Yunnanilus: after the Chinese province of Yunnan, where the first discovered species appear.

Yasuhikotakia in honour to the Japanese scientist Yasuhiko Taki

Xiphophorus: from ancient Greek, meaning „the one that bears a sword“.

Xenotoca: means "with strange young", refering to the "umbilical cord" (the correct term is "trophotaenia") of the newborn youngsters.

winemilleri: in honour of Kirk Winemiller

whitei: in honour of “E. A. White, of the city of Mexico, in recognition of many favors received through his courtesy“.

vulgata: from Latin "common".

victoriae: refers to Lake Victoria, where the species occurs.

vespa: Latin for wasp.

variatus: Latin, means "variable".

variata: means "changeable".

urophthalmoides: somewhat like urophthalma

urophthalma: from ancient Greek oura: tail and ophthalmos: eye, refering to the tailspot of the species.

Umbra: Latin, means "shadow", refering to the dull coloration.

Typhlonectes: ancient Greek, "typhlos" meaning "blind", "nectes" meaning "swimmer", eg "blind swimmer".

The namebearing specimen, usually deposited in a museum collection. It forms the basis of the scientific defintion of a species.

Tylomelania: from ancient Greek " Melania wird calluses". Melania is another genus of snail.

tukano: after a tribe of indigenous people

tuberculata: Latin "with small humps".

trifasciatus: Latin, means "with three stripes".

Trichogaster: ancient Greek, means "filamentous belly".

translucida: Latin, means "shining through", due to the transparency of the fish.

Trachelyopterus from greece trachelia = extreme and pteron = fin, eg „the one with an extreme fin“

Toxotes: ancient Greek, means "archer".

testudineus: Latin, means "turtle-like".

temporalis: Latin tempus means "temple"; refers to the dark stripe behind the eye.

Telmatochromis: means "swamp dwelling perch"; Boulenger, the first describer of the genus, obviously had wrong information on the biotope, because Telmatochromis are rock-dwellers.

Tatia: dedicated to Charles Tate Regan, who was ichthyologist at the British Museum.

Tanichthys: „fish of Tan“, dedicated to Tan Kam Fei who discovered the species.

Takifugu: composed from two Japanese words: Taki meaning "waterfall" and Fugu, which is the name of the puffer which causes deadly poisoning when prepared for food in a wrong way; the term has multiple meanings, one can read it in a way that the fish shou

Taeniolethrinops: ancient Greek, means "striped Lethrinops". Lethrinops is another genus of cichlid.

Synonym: Synonyms are different words with identical meanings. If a species is named scientifically twice or more often, the eldest available name is the vaild one. The other name(s) are considered to be synonym(s) without validity.

Synodontis: an old name for an undetermined fish from the Nile.

Sturio (latin) means sturgeon, soma (latin) means body

stuebelii: after Alphons Stübel (1835-1905), surveyer of South America, geologist, founder of vulcanology

Strophidon: not explained in the original description, but probably from ancient Greek, meaning "with teeth turned backwards".

stoliczkanus: dedicated to the collector of the species, Ferdinand Stoliczka (1838-1874).

stiktos: ancient Greek for „spotted“.

stalsbergi: in honour of Alf Stalsberg.

Splendida: latin: shining

splendens: Latin for „splendid“.

Spatuloricaria: Latin, means "Loricaria with spatula". Loricaria is another genus of whiptail catfish, spatula refers to the very special and genus-specific shape of the teeth.

sp. aff.: Latin, abbreviation of "species affinis", which means "similar species".

snijdersi: dedication name

smaragdina: Latin for „emerald colored“.

Sidthimunki: named in honour for Sidthimunk, the collector of the species

siamensis: means "originating from Siam".

Research ongoing. Most probably a dedication name for a Mr or Mrs Sewell.

Serrasalmus: from Latin, means „salmon with a saw“. Refers to the saw-like arranged scales along the keel of the breast.

