Family AUCHENIPTERIDAE Bleeker 1862 (Driftwood Catfishes)

Updated 12 Aug. 2024
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Subfamily CENTROMOCHLINAE Bleeker 1862 

Centromochlus Kner 1858 centro-, from kéntron (Gr. κέντρον), any sharp point; mochlós (Gr. μοχλός), lever, bar or crowbar, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to strongly serrated dorsal-fin spine of C. megalops (=heckelii)

Centromochlus akwe Coelho, Chamon & Sarmento-Soares 2021 named for the Akwê (Xerente self-denomination) indigenous people who previously inhabited the middle and upper Tocantins River basin (Tocantins, Brazil), where this catfish occurs (today the Akwê-Xerente are restricted to the city of Tocantínia, north of Palmas City)

Centromochlus carolae (Vari & Ferraris 2013) in honor of Carol Youmans, Management Support Specialist, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for “invaluable” assistance to both authors over the years, particularly the senior author

Centromochlus existimatus Mees 1974 Latin for considered, allusion not explained, possibly reflecting Mees’ statement: “I have considered the possibility that the differences between C. heckelii and C. existimatus are not specific but sexual, a possibility that appears to be strengthened by the fact that the two have so often been collected together (as evidenced by mixed samples in collection)”

Centromochlus heckelii (De Filippi 1853) in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Johann Jakob Heckel (1790–1857), Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna

Centromochlus macracanthus Soares-Porto 2000 makrós (Gr. μακρός), long or large; acanthus (L.), from ákantha (Gr. ἄκανθα), thorn, referring to elongate dorsal-fin spine, 28–35% of SL (although “etymology” section indicates pectoral-fin spine, presumably in error since dorsal spine is a diagnostic character of the species)

Centromochlus melanoleucus (Vari & Calegari 2014) mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black; leukós (Gr. λευκός), white, referring to its black-and-white color pattern

Centromochlus musaicus (Royero 1992) Latin for an inlay of various colors and geometric patterns, referring to its mosaic color pattern

Centromochlus orca Sarmento-Soares, Lazzarotto, Rapp Py-Daniel & Leitão 2017 referring to its coloration (black ground color sharply delimited from a white underside by a conspicuous wavy border), resembling that of the Orca or Killer Whale Orcinus orca

Centromochlus schultzi Rössel 1962 in honor of Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector Harald Schultz (1909–1966), who collected holotype

Duringlanis Grant 2015 named for Durin the Deathless, eldest of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves in Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” legendarium, referring to small size of species in this subgenus; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish [treated as a synonym of Tatia by some workers, in a clade that also includes Duringlanis; provisionally retained here pending further phylogenetic appraisal]

Duringlanis altae (Fowler 1945) in honor of Alta Dunn (wife of herpetologist Emmett Reid Dunn, see Tatia dunni), who first brought this species to Fowler’s attention

Duringlanis perugiae (Steindachner 1882) in honor of Italian ichthyologist Albert Perugia (1847–1897), Natural History Museum of Genoa, thanking him for donations of rare fishes from the Adriatic Sea to the Imperial and Royal Zoological Collection in Vienna [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from a masculine noun that ends in “a”]

Duringlanis romani (Mees 1988) in honor of Benigno Roman Gonzalez (1913–1993), Venezuelan herpetologist, ichthyologist and Jesuit monk, who collected holotype

Ferrarissoaresia Grant 2015ia (L. suffix), belonging to: combination of Carl Ferraris, Jr. (b. 1950) and Luisa Maria Sarmento-Soares, for their contributions to the morphology and taxonomy of Centromochlinae from which Grant’s paper heavily depends, “notwithstanding the fact that [Grant] disagrees on some of [their] conclusions at supraspecies level” [treated as a synonym of Tatia by some workers, in a clade that also includes Ferrarissoaresia; provisionally retained here pending further phylogenetic appraisal]

Ferrarissoaresia meridionalis (Sarmento-Soares, Cabeceira, Carvalho, Zuanon & Akama 2013) Latin for southern, referring to distribution in the southern Brazilian Amazon, a region referred to as “Meridional Amazon”

