1952 paludis, marsh or swamp; cola, to inhabit, referring to swamp-forest habitat
Parosphromenus parvulus Vierke 1979 diminutive of parvus, small, i.e., very small, described at 27 mm TL, the smallest labyrinth fish known at the time
Parosphromenus phoenicurus Schindler & Linke 2012 phoenix, crimson; ouros, tail, referring to color pattern of caudal fin
Parosphromenus quindecim Kottelat & Ng 2005 fifteen, referring to 15 dorsal-fin spines, unique in the genus
Parosphromenus rubrimontis Kottelat & Ng 2005 ruber, red; montis, hill or mountain, named for Bukit Merah (“Red Hill”), a town near type locality, a peat swamp stream in Malaysia
Parosphromenus sumatranus Klausewitz 1955 Sumatran, referring to Sumatra, Indonesia, where it is endemic
Parosphromenus tweediei Kottelat & Ng 2005 in honor of naturalist-archaeologist Michael W. F. Tweedie (1907-1993), former director of the Raffles Museum in Singapore, “whose series of ichthyological papers in the 1950s has been most helpful in furthering our knowledge of Malayan freshwater fishes”
Pseudosphromenus Bleeker 1879 pseudo-, false, i.e., similar to Osphronemus (which Bleeker spelled Osphromenus) but distinguished by absence of lateral line and 18-20 anal-fin rays
Pseudosphromenus cupanus (Cuvier 1831) –anus, belonging to: Cupan, apparent latinization of Coupang, referring to Arian-Coupang (now Sankaraparani) River, Puducherry (or Pondicherry), India, type locality (also occurs in Sri Lanka)
Pseudosphromenus dayi (Engmann 1909) named coined by Köhler (1908), in honor of Francis Day (1830-1889), Inspector-General of Fisheries in India and author of Fishes of India (1889), an important monograph on Indian fishes; proposed as a “variety” of P. cupanus, which Köhler incorrectly stated was “first described” (translation) by Day
Trichopsis Canestrini 1860 etymology not explained, probably opsis, appearance, referring to its similarity to Trichopus (=Trichopodus), and/or previous placement of type species, T. striatus (=vittatus), in that genus
Trichopsis pumila (Arnold 1936) dwarf, referring to small adult size, 35-40 mm SL (described as reaching 45 mm, possibly TL)
Trichopsis schalleri Ladiges 1962 in honor of German tropical-fish importer Dietrich Schaller, who first collected this species and brought it to Europe
Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier 1831) banded, referring to 1-2 (actually 2-4) black longitudinal bands across body
Subfamily LUCIOCEPHALINAE Spiral Egg Gouramies
Ctenops McClelland 1845 etymology not explained, perhaps ctenos, comb and ops, appearance, referring to denticulations (i.e., having small teeth, like a comb) on lower margin of preopercle
Ctenops nobilis McClelland 1845 well-known, majestic or excellent, allusion not explained nor evident; an attractive species in life, with a red-margined caudal fin, but McClelland noted only that it was “mottled grey, with some bright silvery spots”
Luciocephalus Bleeker 1850 lucius, pike; cephalus, head, referring to pike-like head of L. pulcher
Luciocephalus aura Tan & Ng 2005 glow, referring to “glowing iridescence” of green spots on body
Luciocephalus pulcher (Gray 1830) beautiful; name dates to an illustration, given the vernacular name “Beautiful Diplopterus” (referring to its original genus, preoccupied in birds and fossil fishes) without a description
Parasphaerichthys Prashad & Mukerji 1929 para-, near, referring to how P. ocellatus “appears to be very closely allied” to Sphaerichthys in “general appearance”
Parasphaerichthys lineatus Britz & Kottelat 2002 lined, referring to conspicuous and diagnostic mid-lateral stripe
Parasphaerichthys ocellatus Prashad & Mukerji 1929 having little eyes, referring to “very conspicuous deep black large ocellus bordered by white” in middle of the body
Sphaerichthys Canestrini 1860 sphaero, spherical, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “disc-shaped” (translation) profile of S. osphromenoides; ichthys, fish
Sphaerichthys acrostoma Vierke 1979 acros, at the end, or tip; stoma, mouth, referring to its long, tapered snout