Septaria: the Latin word septaria is used for a cementlike mass (the term cement derives from it). The generic name could also refer to the Latin word septum, which means "thin wall".

scomberoides: similar to a mackerel

schwartzi: in honour of Willy Schwartz, an exporter of ornamental fish

schleseri: dedication name for D. M. Schleser, who dicovered the species in 2002 together with M. Weitzman.

scalare: from Latin "scalarum" = ladder, refers to the stripes.

Scabies = throatiness, itch (due to the shell structure)

sathete: after the vernacular name of the species in Bengal.

rugosus: Latin, means "wrinkled, rugose".

Derives from robustus, -a, -um (latin): strong, robust, sturdy

rivulatus: Latin, means "originating from a brook".

Riesei: dedication name, dedicated to W. Riese, who cellected the type specimens together with H. Axelrod.

Rheophilous: loving current

reynoldsi: dedication name

rexi: dedication name.

retrocaudatus: Latin, retro means "backwards", caudatus means "tailed", referring to the characteristic shape of the caudal fin.

rerio: basing on a Bengali term for these fishes.

Rasbora – the native bengali name for Rasbora rasbora

Pyrrhulina laeta means: Merry little bullfinch

Pyrrhulina means: Little bullfinch

Pygocentrus: from ancient Greece, meaning is „rumpthorn“. Most likely this name was chosen because initially it was thought that the existence of fin rays in the adipose fin would be a genus-specific feature in contrast to Serrasalmus species, where fin r

pygmaea: Latin, means "dwarfish".

Puntius: from the Bengal term "Punti" for such barbs.

punctatus: Latin, means "spotted".

punctatum: from Latin for "spotted".

pulcher: means "beautiful"

pugnax: Latin word for "martial".

Pterophyllum: from ancient Greek, means "finleaf" or "leaffin".

Pseudorinelepis: from ancient Greek, means "false Rinelepis" (Rinelepis is another genus of Loricariids).

Pseudorasbora: ancient Greek, means "false Rasbora". Rasbora is another genus of fish.

Pseudomystus: Ancient Greek, means "false Mystus". Mystus is another genus of catfish.

Pseudocrenilabrus: from ancient Greek, means "false Crenilabrus". Crenilabrus is another genus of fish.

Pseudobunocephalus: ancient Greek, means "false Bunocephalus". Bunocephalus is another genus of banjo cat. The name was chosen because in the past members of Pseudobunocephlus often have been mistaken for juveniles of Bunocephalus.

Pseudeutropius: ancient Greek, means "false Eutropius". Eutropius is another genus of catfish.

Pseudacanthicus: from ancient Greek, means "false Acanthicus" (Acanthicus is another genus of Loricariids).

Potamotyphlus: from ancient Greek, "potamon" meaning "river" and "typhlos" meaning "blind", eg "blind river dweller".

Poropanchax: means "Panchax with pores", referring to the genus-specific arrangement of sensory pores on the head of the fish. Panchax is another genus of fish.

Polychromatism: means "with many colours". The term is used when within one species different colorations are observed.

Placidochromis: Latin, means "calm Chromis", referring to the swimming behaviour. The suffix -chromis is widely used for African perch-like fishes. It is an old fish name which is used in a scientific way nowadays for the damselfish, Chromis chromis from

Piraya: after an indigenous name for these fishes

Practocephalus: from ancient Greek "armour head".

phenochilus: ancient Greek, means "with shining lips".

petricola: from ancient Greek, meaning "rock dweller".

peruvianus: means "originating from Peru".

perugiae: dedication name for A. Perugia, who was ichthyologist at the Trieste museum.

peruensis: means "comes from Peru".

Perca means "Perch"

Patella: name of a small, shallow pan that was used in ancient Rome; refers to the shape of the shell.

pastazensis: after the Rio Pastaza in the Pastaza province, Ecuador, where the species is found.

parva: Latin, means "small".

Parotocinclus: ancient Greek, means "alike Otocinclus"; Otocinclus is another genus of catfish.