Ferrarissoaresia ferrarisi (Birindelli, Sarmento-Soares & Lima 2015) in honor of Carl Ferraris, Jr. (b. 1950), for “numerous contributions to the systematics of Siluriformes, especially Auchenipteridae, including the first hypothesis recognizing Centromochlinae as sister to all other Auchenipteridae”

Gelanoglanis Böhlke 1980 gelanḗs (Gr. γελανής), laughing or cheerful, referring to cheery appearance of G. stroudi created by its “long and somewhat sinuous mouth,” with a “dorsally-directed fleshy flange from lower jaw on either side”; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish

Gelanoglanis nanonocticolus Soares-Porto, Walsh, Nico & Netto 1999 nanus, from nánnos (Gr. νάννος), small; nox (L.), night, and –colus (L.), living among (authors say “night-lover”), referring to its diminutive adult size (~22 mm SL) and apparent nocturnal habits

Gelanoglanis pan Calegari, Reis & Vari 2014 named for Pan, Greek god of fertility and male sexuality, referring to the large gonopodium of males

Gelanoglanis stroudi Böhlke 1980 in honor of American philanthropist William Boulton Dixon Stroud (1917–2005), for his support of the author’s field studies and collecting in the Colombian llanos

Gelanoglanis travieso Rengifo, Lujan, Taphorn & Petry 2008 Spanish for mischievous, lively and animated, reflecting its “cheery appearance” (see genus) and “night-wandering habits”

Gelanoglanis varii Calegari & Reis 2017 in honor of the authors’ “dear friend,” the late Richard P. Vari (1949–2016), National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C., USA), for his “great devotion, fascination and contributions to the study of the Auchenipteridae and other Neotropical fishes and for his unlimited willingness to help young ichthyologists to develop their careers”

Gephyromochlus Hoedeman 1961 géphyra (Gr. γέφυρα), bridge; –mochlus, proposed as a subgenus of Centromochlus, “intermediate in a way” (i.e., a bridge) between that genus and Auchenipterus

Gephyromochlus leopardus (Hoedeman 1961) Latin for leopard, referring to leopard-like “bars and flecks” on body

Glanidium Lütken 1874 diminutive of glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish, referring to small size (“statura parva”) of G. albescens (described at 4.75 unciae, or 11.7 cm)

Glanidium albescens Lütken 1874 Latin for whitish, referring to its dark-white (“fusco-albescens”), or mottled, coloration

Glanidium botocudo Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2013 name given to native indigenous people wearing artifacts (botoques) on ears and lips; these Indians were the original inhabitants of large extensions of the Floresta Atlântica, including lands along the rio Mucuri valley and far west, to the rio Doce (Minas Gerais, Brazil), where this catfish occurs

Glanidium catharinensis Miranda Ribeiro 1962 ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Santa Catarina State, Brazil, where it is endemic to the rio Tubarão basin

Glanidium cesarpintoi Ihering 1928 in honor of colleague Cesar Pinto (1896–1964), helminthologist, for assistance and hospitality during Ihering’s studies in São Paulo, Brazil

Glanidium melanopterum Miranda Ribeiro 1918 black-finned, from mélanos (Gr. μέλανος), genitive of mélas (μέλας), black, and pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), wing or fin, referring to “inky black” (translation) terminal halves of ventral, anal and caudal fins

Glanidium ribeiroi Haseman 1911 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist-herpetologist Alípio de Miranda Ribeiro (1874–1939), Secretary of the National Museum in Rio de Janeiro

Tatia Miranda Ribeiro 1911ia (L. suffix), belonging to: English ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan (1878–1943), Natural History Museum (London), for his many contributions to the knowledge of the South American freshwater fishes

Tatia akroa Souza, Sarmento-Soares, Canto & Ribeiro 2020 named for the Akroá indigenous people of Brazil, whose territory in the 19th century included the rio Manuel Alves sub-basin of rio Tocantins, where this catfish occurs

Tatia aulopygia (Kner 1858) aulós (Gr. αὐλός), flute or pipe; pygḗ (Gr. πυγή), behind or rump, referring to genital papilla over anterior anal-fin rays of males

Tatia bockmanni (Sarmento-Soares & Buckup 2005) in honor of ichthyologist Flávio A. Bockman, Universidade de São Paulo, who collected specimens that led authors to recognize this species as undescribed

Tatia boemia Koch & Reis 1996 from the French bohémien, “one who lives unconventionally, chiefly at night,” referring to its nocturnal habits

