Updated 16 Sept. 2024
PDF version (with illustrations and additional information)
Three-barbeled Catfishes
Subfamily HEPTAPTERINAE Gill 1861
Acentronichthys Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1889 á– (ἄ), Greek privative, without, and centro-, from kéntron (Gr. κέντρον), any sharp point, referring to spineless dorsal and pectoral fins; ichthýs (Gr. ἰχθύς), fish
Acentronichthys leptos Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1889 leptós (Gr. λεπτός), thin or slender, referring to extremely elongate body
Brachyglanis Eigenmann 1912 brachýs (Gr. βραχύς), short, referring to very short occipital process; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish
Brachyglanis frenatus Eigenmann 1912 Latin for bridled, referring to dark streak from anterior nares to upper angle of gill opening
Brachyglanis magoi Fernández-Yépez 1967 in honor of fellow Venezuelan ichthyologist Francisco Mago-Leccia (1931–2004)
Brachyglanis melas Eigenmann 1912 mélas (Gr. μέλας), black, referring to its uniform light-brown to blue-black coloration
Brachyglanis microphthalmus Bizerril 1991 small-eyed, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small, and ophthalmós (Gr. ὀφθαλμός), eye, referring to its poorly developed eyes
Brachyglanis phalacra Eigenmann 1912 phalákra (Gr. φαλάκρα), bald-headed, referring to large quadrate yellow spot just behind head
Cetopsorhamdia Eigenmann & Fisher 1916 ceto, from kḗtos (Gr. κῆτος), any big “fish” (larger than a human), in particular a whale; ópsis (Gr. ὄψις), appearance, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to superficial resemblance to the whale catfish genus Cetopsis (Cetopsidae), i.e., a whale- or cetopsid-like Rhamdia
Cetopsorhamdia boquillae Eigenmann 1922 of Boquilla, Río Cauca, Colombia, type locality
Cetopsorhamdia clathrata Bockmann & Reis 2021 clathrata (L.), furnished with a grate or lattice (authors say “latticed, screened, or reticulate”), referring to its crisscross color pattern
Cetopsorhamdia filamentosa Fowler 1945 Latin for filamentous, referring to long maxillary barbels, which reach base of ventral fins
Cetopsorhamdia hidalgoi Faustino-Fuster & de Souza 2021 in honor of colleague and friend Max Hidalgo, curator, Ichthyology Department, Museo de Historia Natural in the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, for his devotion and dedication to Peruvian ichthyology; he collected holotype and many specimens of the type series on expeditions that led to the creation of multiple conservation areas
Cetopsorhamdia iheringi Schubart & Gomes 1959 in honor of Rodolpho von Ihering (1883–1939), German-Brazilian zoologist, malacologist, geologist and fish culturist, founder, Estação Experimental de Biologia e Piscicultura (Piraçununga, Brazil), a “pioneer in the study and culture of Brazilian freshwater fishes” (translation)
Cetopsorhamdia insidiosa (Steindachner 1915) Latin for cunning, insidious or sly, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its great (and therefore misleading) similarity to Rhamdella montana
Cetopsorhamdia molinae Miles 1943 in honor of Ciro Molina Garcés (1891–1953), Secretary of Agriculture and Development, Valle del Cauca, for understanding the value of systematic research in all branches of science to the state and national economies of Colombia [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from a masculine noun that ends in “a”]
Cetopsorhamdia nasus Eigenmann & Fisher 1916 Latin for nose, referring to its projecting snout
Cetopsorhamdia orinoco Schultz 1944 named for the Río Orinoco system, Venezuela, type locality
Cetopsorhamdia phantasia Stewart 1985 phantasíā (Gr. φᾰντᾰσῐ́ᾱ), appearance, display or image, said by Stewart to mean fanciful or fantastic, allusion not explained, presumably referring to “striking” coloration with iridescent green on head and anterior part of body
Cetopsorhamdia picklei Schultz 1944 in honor of Chesley B. Pickle, Lago Petroleum Corporation, who aided Schultz in the collection of fishes at the southern end of Lago Maracaibo, Venezuela
Cetopsorhamdia shermani Schultz 1944 in honor of Roger H. Sherman (1904–1954), Standard Oil Co. of Venezuela, who helped Schultz “in many ways” while he was in Venezuela (e.g., he took Schultz on a collecting trip to the upper Rio Guarico, type locality)
Cetopsorhamdia spilopleura Bockmann & Reis 2021 spílos (Gr. σπίλος), mark or spot; pleurá (Gr. πλευρά), side, referring to 18–22 irregular, vertical brown bars on sides
Chasmocranus Eigenmann 1912 chásma (Gr. χάσμα), yawning chasm or gaping mouth; cranus, from krános (Gr. κράνος), helmet, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to cavernous appearance of head of C. longior caused by swollen cheeks
Chasmocranus brachynema Gomes & Schubart 1958 brachýs (Gr. βραχύς), short; nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread or yarn, referring to short maxillary barbels (29 mm), not quite reaching origin of pectoral fin [sometimes misspelled as brachynemus]
Chasmocranus brevior Eigenmann 1912 Latin for shorter, referring to shorter adipose fin compared with C. longior
Chasmocranus chimantanus Inger 1956 –anus (L.), belonging to: west side of Chimantá-tepui (a mesa or table-top mountain), Venezuela, type locality
Chasmocranus longior Eigenmann 1912 Latin for longer, referring to longer adipose fin compared with C. brevior
Chasmocranus lopezi Miranda Ribeiro 1968 in honor of Chilean zoologist Maria Theresa Lopez (1927–2006), Centro de Investigaciones Zoologicas de Universidade de Chile (Santiago), who collected holotype [preferably spelled lopezae since name honors a woman, but ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction]
Chasmocranus peruanus Eigenmann & Pearson 1942 –anus (L.), belonging to: Amazon River basin of Peru, where it is endemic
Chasmocranus quadrizonatus Pearson 1937 quadri-, from quattuor (L.), four; zonatus (L.), banded, referring to four wide dark-brown bands on back
Chasmocranus rosae Eigenmann 1922 matronym not identified, probably in honor of Eigenmann’s wife Rosa Smith (1858–1947), an ichthyologist herself
Chasmocranus surinamensis (Bleeker 1862) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Suriname, where it is endemic to the Suriname River basin