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestrini 1860 –oides, having the form of: presumed to be intermediate between Osphronemus (which Canestrini spelled as Osphromenus) and Trichopodus
Sphaerichthys selatanensis Vierke 1979 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kalimantan Selatan (South Kalimantan), Indonesia, where type locality (near Banjarmasin) is situated
Sphaerichthys vaillanti Pellegrin 1930 in honor of Pellegrin’s mentor and boss, Léon Vaillant (1834-1914), zoologist, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), who provisionally reported this species as a juvenile Ctenops nobilis in 1893
Subfamily TRICHOGASTRINAE Threadfishes
Trichogaster Bloch & Schneider 1801trichos, hair or ray; gaster, belly, referring to their pelvic fins, each one a single, long, thread-like ray (which are used as “feelers”)
Trichogaster bejeus (Hamilton 1822) presumably a local Gangetic name (possibly a Latinization of beje), as it was Hamilton’s practice to derive trivial names “from some of those used by the natives of India” (Hamilton referred to this species as “Trichopudus beje” on an illustration and “Beje kohlisha” in his notes)
Trichogaster chuna (Hamilton 1822) presumably derived from Chuna-khalisa, Bengali vernacular for this species in India (also occurs in Bangladesh)
Trichogaster fasciata Bloch & Schneider 1801 banded, referring to 14 or more orange bands on body
Trichogaster labiosa Day 1877 large-lipped, referring to “very thick” lips “covered with papillae (as in [the cyprinid genus] Labeo)”
Trichopodus Lacepède 1801 trichos, hair or ray; podus, foot, referring to pelvic fins, each one a single, thread-like ray “much longer than the body” (translation)
Trichopodus leerii (Bleeker 1852) in honor of Bleeker’s Dutch medical colleague Lieut.-Col. J. M. van Leer, who provided type
Trichopodus microlepis (Günther 1861) micro-, small; lepis, scale, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to more numerous (presumably smaller) scales along lateral line compared to most presumed congeners at the time (13-16) except for T. trichopterus (20-25)
Trichopodus pectoralis Regan 1910 etymology not explained, presumably referring to longer pectoral fins compared to T. leerii and T. trichopterus (but not T. microlepis)
Trichopodus poptae Low, Tan & Britz 2014 in honor of Canna Maria Louise Popta (1860-1929), Curator of Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden, Netherlands), for her “pioneer taxonomic work” on the freshwater fishes of Borneo, based on the trans-Borneo expeditions conducted between 1893-1900
Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas 1770) trichos, hair or ray; pterus, fin, referring to pelvic fins, each one a long, single, thread-like ray
Family AENIGMACHANNIDAE Gollum Snakehead Fish
Aenigmachanna Britz, Anoop, Dahanukar & Raghavan 2019 aenigma, enigma, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how morphological modifications usually associated with a subterranean life, such as reduction of eyes and enhancement of non-visual senses (taste, smell, mechanosensory systems) are absent; Channa, genus name of Asian snakeheads
Aenigmachanna gollum Britz, Anoop, Dahanukar & Raghavan 2019 named for Gollum from The Hobbit and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the “creature that went underground and during its subterranean life changed its morphological features,” presumably like how this snakehead may be adapted for life underground
Family CHANNIDAE Snakeheads
2 genera · 59 species
Channa Scopoli 1777 name dates to Gronow (1763), made available by Scopoli, etymology unknown, perhaps derived from channe or channos, a Greek name for a wide-mouthed fish of the sea; Sudasinghe et al. (2020) suggest that Channa is a Dutch transliteration of kanaya, local name for C. orientalis and other small snakeheads in Sri Lanka (type locality and under Dutch rule at the time; also Gronow was Dutch), but the Dutch pronunciation of Channa is “ganna,” not “kanna” (Richard van der Laan, pers. comm.)
