COMMENTS
v. 4.0 – 18 Oct. 2024 view/download PDF
Family ACHIRIDAE American Soles
6 genera · 36 species
Achirus Lacepède 1802 tautonymous with Pleuronectes achirus Linnaeus 1758
Achirus achirus (Linnaeus 1758) a-, without; cheiros, hand, referring to lack of pectoral fins (although on most specimens the pectoral fin on eyed side is present but rudimentary, with just 3-4 rays)
Achirus declivis Chabanaud 1940 steep, allusion not explained, proposed as a subspecies of A. achirus with a rostral-dorsal profile inclined from the mouth and slightly arched, perhaps referring to its more inclined or sloping form (at least to Chabanaud’s eyes)
Achirus klunzingeri (Steindachner 1880) patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of German physician and zoologist Carl Benjamin Klunzinger (1834-1914)
Achirus lineatus (Linnaeus 1758) lined, referring to 7-8 blackish narrow, vertical lines on eyed side of body
Achirus mazatlanus (Steindachner 1869) –ana, belonging to: Mazatlán, Sinaloa, México, type locality (occurs in eastern Pacific from Baja California to Peru)
Achirus mucuri Ramos, Ramos & Lopes 2009 named for Mucuri River estuary, Mucuri, Bahia, Brazil, type locality
Achirus novoae Cervigón 1982 in honor of Daniel Novoa R., President of the Venezuelan Ministry of Agriculture’s National Institute of Fish and Fisheries, who collected part of the type series and has worked for over 10 years on fisheries of the Orinoco River basin (he also edited volume in which description appeared) [although named after a man, “ae” is, per Latin grammar, an acceptable way to form a genitive from nouns that end in “a”]
Achirus scutum (Günther 1862) shield, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to scales on nape nearly twice as large as those on body
Achirus zebrinus Clark 1936 referring to “zebra-like markings” on eyed side
Apionichthys Kaup 1858 apion, pear, referring to “pear-shaped form” (translation) of A. dumerili; ichthys, fish
Apionichthys asphyxiatus (Jordan 1889) deprived of air, referring to absence of gill opening on eyed side
Apionichthys dumerili Kaup 1858 in honor of August Duméril (1812-1870), herpetologist and ichthyologist, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), Kaup’s “talented” friend, as a “token of [his] esteem and friendship” (translation)
Apionichthys finis (Eigenmann 1912) edge, boundary or end, allusion not explained nor evident (although it is interesting to note that this species is #128 of the 128 new species Eigenmann described from his 1908 expedition to Guyana, the last new species described in his monograph and its placement coming near the end)
Apionichthys menezesi Ramos 2003 in honor of zoologist Naércio Aquino Menezes (b. 1937), Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo (Brazil)
Apionichthys nattereri (Steindachner 1876) in honor of Johann Natterer (1787-1843), who explored South America and collected specimens for 18 years, including type of this species
Apionichthys rosai Ramos 2003 in honor of ichthyologist Ricardo de Sousa Rosa (b. 1954), Universidade Federal da Paraíba (Paraíba, Brazil)
Apionichthys sauli Ramos 2003 in honor of William Saul (b. 1944), former collection manager of fishes at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, who helped collect type in 1973
Apionichthys seripierriae Ramos 2003 in honor of Dione Seripierri, Head Librarian, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo
Catathyridium Chabanaud 1928 cata-, low; thyridium, small door, referring to low and anterior opening in interbranchial septum (tissue layer separating two halves of gill), in contrast to higher and more posterior opening in Anathyridium (=Achirus)
Catathyridium garmani (Jordan 1889) in honor of Harvard ichthyologist-herpetologist Samuel Garman (1843-1927), to whose “kindly aid” Jordan has been “much indebted” in his studies of South American fishes
Catathyridium grandirivi (Chabanaud 1928) of grandis, large and rivus, stream, i.e., Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil, type locality
Catathyridium jenynsii (Günther 1862) in honor of English clergyman and naturalist Leonard Jenyns (1800-1893), who reported this flatfish as Achirus lineatus in 1842
Catathyridium lorentzii (Weyenbergh 1877) in honor of Paul (Pablo) Günther Lorentz (1835-1881), German botanist and mycologist; he drew the attention of Weyenberg (a former colleague) to the existence of this species
Gymnachirus Kaup 1858 gymnos, bare or naked, related and/or similar to Achirus but lacking scales on body
Gymnachirus labyrinthicus Cervigón 2018 Latin for labyrinthine, referring to color pattern on eyed side [provisionally included here; perhaps a synonym of G. nudus (R. Robertson, pers. comm.)]