Tatia britskii (Sarmento-Soares & Birindelli 2015) in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Heraldo A. Britski, Universidade de São Paulo, who collected holotype, for “significant contributions and pioneer studies” on the systematics of auchenipterid catfishes

Tatia brunnea Mees 1974 Medieval Latin for brown, referring to “dark earth brown” color in life, brown spots on pectoral, dorsal and adipose fins, mostly brown dorsal fin, and large irregular blackish brown spots on tail

Tatia caudosignata DoNascimiento, Albornoz-Garzón & García-Melo 2019 caudo– (L.), tail; signata (L.), marked, referring to distinctive color pattern of caudal fin, consisting of a narrow, white, bilobed band along its base and the uniformly darkly pigmented interradial membrane of the distal portion of the fin

Tatia caxiuanensis Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2008ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, a preservation area, Pará, Brazil, type locality

Tatia concolor Mees 1974 Latin for colored uniformly, the “plainest of all species [of Tatia], dark grey above, white below”

Tatia creutzbergi (Boeseman 1953) in honor of Peter H. Creutzberg (1921–2011), motion-picture cameraman on Dutch expedition to Suriname; he collected holotype with entomologist Dirk Cornelis Geijskes (1907–1985), Director, Suriname Museum, Paramaribo [treated as a synonym of T. gyrinus by some workers]

Tatia dunni (Fowler 1945) in honor of Emmett Reid Dunn (1894–1956), Fowler’s colleague at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, “in appreciation of his studies on Colombian herpetology” [see also Duringlanis altae]

Tatia galaxias Mees 1974 galaxías (Gr. γαλαξίας), Milky Way, perhaps referring to “evenly spaced small white dots” on a dark-brown body, which could be said to resemble stars in the Milky Way

Tatia gyrinus (Eigenmann & Allen 1942) etymology not explained, probably a Latinization of gyrí̄nos (Gr. γυρῖνος), tadpole, presumably referring to its tadpole-like shape [spelling changed from gyrinus to gyrina when placed in the feminine Tatia, but names of uncertain origin are treated as nouns per ICZN 31.2.2, so original spelling should be retained]

Tatia intermedia (Steindachner 1877) Latin for intermediate, with eyes larger than T. aulopygia but smaller than Centromochlus heckelii, its presumed congener at the time

Tatia jaracatia Pavanelli & Bifi 2009 named for the rio Jaracatiá, lower rio Iguaçu basin, Paraná, Brazil type locality (jaracatiá is an indigenous name for a fructiferous tree common in the region)

Tatia luisae Ribeiro, Silva-Oliveira, Silva & Canto 2022 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Luisa M. Sarmento-Soares, for her many contributions to the systematics of Neotropical catfishes of the subfamily Centromochlinae

Tatia marthae Vari & Ferraris 2013 in honor of Martha Joynt, Management Support Specialist, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, for “significant” assistance to both authors over the years, particularly the senior author

Tatia meesi Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2008 in honor of Dutch ichthyologist-ornithologist Gerloff F. Mees (1926–2013), for “significant” contributions to our knowledge of the genus Tatia, especially the species of the Guyana shield

Tatia neivai (Ihering 1930) in honor of epidemiologist-biologist Arthur Neiva (1880–1943), founder, Instituto Biológico, São Paulo, Brazil

Tatia nigra Sarmento-Soares & Martins-Pinheiro 2008 Latin for black, referring to dark color pattern in large adults

Tatia punctata Mees 1974 Latin for spotted, referring to dense dark-gray mottling and spotting on a pale (unpigmented) body

Tatia reticulata Mees 1974 Latin for net-like or netted, referring to “network of white (unpigmented) lines” on a light pinkish-brown body

Tatia simplex Mees 1974 Latin for single, a “well-differentiated species so that, although only a single specimen was available, [Mees] felt no hesitation in describing it as new”

Tatia strigata Soares-Porto 1995 Latin for furrowed or grooved (i.e., striped), referring to numerous streaks on lateral portion of body


Subfamily AUCHENIPTERINAE Bleeker 1862 

Ageneiosus Lacepède 1803 á– (ἄ), Greek privative, not; geneiosus, Latinized adjective from géneion (Gr. γένειον), chin or beard (i.e., not bearded), presumably referring to seeming lack of barbels on A. armatus (=inermis; short maxillary barbels are almost indistinguishable)