Channa amphibeus (McClelland 1845) amphi-, double; bios, life, i.e., living a double life (like an amphibian), referring to its often being found on land, “as much as two miles from the bank of the river, where it penetrates into holes in the ground. From these it probably emerges when the ground is inundated during heavy rain, … as if they had fallen from the clouds”
Channa andrao Britz 2013 in honor of ornamental-fish collector Andrew Arunava Rao (Andr + Rao), Malabar Tropicals, Calcutta, for his support of the ichthyological exploration of the freshwater fishes of India [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Channa ara (Deraniyagala 1945) from Gan ārā, Sinhalese name for this snakehead in Sri Lanka (gan, river, referring to its occurrence in deeper streams and rivers; ārā, local name for snakeheads)
Channa argus (Cantor 1842) etymology not explained, perhaps named for Argus, mythical hundred-eyed guardian of Io, whose eyes after death where transformed into the feathers of a peacock, referring to numerous black ocellated spots edged with white above lateral line
Channa aristonei Praveenraj, Thackeray, Singh, Uma, Moulitharan & Mukhim 2020 in honor of aquarium hobbyist Aristone M. Ryndongsngi (Meghalaya, India), who discovered this species and helped the authors in the field
Channa asiatica (Linnaeus 1758) Asian, referring to its native distribution in China (introduced elsewhere)
Channa aurantimaculata Musikasinthorn 2000 aurantium, orange; maculata, spotted, referring to orange blotches on sides
Channa aurantipectoralis Lalhlimpuia, Lalronunga & Lalramliana 2016 aurantium, orange; pectoralis, pectoral, referring to its “conspicuous” orange-colored pectoral fins
Channa auroflammea Adamson, Britz & Lieng 2019 aurum, gold; flammeus, flaming, referring to “flame like extensions” of golden-orange belly color on lower body on some specimens
Channa aurolineata (Day 1870) aurum, gold; lineata, lined, referring to orange stripe running from snout, through eye, and along side above lateral line to upper half of tail
Channa bankanensis (Bleeker 1853) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Banka (or Bangka) Island, Sumatra, Indonesia, type locality (also occurs in Malaysia)
Channa baramensis (Steindachner 1901) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Baram River, northern Sarawak, Malaysia, type locality
Channa barca (Hamilton 1822) etymology not explained; according to Valenciennes (1831), possibly derived from porco, a local name in India for a “large-scaled Ganges fish that can live two days out of the water” (translation; also occurs in Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh)
Channa bipuli Praveenraj, Uma, Moulitharan & Bleher 2018 in honor of Bipul Das (Assam, India), owner of Wild Caught Ornamental Fish, who discovered this species, and for his “immense support in the collection and donating of the live specimens”
Channa bleheri Vierke 1991 in honor of explorer and ornamental-fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944), who helped collect type and supplied it to the author
Channa brahmacharyi Chakraborty, Yardi & Mukjerjee 2020 in honor of the late Ratan Lal Brahmachary (1932-2018), “distinguished ethologist, biochemist and pioneer in tiger pheromone research”
Channa brunnea Praveenraj, Uma, Moulitharan & Kannan 2019 brown, referring to overall brownish color of body [“Channa amari,” published online in April 2019, is an unavailable name for what appears to be this species]
Channa burmanica Chaudhuri 1919 –ica, belonging to Burma (now Myanmar), where it is endemic
Channa coccinea Britz, Tan & Rüber 2024 Latin for red like a berry, referring to reddish markings on head and sides of body
Channa cocnhayia Nguyen, Bui & Nguyen 2015 apparent latinization of cá cóc nhảy (jumping toad fish), its local name in Viêt Nam
Channa cyanospilos (Bleeker 1853) cyano-, blue; spilos, mark or spot, referring to pale-blue spots on sides
Channa diplogramma (Day 1865) diplo-, twofold; gramma, line, referring to broad black band passing through eye to the upper half of caudal fin, and second band from angle of mouth to lower half of caudal fin