Gymnachirus melas Nichols 1916 black, referring to “uniform inky black” color in spirits (tips of caudal rays whitish)
Gymnachirus nudus Kaup 1858 bare or naked, referring to lack of scales on body
Gymnachirus texae (Gunter 1936) of Texas (latinized as texa), USA, where type locality (Padre Island, Port Aransas) is situated
Hypoclinemus Chabanaud 1928 hypo-, under; cli[sto], close (i.e., shut); nema, thread, referring to opercular membrane connected to pelvic branch of urohyal, ventrally closing the gill chambers
Hypoclinemus mentalis (Günther 1862) pertaining to the chin, presumably referring to “very broad” chin region, the lower jaw “somewhat prominent”
Trinectes Rafinesque 1832 tri-, three; nectes, swimmer, referring to “only three fins, dorsal, anal and caudal” of T. scabra (=maculatus) [rudimentary pectoral fin sometimes present on eyed side of body]
Trinectes fimbriatus (Günther 1862) fringed, referring to broad, serrated fringes on lower lip of eyed side of body
Trinectes fluviatilis (Meek & Hildebrand 1928) of a river, entire type series “taken in fresh water, from streams below the head of tide”
Trinectes fonsecensis (Günther 1862) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Gulf of Fonseca (bordering El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua), type locality (but occurs in coastal waters, including fresh water, from Gulf of California to Peru)
Trinectes hubbsbollinger Duplain, Chapleau & Munroe 2012 in honor of ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894-1979) and his student John A. Bollinger, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who recognized this species as distinct in 1967 but did not name it
Trinectes inscriptus (Gosse 1851) inscribed, referring to “irregular network of rich, deep brown, confluent lines” on eyed side of head, body, and dorsal and anal fins
Trinectes maculatus (Bloch & Schneider 1801) spotted, referring to black spots on both sides of body (usually fainter and sometimes absent on blind side)
Trinectes microphthalmus (Chabanaud 1928) micro-, small; ophthalmus, eye, referring to very small (“très petits”) eyes
Trinectes opercularis (Nichols & Murphy 1944) opercular, referring to “considerable scaleless area” on lower part of opercle on both eyed and blind sides
Trinectes paulistanus (Miranda Ribeiro 1915) –anus, belonging to: Brazilian state of São Paulo, where co-type locality (Santos) is situated
Trinectes xanthurus Walker & Bollinger 2001 xanthus, yellow; ouros, tail, referring to pale yellow or light-brown caudal fin
Family PARALICHTHODIDAE Peppered Flounder
Paralichthodes Gilchrist 1902 –oides, having the form of: described as “Nearest” to Paralichthys (Paralichthyidae)
Paralichthodes algoensis Gilchrist 1902 -ensis, suffix denoting place: Algoa Bay, South Africa, type locality
Family RHOMBOSOLEIDAE South Pacific Flounders
8 genera · 20 species
Ammotretis Günther 1862 ammos, sand; tretos, hole, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its ability to quickly bury itself and disappear into a shallow hole in the sand when startled (Peter Last, pers. comm.)