Ageneiosus akamai Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Alberto Akama, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Belém, Pará), for his many contributions to the systematics of Neotropical catfishes

Ageneiosus apiaka Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 named for the Apiakás, an Amerindian ethnic group from the Teles Pires River, upper Tapajós River basin (Pará, Brazil), type locality

Ageneiosus dentatus Kner 1857 Latin for toothed, referring to its “remarkably long and pointed” teeth (translation)

Ageneiosus inermis (Linnaeus 1766) Latin for unarmed, named for its unarmed fins (“pinnis inermibus”), an apparent misnomer since it possesses dorsal- and pectoral-fin spines

Ageneiosus intrusus Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 Medieval Latin for intruded, referring to how premaxilla projects beyond the dentary, a distinctive character of this species

Ageneiosus lineatus Ribeiro, Rapp Py-Daniel & Walsh 2017 Latin for lined, referring to longitudinal dark stripes along side of body, a distinctive character of this species

Ageneiosus magoi Castillo & Brull G. 1989 in honor of Venezuelan ichthyologist Francisco Mago-Leccia (1931–2004), for his contributions to the study and knowledge of Venezuelan fishes, and his “valuable work forming a new generation of ichthyologists” (translation)

Ageneiosus militaris Valenciennes 1835 Latin for of a soldier or warlike, presumably referring to its long dorsal spine, serrated on both sides

Ageneiosus pardalis Lütken 1874 párdalis (Gr. πάρδαλις), leopard, referring to reticulated or spotted pattern on head and back

Ageneiosus polystictus Steindachner 1915 polý (Gr. πολύ), many; stictus, from stiktós (Gr. στικτός), spotted, referring to very small, brownish-purple spots and dots on body and anal fin

Ageneiosus ucayalensis Castelnau 1855ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: lake near near Río Ucayali, Peru, type locality

Ageneiosus uranophthalmus Ribeiro & Rapp Py-Daniel 2010 ouranós (Gr. οὐρανός), heaven or sky; ophthalmós (Gr. ὀφθαλμός), eye, referring to its dorsally oriented eyes

Ageneiosus vittatus Steindachner 1908 Latin for banded, referring to prominent dorsal and midlateral stripes on body

Asterophysus Kner 1858 astḗr (Gr. ἀστήρ), star, or asterías (Gr. ἀστερίας), a starred or starry fish or bird; physus, from physa (Gr. φύσα), bladder

Asterophysus batrachus Kner 1858 from bátrachos (Gr. βάτραχος), frog, referring to its wide, frog-like mouth

Auchenipterichthys Bleeker 1862 referring to previous placement of A. thoracatus in Auchenipterus; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Auchenipterichthys coracoideus (Eigenmann & Allen 1942)eus (L.), adjectival suffix: referring to it granular caracoid process

Auchenipterichthys longimanus (Günther 1864) longus (L.), long; manus (L.), hand (homologous to the pectoral fin), referring to long pectoral spine, 2/7 of TL

Auchenipterichthys punctatus (Valenciennes 1840) Latin for spotted, referring to brown or blackish spots on body and fins

Auchenipterichthys thoracatus (Kner 1858) Latin for armed with a breastplate, referring to exposed coracoid process that forms a plate on sides of abdomen

Auchenipterus Valenciennes 1840 auchḗn (Gr. αὐχήν), nape; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, presumably referring to elevated nape, which gives the appearance that dorsal fin originates at the neck region

Auchenipterus ambyiacus Fowler 1915acus (L.), belonging to: Ambyiacu (also spelled Ampiyacu) River, Ecuador, type locality

Auchenipterus brachyurus (Cope 1878) short-tailed, from brachýs (Gr. βραχύς), short, and urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to shorter “caudal region” compared with A. nuchalis

Auchenipterus brevior Eigenmann 1912 Latin for shorter, referring to shorter mandibular barbels compared with A. demerarae

Auchenipterus britskii Ferraris & Vari 1999 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Heraldo A. Britski, Universidade de São Paulo, for his contribution to our knowledge of auchenipterid fishes and the freshwater fishes of South America

Auchenipterus demerarae Eigenmann 1912 of the Demerara River, presumably the type locality in Wismar, Guyana