Channa gachua (Hamilton 1822) presumably a local Bengali name, as it was Hamilton’s practice to derive trivial names “from some of those used by the natives of India” (also occurs in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Myanmar)
Channa harcourtbutleri (Annandale 1918) in honor of Spencer Harcourt Butler (1869-1938), Lieutenant-Governor of Burma during the time of Annandale’s visit to Yawnghwe, a former Shan state in what is now Myanmar, where type locality (Inle Lake) was located (also occurs in Yunnan, China)
Channa hoaluensis Nguyen 2011 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province, Viêt Nam, type locality
Channa kelaartii (Günther 1861) patronym not identified but probably in honor of Ceylonese-born physician and naturalist Edward Frederick Kelaart (1819-1860), who provided fish specimens to the British Museum (but apparently not this one)
Channa limbata (Cuvier 1831) edged or bordered, referring to white border on dorsal, anal and caudal fins [specific name dates from plate; referred to as Ophicephalus marginatus, presumably its intended name, in text]
Channa lipor Praveenraj, Uma, Moulitharan & Singh 2019 local name for this species in Khasi, a dialect spoken by the Khasi tribes of Meghalaya, India, where it occurs
Channa lucius (Cuvier 1831) pike, manuscript name coined by Kuhl & van Hasselt, allusion not explained but probably referring to “somewhat concave flattening of its forehead” (translation), similar to that of the Northern Pike, Esox lucius
Channa maculata (Lacepède 1801) spotted, referring to “very small green spots” (translation) over entire body (no types known, possibly described from a drawing; in reality, the “very small green spots” are actually large dark blotches)
Channa marulioides (Bleeker 1851) –oides, having the form of: described as “akin” (translation) to C. marulius, both having an ocellus or eyespot on upper caudal fin
Channa marulius (Hamilton 1822) presumably a latinization of marul, from Phool-mural, local name for this snakehead in Andhra Pradesh, India (also occurs in Pakistan and Myanmar; introduced elsewhere, including Florida, USA)
Channa melanoptera (Bleeker 1855) melanos, black; ptera, finned, referring to blackish dorsal, anal, pectoral and caudal fins
Channa melanostigma Geetakumari & Vishwanath 2011 melanos, black; stigma, marked, referring to melanophores on each scale of the sides
Channa melasoma (Bleeker 1851) mela-, black; soma, body, referring to black body (and fin) coloration
Channa micropeltes (Cuvier 1831) micro-, small; peltes, shield, referring to “smallness of the plates [scales] that cover the top of the head” (translation)
Channa ninhbinhensis Nguyen 2011 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ninh Binh province, Viêt Nam, where type locality (Ninh Hai commune, Gia Vien district) is situated
Channa nox Zhang, Musikasinthorn & Watanabe 2002 night, referring to dark body color
Channa orientalis Bloch & Schneider 1801 eastern, described from the East Indies (“India orientali”), i.e., southern and southeastern Asia
Channa ornatipinnis Britz 2008 ornatus, ornate; pinnis, fin, referring to “striking” coloration of pectoral fins, which resembles that of the pectoral fins of the Ornate Bichir, Polypterus ornatipinnis (Polypteriformes)
Channa panaw Musikasinthorn 1998 from nga panaw, Burmese vernacular name for this snakehead
Channa pardalis Knight 2016 like a leopard, referring to large black spots on body, opercle, and post-orbital region of head
Channa pleurophthalma (Bleeker 1851) pleuro-, side; ophthalma, eyed, referring to 2-3 eyespots or ocelli on sides, and one each on opercle and caudal fin
Channa pomanensis Gurumayum & Tamang 2016 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Poma River, Papum Pare district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, type locality
Channa pseudomarulius (Günther 1861) pseudo-, false, described as “allied” to C. marulius, “readily distinguished by six longitudinal series of scales between the lateral line and the anterior portion of the dorsal fin”