Ammotretis brevipinnis Norman 1926 brevis, short; pinnis, fin, referring to shorter dorsal and anal fins compared to A. rostratus
Ammotretis elongatus McCulloch 1914 elongate, referring to “comparatively narrow form” compared to congeners known at the time
Ammotretis lituratus (Richardson 1844) blotted or blurred, presumably referring to “some minute dark specks widely dispersed” over eyed side of specimens “after long maceration in spirits”
Ammotretis macrolepis McCulloch 1914 macro-, large; lepis, scale, referring to larger scales compared to A. tudori (=lituratus)
Ammotretis rostratus Günther 1862 beaked, referring to snout produced into a fleshy hook that hangs freely in front of mouth
Azygopus Norman 1926 azygos, unwedded or solitary; pous, foot, referring to pelvic fin of eyed side separated from anal fin
Azygopus flemingi Nielsen 1961 in honor of geologist-zoologist Charles Alexander Fleming (1916-1987), Wellington, New Zealand, member of Galathea expedition to Tasman Sea, during which type was collected
Azygopus pinnifasciatus Norman 1926 pinnis, fin; fasciatus, banded, referring to series of short blackish bars on eyed side of dorsal and anal fins
Colistium Norman 1926 etymology not explained, perhaps –ium, like and colis, stalk or cabbage, referring to “olfactory laminae arranged in pinnate form, radiating from a very short median rachis,” compared to Ammotretis, in which olfactory laminae are parallel to one another and to main axis of body with no central rachis (=plant stem bearing flower stalks at short intervals)
Colistium guentheri (Hutton 1873) in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Albert Günther (1830-1914), “without whose previous labours it would have been impossible” for Hutton to have “drawn up” his 1872 “Fishes of New Zealand” [originally misspelled guntheri]
Colistium nudipinnis (Waite 1911) nudus, bare or naked; pinnis, fin, referring to lack of scales on fin rays (except for caudal fin)
Pelotretis Waite 1911 pelos, mud; tretis, hole, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its ability to quickly bury itself and disappear into a shallow hole in shallow mudflats when startled
Pelotretis flavilatus Waite 1911 flavus, yellow; latus, side, referring to yellow blind side of body
Peltorhamphus Günther 1862 pelta, small shield; rhamphus, snout, presumably referring to snout of P. novaezeelandiae, “flat, sharp, produced downwards into a curved hook-like appendage”
Peltorhamphus kryptostomus Munroe 2021 krypto-, hidden; stomus, mouth, referring to mouth on eyed side being mostly hidden by broad rostral flap
Peltorhamphus latus James 1972 wide, referring to relatively deep body compared to congeners
Peltorhamphus novaezeelandiae Günther 1862 of New Zealand, where it occurs (also occurs off Norfolk Island)
Peltorhamphus tenuis James 1972 narrow, referring to relatively small body depth compared to congeners
Psammodiscus Günther 1862 psammos, sand; discus, disc, allusion not explained, possibly referring to sand-like color on eyed side of roundish body (occurs on sandy bottoms but probably not named for this since Günther indicated habitat as “?”)
Psammodiscus ocellatus Günther 1862 with eye-like spots, referring to a “deep-brown ocellus, edged with whitish, immediately below the middle of the straight portion of the lateral line; another similar but less distinct ocellus above the lateral line, behind the curve”
Rhombosolea Günther 1862 etymology not explained, presumably a combination of Rhombus (original genus of R. plebeius, now a synonym of Scophthalmus, Scophthalmidae) and Solea (Soleidae), referring to resemblance to both genera
Rhombosolea leporina Günther 1862 rabbit-like, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to upper jaw slightly overlapping lower
Rhombosolea plebeia (Richardson 1843) commonplace, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its being found in most coastal waters around New Zealand; based on an unpublished name coined by Swedish naturalist Daniel Solander (1733-1782)
Rhombosolea retiaria Hutton 1874 –aria, of or belonging to: rete, a net, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to net-like pattern formed by “large and deeply sunken scales” on eyed side of body
Rhombosolea tapirina Günther 1862 tapir-like, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to jaws overlapped anteriorly by a cutaneous flap (like the nose trunk of a tapir)
Taratretis Last 1978 tara, from Taras Bulba, a very fast Australian racehorse (ca. 1974); tretis, close relative of Ammotretis, both of which are capable of moving and burying themselves quickly (Peter Last, pers. comm.)