Auchenipterus dentatus Valenciennes 1840 Latin for toothed, referring to velvety teeth on both jaws

Auchenipterus fordicei Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 in honor of Morton W. Fordice (1864–1939), farmer, politician and “student of American fishes”

Auchenipterus menezesi Ferraris & Vari 1999 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Rui Simões de Menezes (1917–2001), for his studies of the life history of freshwater fishes of northeastern Brazil, including this species

Auchenipterus nigripinnis (Boulenger 1895) niger (L.), dark or black; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, i.e., finned, referring to “deep black” pectoral and ventral fins

Auchenipterus nuchalis (Spix & Agassiz 1829) Latin for of the neck or nape, referring to its elevated nape

Auchenipterus osteomystax (Miranda Ribeiro 1918) osteo-, from ostéon (Gr. ὀστέον), bone; mýstax (Gr. μύσταξ), moustache, referring to ossified maxillary barbels of mature males

Entomocorus Eigenmann 1917 éntoma (Gr. ἔντομα), notch; corus, from kórys (Gr. κόρυς), helmet, presumably referring to “hard, reticulated, or pitted” top of head of E. benjamini

Entomocorus benjamini Eigenmann 1917 in honor of Marcus Benjamin (1857–1932), editor of the publications of the United States National Museum

Entomocorus gameroi Mago-Leccia 1984 in honor of Alonso Gamero (1923–1980), Dean of the Faculty of Science, Universidad Central de Venezuela, who guided Mago-Leccia’s introduction to ichthyology

Entomocorus melaphareus Akama & Ferraris 2003 mélas (Gr. μέλας), black; aphareus (Gr. αφαρεύς), Aristotle’s term for the pelvic fin of a tuna (“The male tunny differs from the female in being unprovided with the fin beneath the belly which is called aphareus,” History of Animals, V, 9), referring to the catfish’s dark pelvic fin

Entomocorus radiosus Reis & Borges 2006 Latin for radiant (i.e., rayed), referring to its many (19–22, rarely 18) anal-fin rays

Epapterus Cope 1878 etymology not explained, possibly epa– from ēpedanós (Gr. επεδανός), superficial; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to rudimentary “soft portion” of dorsal fin of E. dispulurus

Epapterus blohmi Vari, Jewett, Taphorn & Gilbert 1984 in honor of Tomas Blohm (1926–2008), Venezuelan cattle rancher, naturalist and conservationist, who generously made his ranch available to the authors, which greatly facilitated their research

Epapterus dispilurus Cope 1878 double spot-tailed, from di– (Gr. prefix), from dýo (δύο), two; spílos (Gr. σπίλος), mark or spot; urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to black spot on middle of each caudal-fin lobe

Liosomadoras Fowler 1940 leí̄os (Gr. λεῖος) smooth, and sṓma (Gr. σῶμα), body, referring to naked or unarmed sides and tail; Doras, type genus of Doradidae, in which it had originally been placed

Liosomadoras morrowi Fowler 1940 in honor of William C. Morrow (1899–1981), American recreational angler and wealthy “tourist” explorer, who led Peruvian expedition during which holotype was collected

Liosomadoras oncinus (Jardine 1841) inus (L.), adjectival suffix: onca, from Panthera onca, Jaguar, originally from onça Portuguese name for a spotted cat that is larger than a lynx, referring to “body yellowish brown, variously spotted with black, and not unlike the markings of a jaguar”

Pseudauchenipterus Bleeker 1862 pseudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false, i.e., although this genus may resemble Auchenipterus, such an appearance is false

Pseudauchenipterus affinis (Steindachner 1877) Latin for related, referring to presumed close relationship with the similar P. jequitinhonhae

Pseudauchenipterus flavescens (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) Latin for golden yellow, referring to yellow ground color on head, yellow opercle and triangular spot behind eye, yellow sides and ventral surface, and plain yellow fins

Pseudauchenipterus jequitinhonhae (Steindachner 1877) of the rio Jequitinhonha, southeastern Brazil, type locality

Pseudauchenipterus nodosus (Bloch 1794) Latin for knotty, referring to large swelling at base of dorsal fin

Pseudepapterus Steindachner 1915 pseudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false, referring to similarity of P. hasemani to Epapterus dispilurus, particularly the reduced dorsal fin