Channa pulchra Britz 2007 pretty or beautiful, allusion not explained, presumably referring to color pattern: four (usually) semicircular white bands on pectoral fins and a series of reddish-orange blotches and numerous black spots on body
Channa punctata (Bloch 1793) spotted, referring to black spots on body and dorsal, anal, and caudal fins of some specimens
Channa pyrophthalmus Britz, Tan & Rüber 2024 pyr, fire; ophthalmus, eye, referring bright orange area under the eye, “reminiscent of that of glowing embers”
Channa quinquefasciata Praveenraj, Uma, Knight, Moulitharan, Balasubramanian, Bineesh & Bleher 2018 quinque, five; fasciata, banded, referring to five prominent blackish bands on body
Channa rakhinica Britz, Tan & Rüber 2024 –ica, belonging to: the Rakhine Yoma (Arakan Mountains) in western Myanmar, where it occurs
Channa rara Britz, Dahanukar, Anoop & Ali 2019 in honor of Indian ichthyologist Rajeev Raghavan (b. 1979), Kerala University, for contributions to the “elucidation of taxonomically difficult Indian freshwater fishes and their conservation” (name formed from the first two letters of his first and last names) [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Channa rubora Britz, Tan & Rüber 2024 combination of the Latin nouns rubor, redness, and ora, rim, referring to orange-red rim of dorsal and caudal fins
Channa shingon Endruweit 2017 Shingon, one of 37 officially recognized spirits (nats) in Myanmar spiritualism, also known as Lady Humpback, referring to this snakehead’s humpbacked appearance
Channa stewartii (Playfair 1867) in honor of Major Robert Stewart, Superintendent of Cachar (Assam, India), type locality, who provided Playfair a collection of fishes from that region, including this one
Channa stiktos Lalramliana, Knight, Lalhlimpuia & Singh 2018 Greek for spot, referring to numerous conspicuous spots present on body
Channa striata (Bloch 1793) striped, referring to brown stripes on body (which merge and become indistinct on older specimens) and dorsal and anal fins
Parachanna Teugels & Daget 1984 para-, near, referring to close relationship with the Asian snakehead genus Channa
Parachanna africana (Steindachner 1879) –anus, belonging to: Africa, the second species of otherwise Asian fishes described from that continent
Parachanna insignis (Sauvage 1884) marked, presumably referring to 4-5 large round black spots or blotches along lateral line
Parachanna obscura (Günther 1861) dark, described as blackish with a series of large round black blotches along the sides
Family NANDIDAE Asian Leaffishes
1 genus · 8 species
Nandus Valenciennes 1831 tautonymous with Coius nandus (which Valenciennes unnecessarily renamed as N. marmoratus), local Bengali name for this species in India
Nandus andrewi Ng & Jaafar 2008 in honor of ornamental-fish collector Andrew Arunava Rao, Malabar Tropicals, Calcutta, for discovering this species and his assistance to the authors during their field work in India
Nandus banshlaii Kapuri, Sinha, De, Roy & Bhakat 2021 of the Banshlai River, Rampurhat Subdivision, Birbhum district, West Bengal, India, type locality
Nandus meni Hossain & Sarker 2013 Meni, a word in the local dialect of Noakhali, Bangladesh (type locality), meaning “unsuspecting silence [silent?] character,” allusion not explained, perhaps referring to cryptic coloration of leaffishes, “useful for camouflage in ambushing prey and avoiding predators”
Nandus mercatus Ng 2008 a trading place or market, referring to fact that type was purchased from a market, while also honoring fish markets, “a valuable tool to ichthyologists for sampling fish diversity”
Nandus nandus (Hamilton 1822) local Bengali name for this species in India (also occurs in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia)
Nandus nebulosus (Gray 1835) cloudy, presumably referring to body mottled with light and dark shades of brown; name dates to an illustration, given the vernacular “Clouded Bedula” (possibly derived from Bheda, Bengali name for N. nandus, although this species does not occur in India)