Parauchenoglanis: Latin, "par" means "same as, corresponding", Auchenoglanis is another genus of catfish.

Parasphaerichthys: ancient Greek, means "similar to Sphaerichthys". Sphaerichthys is another genus of fish.

parallelus: allusion to the two black parallel stripes on the flanks

parae: means „coming from Para“. Para is a Brazilian state.

Pangasius: from a native name of the type species of the genus, Pangasius pangasius, which lives in the Ganges river in India.

Pangasianodon: ancient Greek, means "with teeth like a Pangasius". Pangasius is another genus of catfish.

pando: after the Bolivian department of Pando, where the species has been collected.

panchax: from the Bengal name for the species.

Paleatus: from the latin word palea: chaff, eg „chaff-like colored“.

Paedocypris: ancient Greek, means "childish carp", in allusion to the larvae-like morphology of the species.

Otocinclus: ancient Greek, means "with latticed ear"; referring to a bone in the skull, which is visible externally and placed where in humans would be the ear; this bone has a latticed structure.

osgoodi: dedication name.

Orthospinus means "erected spine" which refers to a spine placed before the dorsal fin.

ortegai: dedication name.

ornatus: means "splendid"

orcesi: dedication name in honour of Gustavo Orcés-Villagomez.

orbicularis: from Latin "orbiculatus" meaning disc-shaped.

Opsodoras: from Opsis (Greek): Eye, Seeing, Face and Doras: another genus of thorny catfish; the name refers to the genus-specific round eye

during the development, during growth

omnivorous: a species that feeds on anything, without specialization.

oenolaemus: ancient Greek for "with vine-red throat"

ocellatus: Latin for "with an eyespot".

obesus: Latin, means "thick".

Nothobranchius: from ancient Greek "nothos" = false, untrue and "branchion" = gill, referring to the gill anatomy.

Nomorhamphus: from ancient Greek, means "with regular jaws"; this refers to the almost equally long upper and lower jaw, which is the difference to all other halfbeaks.

Nigrolineata: latin „with black line“

natans: Latin, meaning "swimming, drifting".

narcissus: after the Greek half-god Narcissus, who fell in love with his own mirror image.

Nannostomus: from ancient Greek, means "with a tiny mouth".

Nannacara: means "small Acara". Acara is an Tupi word for cichlid.

nana: Latein for "dwarfish".

multicolor: Latin, means "with many colours".

Mugilogobius: latin, means "mullet-goby".

Morleti: named in honour for Morlet, the collector of the species

moolenburghae: dedication name for Mrs Moolenburgh who supplied together with her husband a large collection of fishes from Sumatra to Weber and de Beaufort for their epochal work on the fishes of the Indo-Australian Archipelago.

Moema: a city in Brazil.

Modesta: latin: undemanding, modest (due to the modest coloration of preserved specimens)

mimulus: Latin, means "little actor", referring to the mimikry of this species with Corydoras diphyes.

micros: from anciet Greek „mikros“ meaning „small“.

Microrasbora: from ancient Greek, means "tiny Rasbora". Rasbora is another genus of barb.

Micropoecilia: means „small Poecilia“. Poecilia is another genus of livebearers.

Microphis: from ancient Greek, meaning "little snake".

Microdevario: from ancient Greek, means "tiny devario". Devario is another genus of barb.

Micagemmae: from latin micare „sparkle“ and gemma „gem“, eg. „sparkling gem“.

Metynnis: ancient Greek, means "in between the share"; this refers to the spine before the dorsal fin.

Mesoaphyosemion: the prefix "meso" means "in between" and was chosen to make clear that the systematical status of the members of this subgenus remains unresolved.

merah: after the indonesian word for „red“; allusion to the ground colour of the species.

melanzonus: means „with black zones“ according to the two horizontal black stripes.