Pseudepapterus cucuhyensis Böhlke 1951 ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Cucuhy (or Cucuí), a Brazilian district at the border with Colombia, type locality

Pseudepapterus gracilis Ferraris & Vari 2000 Latin for slender or thin, referring to more elongate body compared to congeners

Pseudepapterus hasemani (Steindachner 1915) in honor of American zoologist John D. Haseman (1882–1969), field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who collected holotype

Pseudotatia Mees 1974 pseudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false, referring to “same general body-shape” as Tatia, but with higher ray counts in all but the caudal fin

Pseudotatia parva Mees 1974 Latin for small, described at 32.5–46.0 mm SL

Spinipterus Akama & Ferrraris 2011 spini-, from spinus (L.), thorn or spine; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, referring to four rows of serrations along pectoral- and dorsal-fin spines

Spinipterus acsi Akama & Ferraris 2011 named for ACSI, acronym of the All Catfishes Species Inventory, supported by the Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Program of the National Science Foundation

Spinipterus moijiri Rocha, Rossoni, Akama & Zuanon 2019 name for this catfish (actual meaning unknown) among the Paumari Indians who inhabit the rio Tapauá, rio Purus basin, Amazonas, Brazil, type locality

Tetranematichthys Bleeker 1858 tetrá (Gr. τετρά), four, and nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread, referring to four very small barbels on adults; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Tetranematichthys barthemi Peixoto & Wosiacki 2010 in honor of Ronaldo Borges Barthem, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi (Belém, Pará, Brazil), for his contribution to ichthyology, in particular to fisheries ecology in the Amazon

Tetranematichthys quadrifilis (Kner 1858) quadri-, from quattuor (L.), four; filis (scientific Neo-Latin), thread-like or filiform thread, referring to four very small barbels on adults

Tetranematichthys wallacei Vari & Ferraris 2006 in honor of English naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913), who collected and first illustrated this species in his expedition to the Rio Negro and Rio Uaupés region (1850–1852)

Tocantinsia Mees 1974ia (L. suffix), belonging to: known only from the rio Tocantins basin, Brazil

Tocantinsia piresi (Miranda Ribeiro 1920) in honor of Miranda Ribeiro’s good friend Antenor Pires, taxidermist on expedition during which holotype was collected

Trachelyichthys Mees 1974 trachely, referring to close similarity to and relationship with Trachelyopterus; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Trachelyichthys decaradiatus Mees 1974 deca-, from decem (L.) ten; radiatus (L.), rayed, referring to 10 rays in ventral fin

Trachelyichthys exilis Greenfield & Glodek 1977 Latin for thin or slender, referring to slender (or shallower) posterior cleithral process compared with T. decaradiatus

Trachelyopterichthys Bleeker 1862 Trachelyopterus, referring to previous placement of T. taeniatus in that genus; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Trachelyopterichthys anduzei Ferraris & Fernandez 1987 in honor of Pablo J. Anduze (1902–1989), Venezuelan explorer, ethnologist, medical entomologist, and former governor of Amazonas State, Venezuela, for his continued interest in the natural history of Venezuela’s Amazon region

Trachelyopterichthys taeniatus (Kner 1858) Latin for banded, referring to dark-brown longitudinal stripes on sides

Trachelyopterus Valenciennes 1840 tráchēlos (Gr. τράχηλος), neck or throat; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, presumably referring to elevated nape of T. coriaceus, which gives the appearance that dorsal fin originates at the neck region

Trachelyopterus albicrux (Berg 1901) albus (L.), white; crux (L.), cross (wooden frame for execution), referring to white cross-like marking when viewed from above

Trachelyopterus amblops (Meek & Hildebrand 1913) amblýs (Gr. ἀμβλύς), blunt; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), referring to short, “bluntish” head\

Trachelyopterus ceratophysus (Kner 1858) cerato-, from kératos (Gr. κέρατος), genitive of kéras (κέρας), horn; physus, from physa (Gr. φύσα), bladder, referring to two horn-shaped diverticula at terminal end of swim bladder

Trachelyopterus coriaceus Valenciennes 1840 Latin for leathery, i.e., cuirass-like, presumably referring to its bony cephalic shield