Chasmocranus truncatorostris Borodin 1927 truncatus (L.), truncate; rostris, Neo-Latin scientific adjective of rostrum (L.), snout, referring to its “squarely truncate” or square-cut snout
Gladioglanis Ferraris & Mago-Leccia 1989 gladius (L.), sword, referring to strong and massive pectoral spine of G. machadoi; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish
Gladioglanis anacanthus Rocha, de Oliveira & Rapp Py-Daniel 2008 án (Gr. privative, ἄν), i.e., without; acanthus, spine, referring to absence of dorsal-fin spine
Gladioglanis conquistador Lundberg, Bornbusch & Mago-Leccia 1991 Spanish word for conqueror, referring to “well-armored spines that are the theme underlying the name Gladioglanis”
Gladioglanis machadoi Ferraris & Mago-Leccia 1989 in honor of Antonio Machado Allison (b. 1945), Universidad Central de Venezuela (Caracas), for his interest in Venezuelan freshwater fishes and for being the first to collect this species
Heptapterus Bleeker 1858 heptá (Gr. ἑπτά), seven; pterus, from pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), fin, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to confluent adipose and caudal fins of H. mustelinus, which gives the appearance that it has seven instead of eight fins
Heptapterus bleekeri Boeseman 1953 in honor of Dutch army surgeon and ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker (1819–1878) who proposed the genus in 1858
Heptapterus carmelitanorum Azevedo-Santos, Deprá, Aguilera, Faustino-Fuster & Katz 2022 –orum (L.), commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Carmelitanos (in Portuguese), local name of people born or living in Carmo do Rio Claro (Minas Gerais, Brazil), type locality, particularly Ana Maria Vilela Soares, José Cândido de Mello Carvalho, Moara Lemos and Carlos Roberto Bueno Júnior, for their contributions to biology
Heptapterus carnatus Faustino-Fuster, Bockmann & Malabarba 2019 Latin for corpulent or fat, referring to its body shape, particularly anterior body before dorsal-fin origin
Heptapterus exilis Faustino-Fuster, Bockmann & Malabarba 2019 Latin for thin or meager, referring to its body shape
Heptapterus fissipinnis Miranda Ribeiro 1911 fissus (L.), cleaved or split; scientific Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, presumably referring to forked caudal fin
Heptapterus hollandi (Haseman 1911) in honor of Jamaican-born American zoologist-paleontologist William J. Holland (1848–1932), Director of the Carnegie Museum, which sponsored several expeditions to South America
Heptapterus longicauda (Borodin 1927) longus (L.), long; cauda (L.), tail, referring to its “extraordinarily” long caudal fin, 2½ times in body length
Heptapterus mandimbusu Aguilera, Benitez, Terán, Alonso & Mirande 2017 combination of the Guaraní words mandí (catfish) and mbusu (eel), referring to its body form and vernacular name used in Argentina to refer to Heptapterus (bagre anguila)
Heptapterus mbya Azpelicueta, Aguilera & Mirande 2011 Guarani name for aborigines who live in the Cuña-Pirú Valley and Parque Provincial Salto Encantado (Misiones, Argentina), where this catfish occurs
Heptapterus multiradiatus Ihering 1907 multi– (L.), many; radiatus (L.), rayed, referring to greater number of anal-fin rays (36) compared with H. mustelinus (15–24)
Heptapterus mustelinus (Valenciennes 1835) Latin for weasel-like, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its elongate weasel-like body (see Rhamdia foina for a similar name)
Heptapterus ornaticeps Ahl 1936 ornatus (L.), adorned or decorated; –ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to dark transverse band extending from gill cover through eye to tip of snout
Heptapterus panamensis (Bussing 1970) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Panama, where type locality (Santa Fe, Veraguas Province) is situated
Heptapterus qenqo Aguilera, Mirande & Azpelicueta 2011 derived from a Quechua word meaning serpentine or sinuous, referring to its swimming behavior
Heptapterus stewarti Haseman 1911 in honor of Douglas Stewart (1873–1926), Curator of Mineralogy and Assistant to the Director of the Carnegie Museum, who “in various ways” assisted Haseman during and after his expedition to Brazil
Heptapterus sympterygium Buckup 1988 syn (Gr. συν), together or joined; pterygium, from pterygion, diminutive of ptéryx (Gr. πτέρυξ), wing or fin, referring to confluent anal and caudal fins
Heptapterus tapanahoniensis Mees 1967 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Tapanahoni River, Suriname, described as very common under stones
Horiomyzon Stewart 1986 hórios (Gr. ὅριος), of boundaries; myzon, from mýzō (Gr. μύζω), to suck, referring to presumed habitat in boundary zone on river bottom and presumed mode of feeding
Horiomyzon retropinnatus Stewart 1986 retro– (L.), back; pinnatus (L.), finned, referring to backward-pointing pectoral fin
Imparfinis Eigenmann & Norris 1900 impar (L.), unequal; finis (L.), end, alluision not explained but probably referring to caudal fin of I. piperatus, whose upper lobe is longer and wider than its lower
Imparfinis cochabambae (Fowler 1940) of the Department of Cochabamba, Bolivia, type locality
Imparfinis guttatus (Pearson 1924) Latin for speckled, referring to large dark spot on supraoccipital, dark spot just behind gill opening, four dark spots on back, and (on juveniles) three spots along sides
Imparfinis hasemani Steindachner 1915 in honor of John D. Haseman (1882–1969), Carl Eigenmann’s student and field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who collected holotype
Imparfinis lepturus Silva, Reia, Morimoto, Benine & Oliveira 2023 thin-tailed, from leptós (Gr. λεπτός), fine or thin, and urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to its depressed caudal peduncle
Imparfinis lineatus (Bussing 1970) Latin for lined, referring to pronounced lateral stripe extending from tip of snout to caudal base
Imparfinis longicauda (Boulenger 1887) longus (L.), long; cauda (L.), tail, referring to long upper caudal-fin lobe, more than ¼ TL [often misspelled longicaudus]
Imparfinis microps Eigenmann & Fisher 1916 micro-, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to small eye, its diameter 12 times in the head