Taratretis derwentensis Last 1978 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Derwent River estuary off Nutgrove Beach, Tasmania, Australia, type locality (also occurs off New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia)
Family ACHIROPSETTIDAE Southern or Armless Flounders
4 genera · 4 species · Taxonomic note: Nested within family Rhombosoleidae according to some authors.
Achiropsetta Norman 1930 a-, without and cheiros, hand, referring to absence of pectoral fins; psetta, Greek for flatfish
Achiropsetta tricholepis Norman 1930 trichos, hair or ray; lepis, scale, referring to “long spinules directed vertically” on small ctenoid scales, “giving the skin a pilose appearance”
Mancopsetta Gill 1881 mancus, crippled or lame, referring to rudimentary pectoral fin on eyed side and absent on blind side; psetta, Greek for flatfish
Mancopsetta maculata (Günther 1880) spotted, referring to brown eyed side of body and fins “covered with rounded irregular darker spots”
Neoachiropsetta Kotlyar 1978 neo-, new, i.e., a new genus of “armless” (Achiropsetta) flounder
Neoachiropsetta milfordi (Penrith 1965) in honor of C. S. Milford, managing director of the South African trawling firm Messrs. Irvin and Jognson (Pty.) Ltd., for his “generous support for marine biological research”
Pseudomancopsetta Evseenko 1984 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may resemble Mancopsetta, such an appearance is false
Pseudomancopsetta andriashevi Evseenko 1984 in honor of Soviet ichthyologist Anatoly Petrovich Andriashev (1910-2009), “famous expert” (translation) on Antarctic fishes
Family ONCOPTERIDAE Remo Flounder
Oncopterus Steindachner 1874 onco-, hook; pterus, fin, referring to first ray of dorsal fin, stiff, crescent-shaped, and movable, contained in deep groove on blind side of head level with upper eye
Oncopterus darwinii Steindachner 1874 in honor of English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), who wrote about a similar if not identical flounder in his journal notes during the historic second voyage of HMS Beagle (1831-1836)
Family SAMARIDAE Crested Flounders
4 genera · 30 species
Plagiopsetta Franz 1910 plagio, oblique, presumably referring to “almost vertical” (translation) upper profile of P. glossa; psetta, Greek for flatfish
Plagiopsetta biocellata Fricke, Golani & Appelbaum-Golani 2018 bi-, two; ocellata, having eye-like spots, referring to pair of large ocelli on posterior half of eyed side of body
Plagiopsetta glossa Franz 1910 tongue, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to tongue-like shape of body
Plagiopsetta gracilis Mihara & Amaoka 2004 slender, referring to shallower body compared to P. glossa and P. stigmosa
Plagiopsetta stigmosa Mihara & Amaoka 2004 marked, referring to distinct jet-black blotch on pectoral fin
Samaretta Voronina & Suzumoto 2017 –etta, diminutive, in this case evoking the related and similar genera Samaris and Samariscus
Samaretta perexilis Voronina & Suzumoto 2017 per, very; exilis, slender, referring to its “very lean” (translation) body
Samaris Gray 1831 etymology not explained nor evident; possibly coined by naturalist John Reeves (1774-1856), who discovered S. cristatus while working as a tea inspector in China
Samaris chesterfieldensis Mihara & Amaoka 2004 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Chesterfield Plateau, New Caledonia area, type locality
Samaris costae Quéro, Hensley & Maugé 1989 in honor of marine biologist Maria-José Costa, University of Lisbon, the authors’ collaborator in studying the fishes of Réunion Island (near type locality), western Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean
Samaris cristatus Gray 1831 crested, referring to first 13 or 14 rays of dorsal fin greatly prolonged (except in very young)