Trachelyopterus cratensis (Miranda Ribeiro 1937)ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Crato, Ceará, Brazil, where type locality (rio Granjeiro) is situated

Trachelyopterus fisheri (Eigenmann 1916) in honor of automotive and real estate entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher (1874–1939) of Indianapolis, Indiana (USA), “who helped to make possible a second expedition to the type locality [Columbia] of this species” (possibly first cousin of Homer G. Fisher [1888–1918], Eigenmann’s student and co-author of several fish species collected during the Columbia expedition)

Trachelyopterus galeatus (Linnaeus 1766) Latin for helmeted, presumably referring to skin-covered cephalic shield

Trachelyopterus insignis (Steindachner 1878) Latin for marked, distinctive or conspicuous, presumably referring to color pattern: one specimen with numerous dark purple spots and marblings on upper half of body, a second specimen with spots all over body and fins

Trachelyopterus lacustris (Lütken 1874) Latin for of or belonging to a lake (lacustrine), described from Lagoa Santa (and from Rio das Velhas), Minas Gerais, Brazil

Trachelyopterus leopardinus (Borodin 1927) Latin for leopard-like, presumably referring to its “striking ornamental coloration”: black irregular longitudinal stripes all over head, body and fins, and belly “prettily sprinkled” with gray dots

Trachelyopterus lucenai Bertoletti, Pezzi da Silva & Pereira 1995 in honor of Carlos Alberto Santos de Lucena, curator of fishes, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia de Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (where second and third authors were students)

Trachelyopterus peloichthys (Schultz 1944) pēlós (Gr. πηλός), clay, earth or mud, “living in very muddy bottoms with much vegetable debris”; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish

Trachelyopterus porosus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) Latin for pored or full of holes, referring to “conspicuous” pores on snout and sides of head

Trachelyopterus striatulus (Steindachner 1877) diminutive of striatus (L.), furrowed, presumably referring to its elongate fontanelle

Trachelyopterus teaguei (Devincenzi 1942) in honor of Gerard Warden Teague (1885–1974), amateur ichthyologist-herpetologist, British Vice-Consul for Paraguay, and Director of Midland Uruguay Railway Company, and Devincenzi’s “enthusiastic collaborator” (translation), who collected part of the type series and co-authored volume in which description appeared

Trachycorystes Bleeker 1858 tautonymous with Auchenipterus trachycorystes Valenciennes 1840 (see species, below)

Trachycorystes menezesi Britski & Akama 2011 in honor of Naércio A. Menezes (b. 1937), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, who participated in 1976 expedition during which holotype was collected, for his “major” contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical fishes

Trachycorystes trachycorystes (Valenciennes 1840) trachýs (Gr. τραχύς), jagged or rough; korystḗs (Gr. κορυστής), helmeted man, referring to rugose cranial shield

Tympanopleura Eigenmann 1912 tympano-, from tympanum (L.), drum (i.e., eardrum); pleurá (Gr. πλευρά), side, referring to prominent pseudotympanum (translucent, triangular area behind opercle said to improve hearing) consisting of an area on side of body devoid of epaxial musculature where gas bladder contacts internal coelomic wall

Tympanopleura atronasus (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) atro-, from ater (L.), black; nasus (L.), nose, referring to intense black pigmentation on tip of snout in live and freshly preserved specimens

Tympanopleura brevis (Steindachner 1881) Latin for short, allusion not explained, possibly referring to its relatively short head compared with Ageneiosus brevifilis (=inermis), its presumed congener at the time

Tympanopleura cryptica Walsh, Ribeiro & Rapp Py-Daniel 2015 Latin for hidden or secret, referring to close morphological and pigmentation similarities with congeners and to its previously unrecognized taxonomic distinctiveness

Tympanopleura longipinna Walsh, Ribeiro & Rapp Py-Daniel 2015 longus (L.), long; pinna (L.), fin, referring to its long, multi-rayed anal fin relative to congeners

Tympanopleura piperata Eigenmann 1912 Latin for peppered, sides “everywhere lightly peppered with chromatophores”

Tympanopleura rondoni (Miranda Ribeiro 1914) in honor of Cândido Rondon (1865–1958), Brazilian army engineer and explorer, whose Rondon Commission to install telegraph poles from Mato Grosso to Amazonas included expedition during which holotype was collected