Imparfinis minutus (Lütken 1874) Latin for small, referring to small size (barely 3⅓ uncias, or 82 mm) compared with presumed congeners in Rhamdia
Imparfinis mirini Haseman 1911 named for Rio Piracicaba-mirini, near Piracicaba, Brazil, type locality
Imparfinis mishky Almirón, Casciotta, Bechara, Ruíz Díaz, Bruno, d’Ambrosio, Solimano & Soneira 2007 Quichua word for sweet, in memory of Patricia Garcia Tartalo, friend and student, who died tragically in February 2006
Imparfinis munduruku Castro & Wosiacki 2019 named for the indigenous Munduruku tribe, who traditionally inhabit the banks of the rio Tapajós in southwest Pará (including type locality), northern Mato Grosso, and east Amazonas, Brazil
Imparfinis nemacheir (Eigenmann & Fisher 1916) nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread or yarn; cheír (Gr. χείρ), hand (homologous to the pectoral fin), referring to first pectoral-fin rays prolonged beyond rest of fin (more pronounced in females)
Imparfinis pijpersi (Hoedeman 1961) in honor of H. P. Pijpers, a corporal in the Suriname Army, who provided a rich collection of characins and catfishes from this country, presumably including holotype of this one
Imparfinis piperatus Eigenmann & Norris 1900 Latin for peppered, referring to its densely speckled sides
Imparfinis pristos Mees & Cala 1989 pristós (Gr. πρίστós), sawed or sawn, allusion not explained nor evident
Imparfinis pseudonemacheir Mees & Cala 1989 pseudo-, from pseúdēs (Gr. ψεύδης), false, i.e., although very similar to I. nemacheir, such an appearance is false
Imparfinis robustus Cortés-Hernández, López-Castaño, Milani & DoNascimiento 2023 Latin for of oak or oaken and, by extension, hard, firm or solid (but often used by ichthyologists to mean fat or stout), referring to its body, characteristic of large adults
Imparfinis schubarti (Gomes 1956) in honor of German-born myriapodist Otto Schubart (1900-1962), Estação Experimental de Biologia e Piscicultura do Ministério de Agricultura (São Paulo, Brazil), who studied the stomach contents of five specimens
Imparfinis spurrellii (Regan 1913) in honor of British zoologist Henry George Flaxman Spurrell (1882–1919), who collected holotype
Imparfinis stictonotus (Fowler 1940) stiktós (Gr. στικτός), spotted; nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back, referring to eight blackish saddles on back
Imparfinis timana Ortega-Lara, Milani, DoNascimiento, Villa-Navarro & Maldonado-Ocampo 2011 named for the Timana, indigenous people inhabiting west flank of the eastern cordillera, in the Colombian Andes, from San Agustin to Pitalito (Departamento del Huila), where this catfish occurs
Imparfinis usmai Ortega-Lara, Milani, DoNascimiento, Villa-Navarro & Maldonado-Ocampo 2011 in honor of Saulo Usma, for contributions to ichthyological collection building in the Cauca valley, and for promoting an active interchange between Colombian and Venezuelan ichthyologists ever since his MSc studies in 2000 at Universidad Nacional Experimental de los Llanos Ezequiel Zamora (Guanare, Venezuela)
Leptorhamdia Eigenmann 1918 leptós (Gr. λεπτός), thin or slender, referring to elongate body of L. essequibensis; Rhamdia, a related genus [replacement name for Leptoglanis Eigenmann 1912, preoccupied by Leptoglanis Boulenger 1902 in Amphiliidae]
Leptorhamdia aspredinoides (DoNascimiento & Lundberg 2005) –oides, Neo-Latin from eī́dos (Gr. εἶδος), form or shape: referring to “remarkable” external resemblance to the catfish genus Aspredo (Aspredinidae)
Leptorhamdia essequibensis (Eigenmann 1912) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Essequibo River, Guyana, type locality
Leptorhamdia marmorata Myers 1928 Latin for marbled, described as “marbled and spotted with irregular light spots”
Leptorhamdia nocturna (Myers 1928) Latin for of the night, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its “dull blackish brown” coloration
Leptorhamdia schultzi (Miranda Ribeiro 1964) in honor of Brazilian ethnographer and fish collector Harald Schultz (1909–1966), who collected type
Mastiglanis Bockmann 1994 mástix (Gr. μάστιξ), whip, referring to filamentous pectoral and dorsal fins; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish
Mastiglanis asopos Bockmann 1994 named for Asopós (Ασωπός), Greek river-god, alluding to its widespread distribution throughout the Amazon basin
Mastiglanis durantoni de Pinna & Keith 2019 in honor of entomologist-ichthyologist Michel Duranton, who collected holotype with second author, for his “fascinating work” on the fauna of French Guiana
Mastiglanis yaguas Faustino-Fuster & Ortega 2020 named for Parque Nacional Yaguas in northeastern Peru, created recently (2018) as a conservation area to protect the flora, fauna, and hidden biodiversity of the Amazon
Myoglanis Eigenmann 1912 myós (Gr. μυός), genitive of mū́s (μῦς), muscle, referring to thick layer of muscle covering skull of M. potaroensis; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish
Myoglanis koepckei Chang 1999 in honor of German zoologist Hans-Wilhelm Koepcke (1914–2000), founder and first curator of the ichthyological collections of the Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
Myoglanis potaroensis Eigenmann 1912 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: “either confined to, or most abundant in, the cataracts of the lower Potaro” River in Guyana
Nannoglanis Boulenger 1887 nánnos (Gr. νάννος), dwarf, referring to small size (52 mm TL); glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish
Nannoglanis fasciatus Boulenger 1887 Latin for banded, referring to four broad brown, black-edged crossbands on body
Nemuroglanis Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1889 nḗma (Gr. νῆμα), thread or yarn, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to long, lanceolate tail of N. lanceolatus; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish
Nemuroglanis furcatus Ribeiro, Pedroza & Rapp Py-Daniel 2011 Latin for forked, referring to its deeply forked caudal fin
Nemuroglanis lanceolatus Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1889 Latin for lance-like, referring to its long lanceolate tail