Samaris macrolepis Norman 1927 macro-, large; lepis, scale, referring to larger scales compared to S. cristatus, only known congener at the time
Samaris spinea Mihara & Amaoka 2004 of thorns, referring to 2-5 spines along both dorsal and ventral margins of caudal peduncle
Samariscus Gilbert 1905 diminutive of Samaris, i.e., Samaris-like
Samariscus asanoi Ochiai & Amaoka 1962 in honor of Hirotoshi Asano, Kyoto University, who collected type
Samariscus corallinus Gilbert 1905 coralline, referring to “coralline-red” color of head and body in spirits
Samariscus desoutterae Quéro, Hensley & Maugé 1989 in honor of Martine Desoutter-Méniger, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), with whom the authors worked during their flatfish studies
Samariscus filipectoralis Shen 1982 filum, thread; pectoralis, pectoral, referring to first ray of pectoral fin on eyed side of body, filamentous and elongated, slightly less than twice length of head
Samariscus hexaradiatus Díaz de Astarloa, Causse & Pruvost 2014 hexa, six; radiatus, rayed, referring to 6 pectoral-fin rays on eyed side of body, compared to 4 or 5 among congeners
Samariscus huysmani Weber 1913 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of J. W. Huysman, artist of the Siboga expedition (1898-1899) to Indonesia, during which type was collected
Samariscus inornatus (Lloyd 1909) unadorned, referring to absence of prolonged dorsal-fin rays as in Samaris cristatus, its presumed congener at the time
Samariscus japonicus Kamohara 1936 Japanese, referring to its occurrence in Japanese waters (e.g., East China Sea)
Samariscus latus Matsubara & Takamuki 1951 wide, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to wider (deeper) body compared to S. japonicus
Samariscus leopardus Voronina 2009 referring to leopard-like pattern of small black spots on eyed side of head, fins and body
Samariscus longimanus Norman 1927 longus, long; manus, hand, referring to pectoral fin on eyed side twice as long as head
Samariscus luzonensis Fowler 1934 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Luzon Island, Philippines, type locality (also occurs off Viêt Nam)
Samariscus macrognathus Fowler 1934 macro-, long; gnathus, jaw, referring to “greatly larger mouth, longer maxillary, [and] longer mandible” compared to the closely related S. inornatus
Samariscus maculatus (Günther 1880) spotted, referring to series of five “distant” black spots along dorsal profile, a similar series along anal profile, and a third series of three spots along lateral line of eyed side
Samariscus multiradiatus Kawai, Amaoka & Séret 2008 multi-, many; radiatus, rayed, referring to more dorsal- and anal-fin rays compared to congeners
Samariscus neocaledonia Kawai, Amaoka & Séret 2011 –ia, belonging to: New Caledonia, where it appears to be endemic
Samariscus nielseni Quéro, Hensley & Maugé 1989 in honor of Jørgen G. Nielsen (b. 1932), Curator of Fishes, Zoological Museum of Copenhagen, author of many works on flatfishes
Samariscus sunieri Weber & de Beaufort 1929 in honor of Armand Louis Jean Sunier (1886-1974), Dutch biologist and later director of Artis Zoo Amsterdam
Samariscus triocellatus Woods 1960 tri-, three; ocellatus, with eye-like spots, referring to three ocelli just below lateral line on eyed side
Samariscus xenicus Ochiai & Amaoka 1962 strange, referring to its dwarf form, reaching 61.5 mm SL
Family POECILOPSETTIDAE Bigeye Flounders
3 genera · 21 species
Marleyella Fowler 1925 –ella, diminutive connoting endearment: in honor of Natal fisheries officer Harold Walter Bell-Marley (1872-1945), who collected many South African fishes for Fowler