Melanoides: from ancient Greek "similar to Melania". Melania is another genus of snail.

meklongensis: originating from the Meklong river.

megistus: probably latinized form of the ancient Greek word megistos, which means "the greatest".

megasema: ancient Greek, means "with a big sign". This is referring to the large lateral spot.

marginatus: Latin, means "bordered".

maculatus: Latin word for „spotted“

from macrolepis (Greek): with large scales

Macrognathus: from ancient Greek, means "with large jaws".

macrocephalus: Latin, means "with big head".

Macrobrachium: from ancient Greek, means "with a large arm".

luxophthalmus: from ancient Greek, means "with luminescent eye".

lucipinnis: from Latin "lucidus" = bright, clear and "pinna" = fin, referring to the clear window at the base of each dark triangle on the fins (exception: the caudal fin), which is species-specific for S. lucipinnis.

Loricaria: from the Latin word „lorica“which is the chest protector of the Roman legionnaire, eg „one that wears a chest protector“.

loretoensis: after the Loreto province in Peru.

Longipinnis: from latin, means „with long fins“.

longibarbis: from Latin, meaning "with a long beard", referring to the barbels.

llanero: after the Llanos in Venezuela where the species occurs.

lippincottianus: dedication name.

lineatus: Latin, means "lined", referring to the pattern.

liemi: dedication name

leveretti - dedication name

Leucaspius = white Aspius (another genus of the carp family)

Lepomis means "with scaled operculum"

leopardus: Latin, means "looks like a leopard", referring to the pattern.

lentiginosa: from the Latin word for „freckled“.

lennoni: in memory of the murdered musician John Lennon.

Leiocassis: Ancient Greek, means "with smooth helmet".

laubuca: from a vernacular name of the fish

larvophilous: mouthbrooders that take the larvae, but not eggs in the mouth for broodcare.

Lamprologus: means "the one that wears gloss"; refers to the shining spots on each scale of L. congoensis, the type species.

Lampiella: to remind of the grandmother of the describer of the genus, Isaac Isbrücker, Céline Lampie. She was murdered in 1943 in Poland in the Sobibor concentration camp by the nazis. She was „a small woman with a small hump“.

Lamontichthys: dedication name (ichthys is ancient Greek and means "fish") for Francesca La Monte.

Laetacara: from Latin "laetus" = cheerful and the indigenous name "acara" for cichlid. Refers to the pattern on the snout which suggests that the fish is smiling.

derives from the Latin word laetus: merry

labiosa: Latin for „with lips“.

kyathit: after a burmese word for „leopard“, refering to the coloration of the spotted variety.

kuehnei: in honour for Jens Kühne.

kubotai: dedication name for Hitochi Kubota, a collector and exporter of ornamental fishes.

krameri: dedication name.

kaupii: dedication name.

Kalochroma - from greek „with beautiful colours“

jumbo: refers to the unusual size of the species compared with other members of the genus.

jaculatrix: Latin word for a female hurler.

Ivanacara: after "acara" and Ivan the Terrible, the first Tsar of Russia. The authors refer to the unpredictable temper of the fish which they have observed. According to them the species can be extremely aggressive and extremely peaceful.

imbellis: Latin for „peaceful“.

Ilyodon: from ancient Greek „with a flat tooth“ in respect of the dentition.

hypostomus: from ancient Greek, means "with inferior mouth".

hypophthalmus: ancient Greek, means "goggle-eyed".

Hyphessobrycon: ancient Greek, means "small Brycon". Brycon is another genus of tetras.

Hydrolycus: Waterwolve

Horae: in honour for Sunder Lal Hora, an important Indian ichthyologist

Hoplosternum: from ancient Greek, meaning "with a shielded breast".

Hemiloricaria: hemi is ancient Greek and means "half", loricaria is another genus of whiptail catfish.

hemiliopterus: from ancient Greek "with half-smooth fin".

Hemigrammus: ancient Greek, means "with half line", referring to the incomplete lateral line, which is genus-specific.

hellerii: in honour for K. Heller, an Austrian botanist.