Nemuroglanis mariai (Schultz 1944) in honor of French herpetologist and taxidermist Brother Nicéforo María (1888–1890), monastic name of Antoine Rouhaire, who collected holotype
Nemuroglanis pauciradiatus Ferraris 1988 paucus (L.), few or scanty; radiatus (L.), rayed, referring to relatively low number of anal-fin rays compared to congeners
Pariolius Cope 1872 etymology not explained, perhaps pario-, from pareiá (Gr. παρειά), cheek, and lius, from leī́os (Gr. λεῖος) smooth, referring to absence of “armature” (bony plates) on head of P. armillatus
Pariolius armillatus Cope 1872 Latin for adorned with a collar, referring to a “broad yellow collar [that] extends from the under surface on each side across the bases of the pectoral fins and the vertex”
Pariolius maldonadoi Faustino-Fuster, López-Castaño, Quiñones & Meza-Vargas 2024 in honor of Javier Alejandro Maldonado-Ocampo (1977–2019), for his “great contribution and devotion” to Colombian and Neotropical ichthyology (sadly, he was killed when crossing a river in a small boat; the boat overturned and he was swept downstream)
Pariolius pax Faustino-Fuster, López-Castaño, Quiñones & Meza-Vargas 2024 Latin for peace, named for the Colombian peace process (2012), bringing an end to a conflict between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, allowing for access to territories that were previously not possible, including the type locality (Mapiripán, Meta), where a massacre occurred in 1997
Phenacorhamdia Dahl 1961 phénakos (Gr. φένακος), genitive of phénax (φέναξ), cheat or imposter; Rhamdia, a related genus, i.e., a false Rhamdia, presumably referring to similarity to that genus (although Dahl mentions that it appears related, though not closely, to Chasmocranus, Imparfinis and Pariolius)
Phenacorhamdia anisura (Mees 1987) unequally-tailed, from ánisos (Gr. ἄνισος), unequal, and urus, from ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to “unevenly” forked caudal fin, lower lobe longer than upper lobe
Phenacorhamdia boliviana (Pearson 1924) –ana (L.), belonging to: Bolivia, where type locality (Huachi) is situated
Phenacorhamdia cabocla Rocha, Ramos & Ramos 2018 derived from the Tupí kari’boca, meaning “person proceeding from the white people,” originally referring to descendants from the marriage between native South Americans and European colonizers, but with displacement of Native American peoples now meaning the opposite, i.e., “those proceeding from Native South American people,” used as a pejorative for those living in the countryside without access to technology (a naïve, shy, rude, leery person); as used here, name honors a fisherman from Uruçui Municipality, Piauí State, Brazil, known as “Caboclo Pescador,” who contributed to several fish sampling surveys in the Parnaíba River basin, which resulted in the discovery of this and other species
Phenacorhamdia hoehnei (Miranda Ribeiro 1914) in honor of Brazilian botanist Frederico Carlos Hoehne (1882–1959), who collected holotype
Phenacorhamdia macarenensis Dahl 1961 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Macarena mountain range, Guaviare River basin, Colombia, type locality
Phenacorhamdia nigrolineata Zarske 1998 nigro-, from niger (L.), black; lineatus (L.), lined, referring to narrow black line along lateral line
Phenacorhamdia provenzanoi DoNascimiento & Milani 2008 in honor of Francisco Provenzano R., Instituto de Zoología Tropical de la Universidad Central de Venezuela, for contributions to the knowledge of Venezuelan catfishes and extensive efforts in the study of Aro and Caura fish faunas, which produced many specimens of P. anisura and P. provenzanoi
Phenacorhamdia roxoi Silva 2020 in honor of Fábio Fernandes Roxo, Universidade Estadual Paulista, for contributions to the knowledge of Neotropical ichthyology; he also helped collect part of the type series
Phenacorhamdia somnians (Mees 1974) Latin for dreaming, allusion not explained nor evident
Phenacorhamdia suia Silva, Ochoa & Castro 2022 named for the Suias indigenous people of Brazil, who, since the 1990s, “have stood out in the fight to protect the Suiá-Missu River [type locality] environment and for recovery of their traditional lands outside the limits” of Xingu Indigenous Park (Mato Grosso, Brazil)
Phenacorhamdia taphorni DoNascimiento & Milani 2008 in honor of American ichthyologist Donald C. Taphorn (b. 1951), Museu de Ciencias Naturales (Guanare, Venezuela), for “outstanding contributions to the ichthyological knowledge of the Venezuelan Llanos”
Phenacorhamdia tenebrosa (Schubart 1964) Latin for dark or gloomy, referring to darker coloration compared with Imparfinis piperatus, its presumed congener at the time
Phenacorhamdia tenuis (Mees 1986) Latin for thin or slender, referring to its “extremely slender” body shape
Phenacorhamdia unifasciata Britski 1993 uni– from unus (L.), one; fasciata (L.), banded, referring to wide, longitudinal black band on upper half of body
Rhamdioglanis Ihering 1907 rhamdio-, referring to general shape as Rhamdia; glánis (Gr. γλάνις), ancient name for a silurid catfish (probably Silurus aristotelis) dating to Aristotle, often used as a general term for catfish
Rhamdioglanis frenatus Ihering 1907 Latin for bridled, presumably referring to “dark hues on head, cheeks, back, and caudal regions”
Rhamdioglanis transfasciatus Miranda Ribeiro 1908 trans-, possibly from transversus (L.), crosswise or transverse; fasciatus (L.), banded, referring to transverse black bands on body
Rhamdiopsis Haseman 1911 ópsis (Gr. ὄψις), appearance, allusion not explained, presumably referring to its similarity to Rhamdia
Rhamdiopsis krugi Bockmann & Castro 2010 in honor of Luiz Krug, tour guide based in Lençóis (Bahia, Brazil), for calling the authors’ attention to the existence of this catfish and helping to collect type series, and for his conservation efforts
Rhamdiopsis microcephala (Lütken 1874) small-headed, from mikrós (Gr. μικρός), small, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to its small, rounded head
Rhamdiopsis moreirai Haseman 1911 in honor of Brazilian zoologist Carlos Moreira (1869–1946), Secretary of the Geological Survey of Brazil, who “devoted much time” in assisting Haseman during his stay in Brazil