Marleyella bicolorata (von Bonde 1922) bi-, two; colorata, colored, presumably referring to bluish black color, tinted with green, on both sides of body
Marleyella maldivensis Norman 1939 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Maldives, Indian Ocean, type locality
Nematops Günther 1880 nema-, thread; ops, eye, referring to tentacle, nearly as long as eye, attached to posterior half of eyes of N. microstoma
Nematops grandisquama Weber & de Beaufort 1929 grandis, large; squamus, scale, referring to larger scales compared to N. microstoma
Nematops macrochirus Norman 1931 macro-, long or large; cheiros, hand, referring to pectoral fin on eyed side, slightly longer than length of head
Nematops microstoma Günther 1880 micro-, small; stoma, mouth, referring to narrow cleft of mouth
Nematops nanosquama Amaoka, Kawai & Séret 2006 nanus, small; squama, scale, having the smallest scales in the genus
Poecilopsetta Günther 1880 poecilio-, varicolored, presumably referring to color pattern of P. colorata; psetta, Greek for flatfish
Poecilopsetta albomaculata Norman 1939 albus, white; maculata, spotted, referring to four series of rounded, white spots, one on either side of straight portion of lateral line and one near each edge of eyed side of body
Poecilopsetta beanii (Goode 1881) in honor of Goode’s associate, ichthyologist Tarleton H. Bean (1846-1916), U.S. National Museum
Poecilopsetta colorata Günther 1880 colored, presumably referring to numerous black spots on head and body, blackish dorsal and anal fins, large black spot near upper and lower margins of caudal fin, and large black spot occupying nearly entire pectoral fin, all on eyed side of body
Poecilopsetta dorsialta Guibord & Chapleau 2001 dorsi-, dorsal; alta, high, referring to long first dorsal-fin ray and overall height of dorsal fin
Poecilopsetta hawaiiensis Gilbert 1905 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Pailolo Channel, between Molokai and Maui, Hawai‘i, type locality (endemic to Hawaiian Ridge)
Poecilopsetta inermis (Breder 1927) unarmed, referring to its “weak” (i.e., thin and deciduous) cycloid scales
Poecilopsetta macrocephala Hoshino, Amaoka & Last 2001 macro-, large; cephala, head, referring to relatively larger head compared to the similar P. natalensis and P. vaynei
Poecilopsetta multiradiata Kawai, Amaoka & Séret 2010 multi-, many; radiata, rayed, referring to more dorsal-fin rays compared to congeners
Poecilopsetta natalensis Norman 1931 –ensis, suffix denoting place: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, type locality (occurs in western Indian Ocean from East and South Africa, Madagascar and Réunion [western Mascarenes] east to Maldives)
Poecilopsetta normani Foroshchuk & Fedorov 1992 in honor of ichthyologist J. R. (John Roxborough) Norman (1898-1944), British Museum, who made “great contributions” (translation) to the study of flatfishes and described three species of Poecilopsetta
Poecilopsetta pectoralis Kawai & Amaoka 2006 referring to long pectoral fin on eyed side
Poecilopsetta plinthus (Jordan & Starks 1904) brick, allusion not explained, possibly referring to “pinkish slaty-brown” color on eyed side, “usually mottled with black”
Poecilopsetta praelonga Alcock 1894 prae-, in front of; longus, long, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to more elongate and forward-projecting head compared to P. maculosa (=colorata), described in same publication
Poecilopsetta vaynei Quéro, Hensley & Maugé 1988 in honor of scientific illustrator Jean-Jacques Vayne, who provided the illustrations in the authors’ paper, and with whom they have been working since 1973
Poecilopsetta zanzibarensis Norman 1939 –ensis, suffix denoting place: near Zanzibar, Tanzania, western Indian Ocean, type locality