Haplochromis: ancient Greek, means "simple Chromis". The suffix -chromis is widely used for African perch-like fishes. It is an old fish name which is used in a scientific way nowadays for the damselfish, Chromis chromis from the Mediterranean Sea and the

Gymnorhamphichthys: from ancient Greek, means "naked Rhamphichthys". Rhampichthys is another genus of knifefish.

guttata: Latin, means "speckled".

Gobiopterus: ancient Greek, means "goby with wings".

gibbosus means "humped"

Gibbosa: latin word for „humpy“.

Geophagus: from ancient Greek, means "eartheater".

genibarbis: from ancient Greek, means "with a hairy cheek".

gatesi: dedication name for Gordon E. Gates, a zoologist specialized in earthworms, who worked at the Judson College in Rangoon and helped Albert W. C. T. Herre, the discoverer and describer of M. gatesi during his visit in Rangoon.

Garra: an indigenous name for those fishes in Bengal.

Galeatus: latin word for helmet, eg „the one that wears a helmet“

furzeri: in honour for R. Furzer.

fulvipinnis: from Latin fulvus: orange and pinna: fin, eg "with orange fins"

frankei: in honour of H.-J. Franke, an extraordinary keeper and breeder of ornamental fishes.

franciscensis: refers to the origin of the species, the Rio Sao Francisco.

Fossochromis: ancient Greek, means "burrowing Chromis". The suffix -chromis is widely used for African perch-like fishes. It is an old fish name which is used in a scientific way nowadays for the damselfish, Chromis chromis from the Mediterranean Sea and

foerschi: in honour for Walter Foersch.

fluviatilis means "living in rivers"

flavatra: Latin, means "yellow-black", referring to the coloration.

fasciatus: Latin, means "striped".

fasciata – Latin for „striped“

Etroplus: from ancient Greek, means "with armoured belly"; this refers to the spines of the anal fin.

Ernstichthys: dedication name, means "Fish of Ernst"; A. Ernst worked at the Universidade Central de Venezuela.

eriocheirum: from ancient Greek, means "with a hairy hand".

eques: Latin for rider or knight; it is unknown why the species was named so.

Ephippicharax: means "saddled Charax", which refers to a special feature of these tetras. They have a spine embedded in muscles in front of the dorsal fin, which is directed to the head.

Enneacanthus: ancient Greek, means "with nine spines". This refers to the structure of the dorsal fin.

endemic: this means that a species is found only there and nowhere else in the World.

duplicareus: Latin for doubled; refers to the extreme similarity to C. adolfoi.

dracula: after Count Dracula, a character in a novel created by Bram Stoker. Dracula was a bloodsucking vampire; in allusion to the fang-like "teeth" in males of the species.

diphyes: anicient Greek, adjective meaning "of double nature", in reference to the variation in body patterns, eg striped and blotchy.

digrammus: ancient Greek, means "with two stripes".

Dianema: from ancient Greek, meaning "with two filaments", referring to the barbels.

diabolica: diabolical; refers to red shining eyes of the species.

delineatus = without lines, refers to the incomplete lateral line

Danionella: diminutive of Danio; Danio is another genus of fish.

Danio: basing on a Bengali term for these fishes.

Curimatopsis means similar to Curimata which is another genus of tetras.

crispata: wrinkled

Corydoras: from ancient greek, means „with helmet and spear“. This refers to the strong armor and fin spines.

Copeina: Dedicated to E. D. Cope, an ichthylogist with worldwide reputation.

conchonius: from a common name for the fish in Bengal.

Colisa – from a Bengali term for these fishes.

cobojius: after a Bengal name for the species.

Clibanarius: Latin term for a heavily armoured cavalryman.

chuno: after the vernacular name of the species in Bengal.

Chela: from a vernacular name of the fish

chatareus: from a popular name for the fish in Bengal, India.

cf.: from Latin „confer“ which means „compare with“. It is used when it is not sure that the species in question represents really the one named after cf.

Centromochlus: from ancient Greek "with lever arm", referring to the pectoral spines which can be a locked by a special mechanism.