Taunayia Miranda Ribeiro 1918 –ia (L. suffix), belonging to: Brazilian historian, professor and novelist Alfonso d’Escragnolle Taunay (1876–1958), director, Museu Paulista
Taunayia bifasciata (Eigenmann & Norris 1900) bi-, from bis (L.), twice; fasciata (L.), banded, referring to dark band than runs across body from head to tail, and a second band higher on the body near back between dorsal and adipose fins
Whiskered Catfishes
Subfamily RHAMDIINAE Bleeker 1862
Brachyrhamdia Myers 1927 brachýs (Gr. βραχύς), short, presumably referring to “rather compact” body of B. imitator; Rhamdia, a related genus (although Myers said genus is related to Pimelodella)
Brachyrhamdia heteropleura (Eigenmann 1912) héteros (Gr. ἕτερος), different; pleurá (Gr. πλευρά), side, referring to “punctate” sides, “the chromatophores in the median area between the dorsal and anal gathered along the septa; a median series of chromatophores along the sides”
Brachyrhamdia imitator Myers 1927 Latin for mimic, sympatric with and very similar in form and color to the callichthyid catfish Corydoras melanistius (now Hoplisoma melanistium)
Brachyrhamdia marthae Sands & Black 1985 in honor of Martha Elizabeth Sands, the first author’s wife
Brachyrhamdia meesi Sands & Black 1985 in honor of Dutch ichthyologist-ornithologist Gerloff F. Mees (1926–2013), for contributions to the knowledge of South American catfishes
Brachyrhamdia rambarrani (Axelrod & Burgess 1987) in honor of Harry Rambarran (1935–2022), then co-manager of International Fisheries, Inc. (Hialeah, Florida, USA), an aquarium-fish exporter that supplied holotype
Brachyrhamdia thayeria Slobodian & Bockmann 2013 referring to Thayeria, a genus of South American characins that have a similar diagonal dark stripe on caudal peduncle; also in honor of financier and philanthropist Nathaniel Thayer, Jr. (1808–1883), who sponsored a 15-month expedition to Brazil (1865–1866, then known as Thayer Expedition), which was responsible for important discoveries of many Amazon fishes
Goeldiella Eigenmann & Norris 1900 -ella (L.), diminutive connoting endearment: in honor of Swiss-Brazilian zoologist Émil Goeldi (1859–1917), director, Museu Paraense (now called Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi)
Goeldiella eques (Müller & Troschel 1849) Latin for horseman or rider, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to oblique saddle-like markings on sides in front of dorsal fin
Pimelodella Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 diminutive of Pimelodus (Pimelodidae), similar to that genus (which were confamilial at the time)
Pimelodella altipinnis (Steindachner 1864) altus (L.), high; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to long caudal-fin lobes, twice as long as head
Pimelodella australis Eigenmann 1917 Latin for southern, described as a southern subspecies of P. laticeps
Pimelodella avanhandavae Eigenmann 1917 of Salto Avanhandava, Brazil, waterfall on the rio Tietê, type locality
Pimelodella bockmanni Slobodian & Pastana 2018 in honor of Brazilian ichthyologist Flávio A. Bockmann, Universidade de São Paulo, an “expert” on the taxonomy of Heptapteridae, a “great anatomist,” and a former advisor of both authors whose studies have “repeatedly demonstrated that taxonomy and species delimitation greatly benefit from more thorough anatomical examination”
Pimelodella boliviana Eigenmann 1917 –ana (L.), belonging to: Bolivia, where it is endemic to the Mamoré River basin
Pimelodella boschmai Van der Stigchel 1964 in honor of Hilbrand Boschma (1893–1976), Dutch zoologist and director of the Rijksmuseum of Natural History in Leiden, where holotype is housed [published in a volume of papers honoring Boschma]
Pimelodella brasiliensis (Steindachner 1877) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Brazil, where it is endemic to the rio Paraíba do Sul basin
Pimelodella breviceps (Kner 1858) brevis (L.), short; ceps (Neo-Latin), headed, referring to its short head, 6½ times in TL
Pimelodella buckleyi (Boulenger 1887) in honor of the late Clarence Buckley (d. 1889), who collected many plants and animals in Ecuador, including holotype of this one
Pimelodella chagresi (Steindachner 1876) of the Río Chagres drainage, Panama, where type locality (Río Obispo) is situated
Pimelodella chaparae Fowler 1940 of Boca Chapare, Cochabamba, Bolivia, type locality
Pimelodella conquetaensis Ahl 1925 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Caquetá, Colombia, type locality [note that Ahl apparently misspelled the name]
Pimelodella cristata (Müller & Troschel 1849) Latin for crested, allusion not explained nor evident [sometimes dated to 1848, research needed]
Pimelodella cruxenti Fernández-Yépez 1950 in honor of Venezuelan archaeologist José María Cruxent (1911–2005), who collected holotype
Pimelodella cyanostigma (Cope 1870) cyano-, from kýanos (Gr. κύανος), dark blue; stígma (Gr. στίγμα), mark or spot, referring to iridescent blue spot above posterior margin of orbit
Pimelodella dorseyi Fowler 1941 in honor of Lewis M. Dorsey, Jr. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA), to whom Fowler was “indebted for local fishes”
Pimelodella eigenmanni (Boulenger 1891) in honor of German-born American ichthyologist Carl H. Eigenmann (1863–1927), who reported this catfish as P. buckleyi in 1890
Pimelodella eigenmanniorum (Miranda Ribeiro 1911) –orum (L.), commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of ichthyologists Carl H. Eigenmann (1863–1927) and his wife Rosa Smith Eigenmann (1858-1947), authors of a “magnifica” revision of South American catfishes (1890)
Pimelodella elongata (Günther 1860) Latin for prolonged, referring to its elongate, posteriorly compressed body
Pimelodella enochi Fowler 1941 in honor of physician George F. Enoch (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA), to whom Fowler was “indebted for various local fishes”
Pimelodella eutaenia Regan 1913 eū́– (Gr. εὖ), an intensive prefix, e.g., good, well or very; taenia, from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, referring to “strong” blackish stripe from snout through eye to base of caudal fin
