Revised 30 Jan. 2023
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Hypnos Duméril 1852 hýpnos (Gr. ὕπνος), sleep, referring to the numbing effect of its electric discharge

Hypnos monopterygius (Shaw 1795) mono-, from mónos (Gr. μόνος), one; pterygius, from pterygion, diminutive of ptéryx (Gr. πτέρυξ), wing or fin; struck by the strangeness of this ray’s appearance, Shaw surmised that it might be a “single-finned” member of the monkfish genus Lophius (Lophiidae), perhaps referring to how its pelvic fins are joined together to form a disc [authorship often given as Shaw & Nodder; Shaw apparently prepared the descriptions and Nodder the plates, so Shaw is considered the author]