Celiae: named in honour for the discoverer, Celia Epie from Menja, western Cameroon

cacatuoides: means "looks like a cockatoo". The author of the species was reminded by the dorsal fin of the males in the hood of an cockatoo.

Bunocephalus: ancient Greek, means "with hilly head".

Bujurquina: after the Peruvian popular name "Bujurqui" for cichlids

Breviventralis: with short ventral fins

brasiliense: means "coming from Brazil".

brachyurus: ancient Greek "shorttailed".

brachypopterus: ancient Greek, means "with a short fin".

Brachychalcinus: means "short Chalcinus". Chalcinus is another genus of tetra.

Boraras: anagram of Rasbora, referring to the reverse ratio of abdominal and caudal vertebrae in Boraras compared with Rasbora.

bocourti: in honour for Marie Firmin Bocourt (1819 – 1904), a french zoologist and artist.

blockii: dedication name.

bimaculata: Latin for "with two spots".

bifasciatus: Latin, means "with two stripes".

Betta: after an indigenous Indonesian term for one of the species.

beni: named after the Rio Beni in Bolivia where the species occurs endemicly.

bejeus - from a Bengali term for these fishes.

Beaufortia – dedication name

Barbus: Latin, means "the bearded one", referring to the barbels.

Barbucca: means „with a bearded cheek“; this refers to the tuberculate cheek patches of the males.

Derives from barbatus, -a, -um (latin): bearded

Balitoridae: derives from the genus name Batlitora which is an indegenous name for a fish species in India.

Axelrodia: dedication name, dedicated to Herbert Axelrod.

Australe: from latin, means „southern“ in respect to the distribution of the species.

Auchenipteridae from the greece auchen: neck and pteron: fin, because of the postion of the dorsal fin.

Astronotus: ancient Greek, means "with stars on the back", referring to the coloration.

Astacus: latin name for the Noble cray

armatus: Latin for armoured; refers probably to the extremely long dorsal fin spine.

araguaiae: coming from the Araguaia

Aplocheilus: means "with a simple lip", refers to the mouth structure.

Aplocheilichthys: from ancient Greek, means "fish that is similar to Aplocheilus". Aplocheilus is another genus of fish.

Apistogramma: ancient Greek, means "with unreliable line". It is not known wether the lateral line organ or the pattern is meant.

Aphyosemion from ancient greece, means „small fish with flag-like fins“.

Apholebias: from the anterior part of the word Aphyosemion and from Lebias; Aphyosemion is a genus of killifish from Africa, which is somewhat similar to Aphyolebias. Lebias is an ancient fish name, which was formerly used for what is now Aphanius. The wo

Andinoacara: means "Acara from the Andes". Acara is another genus of cichlid.

Ancistrus: from the ancient Greek word for "fishhook". This refers to the hooked spines that are placed on the movable Interoperculum (a bone between the gill-covering bones), called interopercularodontodes, which are spread in case of danger.

Anabas: ancient Greek, means "the climber".

amazonicus: after the Amazon river, where the species occurs.

altae: etymology not known (alta, Latin, means "high").

Lexicon: Tanichthys: „fish of Tan“, dedicated to Tan Kam Fei who discovered the species. Albonubes: latin for „White Clouds“, refers to the White Cloud Mountains in China, where the species was discovered.

Akysis: from ancient Greek, mens "without bladder", which refers to the lack of the swimming bladder.

agulha: after a popular name given to the species in the region of the Rio Madeira, the type locality.

africanus: Latin, means "comes from Africa".

Aequidens: Latin, means "with equal tooth". This refers to the set of teeth.

adolfoi: in honour for Adolfo Schwartz.

adoketa: from ancient Greek, means "unexpected". This refers to the natural range of the species which lies far from the distribution of the other members of the genus.

aculeatus: Latin "prickled".

Acanthophacelus: means „cluster of needles“; in respect of the microstructure of the male´s sexual organ, the gonopodium.