Pimelodella figueroai Dahl 1961 in honor of Colombian zoologist and agronomist Adalberto Figueroa, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, for his “incessant work” and important contributions to the knowledge of the fauna of Colombia
Pimelodella floridablancaensis Ardila Rodríguez 2017 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: municipio de Floridablanca, Departamento de Santander, Colombia, type locality and the author’s hometown, on the occasion of its bicentennial
Pimelodella geryi Hoedeman 1961 in honor of French physician and ichthyologist Jacques Géry (1917–2007), who collected holotype
Pimelodella gracilis (Valenciennes 1835) Latin for thin or slender, referring to its shape
Pimelodella griffini Eigenmann 1917 patronym not identified, probably in honor of Lawrence Edmonds Griffin (1874–1949), Eigenmann’s herpetological colleague at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Pimelodella grisea (Regan 1903) Medieval Latin for gray, referring to its grayish body color
Pimelodella guato Pierre & Slobodian 2024 named for the indigenous Guató people of Brazil, who inhabit the same region where this catfish is found and have been “fighting for recognition of their ethnicity and the demarcation of their lands”; name is an “homage” to their “resilience and cultural significance” and recognizes the “ongoing struggles with land delimitation that indigenous communities continue to face, particularly in Brazil
Pimelodella harttii (Steindachner 1877) in honor of Charles Frederick Hartt (1840–1878), Canadian-American geologist, paleontologist and naturalist, who helped collect holotype during the Thayer Expedition (1865-1866) to Brazil
Pimelodella hartwelli Fowler 1940 in honor of Robert Hartwell (Cleveland, Ohio, USA), who helped in the expedition during which holotype was collected
Pimelodella hasemani Eigenmann 1917 in honor of John D. Haseman (1882–1969), Eigenmann’s student and field collector for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, who collected some of the type series
Pimelodella howesi Fowler 1940 in honor of American naturalist Gordon B. Howes, who collected fishes during an expedition to Bolivia (1937–1938), including holotype of this one
Pimelodella humeralis Slobodian, Akama & Dutra 201 7Latin for humeral, referring to conspicuous dark blotch in humeral area, a feature not observed in any other nominal species of Pimelodella
Pimelodella ignobilis (Steindachner 1907) Latin for undistinguished or unrenowned, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its similarity to Rhamdella jenynsii, its presumed congener at the time
Pimelodella itapicuruensis Eigenmann 1917 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: rio Itapicurú at Queimadas, Bahia State, Brazil, type locality
Pimelodella kronei (Miranda Ribeiro 1907) in honor of German-born Brazilian pharmacist-naturalist Sigismund Ernst Richard (Ricardo) Krone (1861–1917), who surveyed the caves of Brazil and led expedition during which holotype was collected
Pimelodella lateristriga (Lichtenstein 1823) lateralis (L.), of the side; striga (L.), furrow or groove (i.e., streak), referring to blue-silver longitudinal stripe on sides
Pimelodella laticeps Eigenmann 1917 latus (L.), wide or broad; –ceps (Neo-Latin) headed, presumably referring to its “very broad” infraorbital
Pimelodella laurenti Fowler 1941 in honor of Philip Laurent (1858–1942), industrialist and amateur naturalist, “long associated in the entomological department” of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, where Fowler worked
Pimelodella leptosoma (Fowler 1914) leptós (Gr. λεπτός), thin or slender; sṓma (Gr. σῶμα), body, referring to its elongate, slender, compressed body, slenderer than Rhamdia foina, its presumed congener at the time
Pimelodella linami Schultz 1944 in honor of Henry E. Linam (1889–1972), general manager of the Standard Oil Co. of Venezuela, who invited Schultz to stay at their camps and study the fishes of the Maracaibo Basin
Pimelodella longibarbata Cortés-Hernández, DoNascimiento & Ramírez-Gil 2020 longus (L.), long; barbata (L.), bearded, referring to its long maxillary barbel
Pimelodella longipinnis (Borodin 1927) longus (L.), long; pinnis, Neo-Latin adjective of pinna (L.), fin, referring to its “exceptionally” long fins
Pimelodella macrocephala (Miles 1943) big-headed, from makrós (Gr. μaκρóς), long or large, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, referring to larger head compared to Imparfinis nemacheir, its presumed congener at the time
Pimelodella macturki Eigenmann 1912 in honor of Michael McTurk (1843–1915, note Latinization of “Mc” to “Mac”), Commissioner for the Essequibo and Pomeroon Rivers District, British Guiana, who delivered a parcel of letters to Eigenmann during his 1908 expedition to Guyana
Pimelodella martinezi Fernández-Yépez 1970 in honor of Alfonzo Martinez M., a rural physician in San Fernando de Apure, Venezuela, described as dedicated to the study of gamefishes in Colombia
Pimelodella meeki Eigenmann 1910 in honor of American ichthyologist Seth Eugene Meek (1859–1914), who described this catfish in Eigenmann’s honor in 1905 but used a preoccupied name (Pimelodella eigenmanni)
Pimelodella megalops Eigenmann 1912 mégas (Gr. μέγας), big; ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye, referring to its “distinctly larger” eye compared with P. macturki
Pimelodella megalura Miranda Ribeiro 1918 big-tailed, from mégas (Gr. μέγας), big, and ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, presumably referring to its “greatly developed” (translation) caudal-fin lobes
Pimelodella metae Eigenmann 1917 of the Meta River basin, Colombia, where it is endemic
Pimelodella modestus (Günther 1860) Latin for moderate or unassuming, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its less elongate shape and/or lack of spots on caudal and dorsal fins compared with P. elongatus, described in the same publication
Pimelodella montana Allen 1942 Latin for pertaining to mountains, collected at 1646 m above sea level
Pimelodella mucosa Eigenmann & Ward 1907 Latin for slimy, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its naked (or scaleless) body
