Revised 29 Jan. 2023
PDF version (illustrated)
Benthobatis Alcock 1898 bénthos (Gr. βένθος), depth (of the sea), presumably referring to capture of B. moresbyi at 786 m; batís (Gr.βατίς), a flat fish, usually applied to a skate or ray
Benthobatis kreffti Rincón, Stehmann & Vooren 2001 in honor of German ichthyologist Gerhard Krefft (1912-1993), Institute für Seefischerei (Hamburg), who first collected this species in 1968, for his contributions to elasmobranch systematics, particularly among elasmobranchs from the southwest Atlantic
Benthobatis marcida Bean & Weed 1909 Latin for withered, wasted or weak (authors say “loose, soft, lacking substance”), probably referring to its “lax and flabby” skin, “making it difficult to see the true shape of the creature and take its measurements”
Benthobatis moresbyi Alcock 1898 in memory of Capt. Robert Moresby (1794–1854), British Royal Navy, “whose surveys (1834–1838) in the seas where this curious fish is found are known to all readers of Darwin’s ‘Coral-Reefs’”
Benthobatis yangi Carvalho, Compagno & Ebert 2003 in honor of Hung-Jia (spelled Hung-Chia in Pinyin) Yang, Taiwanese Fisheries Research Institute, for his research on Taiwanese cartilaginous fishes and superb fish illustrations
Diplobatis Bigelow & Schroeder 1948 diplo-, from diplóos (Gr. διπλόος), twofold or double, referring to nostril of D. ommata subdivided into two separate apertures; batís (Gr.βατίς), a flat fish, usually applied to a skate or ray
Diplobatis colombiensis Fechhelm & McEachran 1984 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: coast of northern Colombia, only known area of occurrence
Diplobatis guamachensis Martín Salazar 1957 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: El Guamache, Gulf of Cariaco, Sucre, Venezuela, port city near type locality
Diplobatis ommata (Jordan & Gilbert 1890) ómmata (Gr. ὄμματα), eyes, referring to ocellated spot on center of disc
Diplobatis picta Palmer 1950 Latin for painted or colored, referring to dorsal surface with highly variable color pattern of spots, blotches and ocelli of various sizes [originally spelled pictus; since name is an adjective, emended to agree with feminine gender of Diplobatis]
Discopyge Heckel 1846 disc, from discus (L.), disc or circular plate; pygḗ (Gr. πυγή), rump, referring to the ventral fins of D. tschudii, which merge beneath the tail to form a continuous disc
Discopyge castelloi Menni, Rincón & García 2008 in honor of Argentine marine biologist Hugo P. Castello, who suggested to the authors that this species could be new to science
Discopyge tschudii Heckel 1846 in honor of Swiss naturalist-explorer Johann Jakob von Tschudi (1818–1889), who collected holotype
Narcine Henle 1834 from nárkē (Gr. νάρκη), numbness or torpor, and an ancient Greek word for any electric fish that causes a numbing sensation when touched
Narcine atzi Carvalho & Randall 2003 in honor of American ichthyologist James W. Atz (1915–2013), American Museum of Natural History (New York City, USA), for “his many contributions to different aspects of ichthyology, and for his unparalleled enthusiasm for the study of fishes”
Narcine baliensis Carvalho & White 2016 –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: the island of Bali, close to type locality between islands of Bali and Lombok, Indonesia
Narcine bancroftii (Griffith & Smith 1834) in honor of Edward Bancroft (1744–1821), American physician-naturalist who studied electric fishes and painted the illustration upon which description was based; he also was a double-agent spy during the American Revolution, spying for both the United States and Great Britain while serving as secretary to the American Commission in Paris (his identity as a double agent was not revealed until 1891)
Narcine brasiliensis (Olfers 1831) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: off the coast of Brazil, type locality
Narcine brevilabiata Bessednov 1966 brevis (L.), short; labiatus (L.), lipped, referring to its shorter anterior nasal lobe compared with N. prodorsalis
Narcine brunnea Annandale 1909 Medieval Latin for brown, referring to its “warm chocolate-brown” dorsal surface
Narcine entemedor Jordan & Starks 1895 local Spanish name for this ray at Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, type locality; authors say it is the equivalent of the English “Intimidator” but without explanation (perhaps referring to how this ray’s strong electrical discharge can make one timid or fearful of its presence)
Narcine insolita Carvalho, Séret & Compagno 2002 Latin for unusual or uncommon, referring to unusual and unique disparate dimensions of its dorsal fins, with the first dorsal being much larger than the second
Narcine leoparda Carvalho 2001 modified from leopardus (L.), leopard, referring to its distinctive dorsal color pattern, comprised of numerous small, white, leopard-like spots, “interpreted as a feminine noun”
Narcine lingula Richardson 1846 diminutive of lingua (L.), tongue, i.e., a little tongue, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “slight point at the central bridle” of upper lip
Narcine maculata (Shaw 1804) Latin for spotted, “thickly marked with moderately large, round, black spots”
Narcine oculifera Carvalho, Compagno & Mee 2002 oculus (L.), eye; –fera (L.), to carry or bear, referring to its bulging eyes
Narcine prodorsalis Bessednov 1966 pro– (L.), forward or in front of; dorsalis (L.), of the back, referring to anterior position of first dorsal fin
Narcine rierai (Lloris & Rucabado 1991) in honor of the authors’ friend Ignacia Riera, Chief of the Spanish Fisheries Office (Seychelles)
Narcine timlei (Bloch & Schneider 1801) etymology not explained, possibly referring to Tamil Nadu, India, where type locality (Tranquebar) is situated (“Habitat ad Tranquebariam Timlei Malais dicta”)
Narcine vermiculata Breder 1928 referring to numerous, irregular white vermiculations on dorsal surface
Narcinops Whitley 1940 ṓps (Gr. ὦψ), eye or face (i.e., appearance), referring to similarity to (and previous placement of N. tasmaniensis in Narcine
Narcinops lasti (Carvalho & Séret 2002) in honor of friend and colleague Peter R. Last, Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research (Hobart, Tasmania, Australia), for his studies on the taxonomy and distribution of Australian elasmobranchs
Narcinops nelsoni (Carvalho 2008) in honor of Gareth J. Nelson (b. 1937), Carvalho’s Ph.D. advisor at the American Museum of Natural History (New York City, USA), for his “unique and meaningful contributions to both ichthyology and comparative biology in general”
Narcinops ornatus (Carvalho 2008) Latin for adorned or decorated, referring to its spectacular dorsal color pattern, one of the most intricate in the genus
Narcinops tasmaniensis (Richardson 1841) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Tasmania, type locality
Narcinops westraliensis (McKay 1966) –ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: Western Australia, only known area of occurrence