Nandus oxyrhynchus Ng, Vidthayanon & Ng 1996 oxy, sharp; rhynchus, snout, referring to its sharp snout (compared to blunt snout of N. nebulosus)
Nandus prolixus Chakrabarty, Oldfield & Ng 2006 stretched out, referring to relatively elongate head of this species when compared to N. nebulosus
Family BADIDAE Chameleon Fishes
2 genera · 36 species
Badis Bleeker 1853 tautonymous with Labrus badis (which Bleeker unnecessarily renamed as B. buchanani), presumably a local Bengali name (possibly derived from bhedo or bheda) for this species in India
Badis andrewraoi Valdesalici & van der Voort 2015 in honor of ornamental-fish collector Andrew Arunava Rao, Malabar Tropicals, Calcutta, who discovered, collected and donated the material for this species and for B. autumnum, B. kyanos and B. soraya, for “substantial” contributions to ichthyology
Badis assamensis Ahl 1937 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Assam, India, where it appears to be endemic to the Brahmaputra River drainage, India
Badis autumnum Valdesalici & van der Voort 2015 autumn, referring to numerous colors of autumn (combinations of brown, black, yellow and orange) it can display during various moods
Badis badis (Hamilton 1822) presumably a local Bengali name (possibly derived from bhedo or bheda), as it was Hamilton’s practice to derive trivial names “from some of those used by the natives of India” (also occurs in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan)
Badis blosyrus Kullander & Britz 2002 Greek for a grim facial expression, “suitable for the mouth shape of this species in comparison with other Badid species”
Badis britzi Dahanukar, Kumkar, Katwate & Raghavan 2015 in honor of Ralf Britz, Natural History Museum (London), for contributions to the understanding of the systematics and evolution of badid fishes
Badis chittagongis Kullander & Britz 2002 –is, genitive singular of: Chittagong Division (Chittagong Hill Tracts), Bangladesh, type locality
Badis corycaeus Kullander & Britz 2002 spy, referring to “highly conspicuous ocellus-like marking (the spying eye)” on caudal fin and its syntopy with two other badid species
Badis dibruensis Geetakumari & Vishwanath 2010 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Dibru River, Brahmaputra River drainage, Assam, India, type locality
Badis ferrarisi Kullander & Britz 2002 in honor of ichthyologist Carl Ferraris, Jr. (b. 1950), who collected type and “generously” provided material to the authors
Badis juergenschmidti Schindler & Linke 2010 in honor of aquarist and biologist Jürgen Schmidt (Ruhmannsfelden, Germany), for his “valuable” contributions to the ethology and taxonomy of Southeast Asian freshwater fishes
Badis kaladanensis Lalramliana, Lalronunga & Singh 2021 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kaladan River drainage, Mizoram, India, where type locality (Palak River) is situated
Badis kanabos Kullander & Britz 2002 Greek for a very lean or slim person, referring to notably slender shape of males compared with the otherwise similar B. badis
Badis khwae Kullander & Britz 2002 named for the Mae Nam Khwae Noi drainage, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand, type locality (better known as the River Kwai)
Badis kyanos Valdesalici & van der Voort 2015 kyanós, from which kyanite (a type of granite consisting of blue-gray crystals) is derived, referring to its color pattern
Badis kyar Kullander & Britz 2002 Burmese for tiger, referring to its “bold” striped color pattern, similar to that of the Indochinese tiger, Panthera corbetti
Badis laspiophilus Valdesalici & van der Voort 2015 laspi, mud; philos, loving, referring to substrate of type locality and its benthic ecology
Badis limaakumi Praveenraj 2023 in honor of Limaakum (a mononym), Assistant Professor at Fazl Ali College (Nagaland, India), who discovered this species
Badis pallidus Kullander, Nóren, Rahman & Mollah 2019 pallid or pale, referring to light-gray body color of males
Badis pyema Kullander & Britz 2002 from Nga-pye-ma, its local name at Putao, Kachin State, Myanmar, only known area of occurrence