Pimelodella nigrofasciata (Perugia 1897) nigro-, black; fasciata (L.), banded, referring to black band running from base of maxillary barbels, along lateral line, to base of caudal fin
Pimelodella notomelas Eigenmann 1917 nṓtos (Gr. νῶτος), back; mélas (Gr. μέλας), black, referring to black “wedge” through dorsal fin, the black on the first three membranes forming a “conspicuous blotch”
Pimelodella odynea Schultz 1944 from odýnē (Gr. ὀδύνη), pain, referring to “severe pain caused by these little catfishes when [Schultz’] fingers were pricked by their pectoral spines”
Pimelodella ophthalmica (Cope 1878) –ica (L.), adjectival suffix; ophthalmós (Gr. ὀφθαλμός), i.e., eyed, referring to its large eyes, “entering the length of the head three and three-eighth times, and exceeding the interorbital width by 2 mm”
Pimelodella papariae (Fowler 1941) of Lago Papary, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, type locality
Pimelodella pappenheimi Ahl 1925 in honor of German ichthyologist Paul Pappenheim (1878–1945), curator of fishes, Königliche Zoologische Museum (Berlin),
Pimelodella parnahybae Fowler 1941 of the Rio Parnahyba, Therezina, Piauhy, Brazil, type locality
Pimelodella parva Güntert 1942 Latin for small, holotype just 28 mm TL
Pimelodella pectinifer Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 pecten (L.), comb; -ifer, from fero (L.), to have or bear, a name usually applied to gill rakers, which the Eigenmanns did not describe in detail
Pimelodella peruana Eigenmann & Myers 1942 –ana (L.), belonging to: Peru, where it is endemic to the Ucayali River basin
Pimelodella peruensis Fowler 1915 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: the Peruvian Amazon, type locality [originally but incorrectly spelled peruense]
Pimelodella procera Mees 1983 Latin for high, tall or long, described as a “very slender” species
Pimelodella rendahli Ahl 1925 in honor of Swedish zoologist and artist Hialmar Rendahl (1891–1969)
Pimelodella reyesi Dahl 1964 in honor of Hernan Reyes Duarte (1926–2012), Executive Director, Corporación Autónoma Regional para los Valles del Magdalena, Sinú y San Jorge (Colombia), the regional environmental authority that sponsored Dahl’s research and published his report
Pimelodella robinsoni (Fowler 1941) in honor of the late Dr. George S. Robinson (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA), to whom Fowler was “indebted for many local fishes”
Pimelodella roccae Eigenmann 1917 of Rocca, “the first of the great Incas, proclaimed sovereign by the people, under direction of his mother, Siuyacu, the ladies of the court having an active part in shaping history, then as always” (per Eigenmann & Allen 1942)
Pimelodella serrata Eigenmann 1917 Latin for serrated (toothed like a saw), referring to 17 minute teeth on upper ⅔ of posterior surface of dorsal spine
Pimelodella spelaea Trajano, Reis & Bichuette 2004 Latin for of a cave, referring to its subterranean stream habitat
Pimelodella steindachneri Eigenmann 1917 in honor of Austrian ichthyologist Franz Steindachner (1834–1919), who reported this catfish as P. wesseli in 1877
Pimelodella straminea (Cope 1894) Latin for straw-like, referring to its “brownish straw-color, with silvery opercle” in spirits
Pimelodella taeniophora (Regan 1903) band-bearing, from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, and phoreús (Gr. φορεύς), bearer or carrier, probably referring to well-developed black lateral stripe extending from snout, through eye, to base of caudal fin
Pimelodella taenioptera Miranda Ribeiro 1914 ribbon-finned, from tainía (Gr. ταινία), band or ribbon, and pterón (Gr. πτερόν) or ptéryx (πτέρυξ), wing or fin, allusion not explained, presumably referring to filamentous first ray of dorsal fin
Pimelodella tapatapae Eigenmann 1920 of the Tapa Tapa River, Lake Valencia drainage, Venezuela, type locality
Pimelodella transitoria Miranda Ribeiro 1907 Latin for transitional, the putative ancestor to the blind P. kronei
Pimelodella vittata (Lütken 1874) Latin for banded, referring to dark lateral stripe on sides
Pimelodella wesselii (Steindachner 1877) in honor of Carl Wessel, a Hamburg purveyor of natural history items (including several fishes described by Steindachner) to the Vienna Museum
Pimelodella witmeri Fowler 1941 in honor of Mr. J. S. Witmer, Jr. (Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA), to whom Fowler was “indebted for Pennsylvania fishes”
Pimelodella wolfi (Fowler 1941) in honor of the late Herman T. Wolf (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA), aquarist and horticulturist, “who made several interesting collections of American fishes” for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia
Pimelodella yaharo Conde-Saldaña, Albornoz-Garzón, García-Melo, Dergam & Villa-Navarro 2019 Yaharo, pre-conquest name of present-day Dibulla (Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia), type locality
Pimelodella yuncensis Steindachner 1902 –ensis, a Latin suffix that usually denotes place but used here “in memory of the highly civilized indians of the Yunca tribe, that once populated the coastal areas [of northern Peru] and left many monuments and craft items” (translation)
Rhamdella Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 –ella (L.), a diminutive suffix, proposed as a subgenus of Rhamdia
Rhamdella aymarae Miquelarena & Menni 1999 of the Aymara people of northwestern Argentina, where this catfish occurs
Rhamdella cainguae Bockmann & Miquelarena 2008 from the Guaraní ca´á, forest, and iguá, inhabitant, referring to the Cainguá, indigenous people of northeastern Argentina, where this catfish occurs
Rhamdella eriarcha (Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888) eri– (Gr. ἐρι), much or very; archa, from archós (Gr. ἀρχός), anus, referring to its “long and low” anal fin
Rhamdella exsudans (Jenyns 1842) Latin for sweating or exuding, allusion not explained nor evident
Rhamdella gilli (Starks 1906) in honor of American zoologist Theodore Gill (1837–1914), Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.) [possibly a junior synonym of Rhamdia quelen]
