Updated 26 Nov. 2023
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Amazonspinther Bührnheim, Carvalho, Malabarba & Weitzman 2008 Amazon, referring to Amazon basin, where it occurs; spinthḗr (Gr. σπῐνθήρ), spark, referring to closely related Spintherobolus and appearance of yellow neuromasts on head, also observed on Spintherobolus

Amazonspinther dalmata Bührnheim, Carvalho, Malabarba & Weitzman 2008 Portuguese word referring to spotted color pattern of the Dalmatian dog breed, which this fish resembles; origin of word is linked to the Dalmatia region of Croatia, where the breed is said to have been developed

Atopomesus Myers 1927 átopos (Gr. ἄτοπος), peculiar; mesus, from mésos (Gr. μέσως), middle, allusion not explained, possibly referring to a “series of large scales on each side of the preventral region overlapping at the midline”

Atopomesus pachyodus Myers 1927 pachýs (Gr. παχύς), thick or stout; odon, Latinized and grammatically adjusted from the Greek nominative ὀδούς (odoús), tooth, referring to its “extremely massive and heavy” teeth

Spintherobolus Eigenmann 1911 spinthḗr (Gr. σπῐνθήρ), spark (“emitting sparks” per Eigenmann); obolus, from obelós (Gr. ὀβελός), a spit (sharp end of a lance), which Eigenmann, who said name means “emitting sparks,” confused with the verb spit (to emit small bursts of sparks), referring to yellow neuromasts on head of S. papilliferus

Spintherobolus ankoseion Weitzman & Malabarba 1999 ánkos (Gr. ᾰ̓́γκος), a mountain valley or glen; ēḯōn (Gr. ἠίων), shore or beach, referring to its occurrence between coastal mountains and the sea

Spintherobolus broccae Myers 1925 in honor of aquarium-fish collector Rolf Brocca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, who collected holotype [although named after a man, “ae” is an acceptable way to form a genitive from a masculine noun that ends in “a”]

Spintherobolus leptoura Weitzman & Malabarba 1999 leptós (Gr. λεπτός), thin or slender; ourá (Gr. οὐρά), tail, referring to its relatively slender caudal peduncle

Spintherobolus papilliferus Eigenmann 1911 papilla (L.), bud; ferus (L.), bearing or carrying, referring to its “excessively developed” tactile papillae (neuromasts) on head