Badis rhabdotus Kullander, Nóren, Rahman & Mollah 2019 striped, referring to prominent vertical bars on body
Badis ruber Schreitmüller 1923 red, described as a red variety of the “old blue” (translation) B. badis, presumably referring to primary color of males in aquaria
Badis siamensis Klausewitz 1957 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Siam, or Thailand, where it is endemic
Badis singenensis Geetakumari & Kadu 2011 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Singen River, Brahmaputra drainage, Arunachal Pradesh, India, type locality
Badis soraya Valdesalici & van der Voort 2015 ancient Persian word for The Pleiades, an open cluster of bright blue stars in the constellation Taurus, referring to cleithral blotch, part of the postorbital stripe, and blotches on dorsal-fin sheath, which are often bright blue
Badis triocellus Khynriam & Sen 2013 tri-, three; ocellus, eyespot, referring to distinct black blotches on anterior and posterior ends of dorsal fin and one on anal fin
Badis tuivaiei Vishwanath & Shanta 2004 of the Tuivai River, Churachandpur District, Manipur, India, type locality
Dario Kullander & Britz 2002 tautonymous with Labrus dario (see species)
Dario dario (Hamilton 1822) presumably a latinization of Darhi, local Bengali name for this species
Dario dayingensis Kullander & Britz 2002 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Da Ying Jiang River drainage, Ying Jiang County, Yunnan Province, China, only known area of occurrence
Dario huli Britz & Ali 2015 Kannada word for tiger, referring to tiger-like vertical bars on body
Dario hysginon Kullander & Britz 2002 a scarlet or crimson dye obtained from a shrub or herb (according to classical dictionaries), but more likely obtained from a scale insect (Kermes ilicis) that lives in the Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera), widespread in the Mediterranean region, referring to conspicuous red color of males
Dario kajal Britz & Kullander 2013 Hindi word for black eyeliner, used by traditional Indian dancers, referring to its prominent orbital stripes
Dario melanogrammus Britz, Kullander & Rüber 2022 melanos, black; grammus, line, referring to the “zigzagging” dark vertical bars on its sides
Dario neela Britz, Anoop & Dahanukar 2018 Malayalam word for blue, referring to “striking” iridescent blue color of males
Dario tigris Britz, Kullander & Rüber 2022 named for the tiger Panthera tigris, referring to its tiger-like vertical stripes
Dario urops Britz, Ali & Philip 2012 oura, tail; ops, eye, referring to conspicuous eyespot on caudal peduncle
Family PRISTOLEPIDIDAE Malayan Leaffishes or Mudperches
1 genus · 8 species
Pristolepis Jerdon 1849 pristis, saw; lepis, scale, referring to large, rough scales of P. marginata, “very finely serrated exernally”
Pristolepis fasciata (Bleeker 1851) banded, referring to ~10 irregular, transverse dark bands on sides
Pristolepis grootii (Bleeker 1852) in honor of Cornelis de Groot van Embden (1817-1896), Dutch naturalist and ethnographer, “to whom science owes the first knowledge of the freshwater fauna” (translation) of Belitung (or Billiton), Indonesia, type locality
Pristolepis malabarica (Günther 1864) –ica, belonging to: hill-ranges of Travancore, coast of Malabar (i.e., southern India), type locality, where it “does not appear to be very scarce”
Pristolepis marginata Jerdon 1849 edged or bordered, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to whitish margins (not noted by Jerdon) on caudal and soft dorsal and anal fins
Pristolepis pauciradiata Plamoottil & Win 2017 paucus, few; radiatus, rayed, referring to fewer dorsal-fin spines compared to congeners
Pristolepis pentacantha Plamoottil 2014 pente, five; acanthus, spine or thorn, referring to five anal-fin spines
Pristolepis procerus Plamoottil 2017 tall, referring to high body depth compared to congeners
Pristolepis rubripinnis Britz, Kumar & Baby 2012 rubra, red; pinnis, fin, referring to orange-red soft dorsal, soft anal and caudal fins, and yellow-to-orange pelvic fins