Rhamdella jenynsii (Günther 1864) in honor of English clergyman and naturalist Leonard Jenyns (1800–1893), who reported this catfish as Pimelodus gracilis in 1842
Rhamdella longiuscula Lucena & da Silva 1991 diminutive of longior (L.), longer, i.e., a little longer, referring to longer upper lobe of caudal fin compared with R. eriarcha
Rhamdella montana Eigenmann 1913 Latin for pertaining to mountains, presumably referring to type locality in the highlands southeast of Tarma, Queta, Peru
Rhamdella rusbyi Pearson 1924 in honor of American botanist, pharmacist and explorer Henry Hurd Rusby (1855–1940), leader of the 1921 Mulford Expedition to the Amazon basin during which holotype was collected
Rhamdella zelimai Reis, Malabarba & de Lucena 2014 in honor of “beloved friend” José Lima (nicknamed Zé Lima) de Figueiredo (b. 1943), Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, “a remarkable person” who helped shape Brazilian ichthyology and “whose friendship had a fundamental impact” on the authors’ early careers
Rhamdia Bleeker 1858 apparent misspelling or misprint of nhamdiâ (as reported in Markgraf von Liebstadt’s Historiae naturalis brasiliae [1648]), an orthographic variant of jandiá, the Tupí-Guaraní name for R. quelen
Rhamdia branneri Haseman 1911 in honor of American geologist John Casper Branner (1950–1922), who “kindly assisted” Haseman at the beginning of his “long journey” to central South America
Rhamdia cinerascens (Günther 1860) Latin for ash-colored, presumably referring to “uniform greenish-grey” coloration of upper part of body
Rhamdia enfurnada Bichuette & Trajano 2005 named for Gruna do Enfurnado, Bahia, Brazil, type locality, Portuguese for shut, hidden, or isolated in a cave or cavern
Rhamdia eurycephala Angrizani & Malabarba 2018 broad-headed, from eurýs (Gr. εὐρύς), wide or broad, and kephalḗ (Gr. κεφαλή), head, only species in genus with head width at eye level greater than body width at pectoral girdle
Rhamdia foina (Müller & Troschel 1849) presumably from Martes foina Beech Marten, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps referring to its slender marten-like body (see Heptapterus mustelinus for a similar name)
Rhamdia gabrielae Angrizani & Malabarba 2018 in honor of Gabriele Volkmer, wife of the first author
Rhamdia guasarensis DoNascimiento, Provenzano & Lundberg 2004 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Guasare, Venezuela, parent stream of subterranean waters where this catfish occurs
Rhamdia guatemalensis (Günther 1864) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Huamuchal, Guatemala. Type locality
Rhamdia humilis (Günther 1864) Latin for modest or unassuming, allusion not explained nor evident, perhaps referring to its uniform, nondescript coloration
Rhamdia itacaiunas Silfvergrip 1996 named for río Itacaiunas, Caldeirão, Brazil, origin of the two paratypes
Rhamdia jequitinhonha Silfvergrip 1996 named for río Jequitinhonha drainage, eastern Brazil, where it appears to be endemic
Rhamdia laluchensis Weber, Allegrucci & Sbordoni 2003 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: La Lucha cave system, Chiapas, Mexico, type locality
Rhamdia laticauda (Kner 1858) latus (L.), wide or broad; cauda (L.). tail, based on a manuscript name by Heckel, allusion not explained; may refer to caudal peduncle (per Silfvergrip 1996), which does not taper as it reaches the tail
Rhamdia laticauda typhla Greenfield, Greenfield & Woods 1982 from typhlós (Gr. τυφλός), blind, referring to varying degrees of eye reduction
Rhamdia laukidi Bleeker 1858 local Arawak name for this catfish in Guyana
Rhamdia macuspanensis Weber & Wilkens 1998 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: town of Macuspana, Tabasco, Mexico, ~20 km northwest of type locality
Rhamdia muelleri (Günther 1864) in honor of German biologist Johannes Müller (1801–1858), who, with Franz Hermann Troschel (1810–1882), described the similar Pimelodus musculus (=R. quelen), in 1849
Rhamdia nicaraguensis (Günther 1864) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua, type locality
Rhamdia parryi Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 per Eigenmann & Eigenmann (1890), in honor of Charles Christopher Parry (1823–1890), English-born American botanist, geologist and mountaineer, and member of the U.S.-Mexican Boundary Commission (this catfish collected in Chiapas, Mexico)
Rhamdia parvus (Boulenger 1898) Latin for small, presumably referring to its size, described at 95 mm TL
Rhamdia poeyi Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1888 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of Cuban ichthyologist Felipe Poey (1799–1891)
Rhamdia quelen (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) in honor of Abbé (Father) Florentin-Louis de Quélen de la Villeglée Villeglée (1762–?), chaplain on expedition during which holotype was collected [presumably a noun in apposition, without the genitive “i”]
Rhamdia quelen urichi (Norman 1926) in honor of Trinidadian naturalist Friederich William Urich (1872–1936), Department of Agriculture, Trinidad, who sent holotype to the British Museum (Natural History)
Rhamdia reddelli Miller 1984 in honor of James R. Reddell, arachnologist and herpetologist, University of Texas at Austin, who “pioneered” in exploring Latin American caves and collected holotype
Rhamdia saijaensis Rendahl 1941 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Río Saija, Pacific slope, Colombia, type locality
Rhamdia schomburgkii Bleeker 1858 in honor of German explorer Robert Hermann Schomburgk (1804–1865), who described this catfish as Pimelodus maculatus in 1841 but used a preoccupied name
Rhamdia voulezi Haseman 1911 in “remembrance” of Antonio Voulez, a Frenchman of Serrinha Parana, Brazil, who in various ways assisted Haseman, including catching some of the type specimens
Rhamdia xetequepeque Silfvergrip 1996 named for Río Jequetepeque River, Peru, type locality (Silfvergrip selected a variant but erroneous spelling to avoid confusion with R. jequitinhonha, a practice, he said, in line with how the genus-group name Rhamdia was formed)
Rhamdia zongolicensis Wilkens 1993 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Sierra de Zongolica, Veracruz, Mexico, type locality