COMMENTS
v. 7.0 – 4 Jan. 2024 view/download PDF
Family BEDOTIIDAE Malagasy Rainbowfishes
2 genera · 16 species
Bedotia Regan 1903 –ia, belonging to: Maurice Bedot (1859-1927), director of the Geneva Natural History Museum (where holotype of type species B. madagascariensis is housed) and editor of journal in which description appeared
Bedotia albomarginata Sparks & Rush 2005 albus, white; marginatus, edged or bordered, referring to characteristic white marginal stripes on second dorsal fin and anal fin
Bedotia alveyi Jones, Smith & Sparks 2010 in honor of Mark Alvey (b. 1955), Field Museum (Chicago, Illinois, USA), for his “tremendous” efforts to promote natural history research and species discovery during his tenure as Administrative Director of Academic Affairs
Bedotia geayi Pellegrin 1907 in honor of pharmacist and natural history collector Martin François Geay (1859-1910), who collected type
Bedotia leucopteron Loiselle & Rodriguez 2007 leukos, white; pteron, fin, referring to iridescent-white fin coloration particularly evident in adult male
Bedotia longianalis Pellegrin 1914 longus, long; analis, anal, referring to more anal-fin rays (19) compared to the similar B. geayi (14-17)
Bedotia madagascariensis Regan 1903 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Madagascar, where it (and entire family) is endemic
Bedotia marojejy Stiassny & Harrison 2000 named for Parc national de Marojejy, northeastern Madagascar, type locality
Bedotia masoala Sparks 2001 named for Masoala Peninsula of northeastern Madagascar, where this species appears to be endemic
Bedotia tricolor Pellegrin 1932 tri-, three, referring to anal-fin coloration of adults, “three equal parallel bands: black, yellow, red, exactly reproducing the Belgian flag” (translation)
Rheocles Jordan & Hubbs 1919 etymology not explained, presumably rheos, current or stream, referring to occurrence of R. sikorae in tropical rivers and streams; –ocles, perhaps from kleos, termination of many Greek proper nouns signifying glory, renown or fame (i.e., Sophocles)
Rheocles alaotrensis (Pellegrin 1914) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Alaotra, Ambatondrazaka District, Madagascar, type locality
Rheocles derhami Stiassny & Rodriguez 2001 in honor of Swiss ichthyologist and aquarist Patrick de Rham (1936-2022), Director of the Aquatic Conservation Network, for his “tireless efforts,” together with Jean-Claude Nourissat of the French Cichlid Association, to discover and conserve the freshwater fishes of Madagascar
Rheocles lateralis Stiassny & Reinthal 1992 of the side, referring to well-marked midlateral stripe extending from base of caudal peduncle into anterior third of body
Rheocles pellegrini (Nichols & La Monte 1931) patronym not identified but clearly in honor of ichthyologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873-1944), who described R. alaotrensis in 1914
Rheocles sikorae (Sauvage 1891) in honor of Austrian explorer Franz Sikora (1863-1902), who collected type [although named after a man, some classically trained zoologists latinized the names of individuals whose names ended with the letter “a” by adding an “e” to the spelling]
Rheocles vatosoa Stiassny, Rodriguez & Loiselle 2002 Malagasy word for crystal or gemstone, referring to “jewel-like” coloration of living specimens
Rheocles wrightae Stiassny 1990 in honor of American primatologist and conservationist Patricia Wright (b. 1944), “who has been so generous with her knowledge of the Madagascan rainforests and their fauna. It seems particularly appropriate that this species, so obviously threatened by habitat degradation, should be named for Pat, who has been unstinting in her efforts in the field of Madagascan rainforest management and conservation.”
Family MELANOTAENIIDAE Rainbowfishes
7 genera · 115 species/subspecies
Cairnsichthys Allen 1980 named for Cairns, Queensland, Australia, where C. rhombosomoides is “confined to relatively few streams in the vicinity” of that city; ichthys, fish [Incertae sedis within Atherinoidei; in Melanotaeniidae for now]
Cairnsichthys bitaeniatus Allen, Hammer & Raadik 2018 bi-, two; taeniatus, banded, referring to two dark stripes on sides, compared to inconspicuous or absent ventral stripe of C. rhombosomoides
Cairnsichthys rhombosomoides (Nichols & Raven 1928) –oides, having the form of: looking “very like the young” of Rhombosoma novaeguineae (=Melanotaenia goldiei), “but none of the fine rays are pungent”
Chilatherina Regan 1914 cheilos, lip, presumably referring to several series of teeth projecting from thick or swollen upper lip; atherina, used here as a generic suffix for the family Atherinidae, in which rainbowfishes were classified at the time
Chilatherina alleni Price 1997 in honor of Gerald R. Allen (b. 1942), Western Australia Museum (Perth), for his “outstanding” contribution to ichthyology and “deep commitment” to the study and conservation of the aquatic fauna of New Guinea
Chilatherina axelrodi Allen 1979 in honor of pet-book publisher Herbert R. Axelrod (1927-2017), who “generously provided collecting assistance and financial aid” for the 1979 expedition to New Guinea during which type was collected
Chilatherina bleheri Allen 1985 in honor of explorer and ornamental-fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944), who “generously provided financial assistance” for a 1982 visit to Irian Jaya and helped collect type
Chilatherina bulolo (Whitley 1938) named for the Bulolo Valley, Papua New Guinea, type locality
Chilatherina campsi (Whitley 1957) in honor of Norman Camps, assistant preparator (taxidermist) at the Australian Museum (1949-1955), who collected fishes from the Jimmi River of Papua New Guinea with mammalogist Ellis Troughton, including type of this one
Chilatherina crassispinosa (Weber 1913) crassus, fat or stout; spinosus, spiny, presumably referring to curved first spine of second dorsal fin, thicker than first spine of first dorsal fin
Chilatherina fasciata (Weber 1913) banded, referring to “washed-out dark” (translation) band separating brownish upper half of body from brighter lower half
Chilatherina lorentzii (Weber 1907) in honor of Dutch explorer Hendrikus Albertus Lorentz (1871-1944), who, with Lieven Ferdinand de Beaufort, was one of two zoologists on expedition that collected type; Weber praised them for the excellent state of preservation of the fishes they collected and for providing precise locality data
Chilatherina pagwiensis Allen & Unmack 2012 –ensis, suffix denoting place: known only from a single creek near Pagwi village, Sepik River system, Papua New Guinea
Chilatherina pricei Allen & Renyaan 1996 in honor of David Price (b. 1959), naturalist, ecologist, linguist, translator and community development consultant, for his “keen interest” in the natural history of New Guinea; “He has lived periodically on Yapen Island [type locality] with his family over the past decade, making valuable collections of fishes and frogs,” including specimens of this species (in addition, he and his wife Tammy are thanked for the logistic and collecting assistance at Yapen)
Chilatherina sentaniensis (Weber 1907) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Sentani, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, where it is endemic
Glossolepis Weber 1907 glossum, tongue; lepis, scale, referring to tongue-shaped incisions (crenulated margins) on scales of G. incisa
Glossolepis dorityi Allen 2001 in honor of American missionary and rainbowfish enthusiast Dan Dority, who helped collect type
Glossolepis incisa Weber 1907 notched, referring to tongue-shaped incisions (crenulated margins) on scales
Glossolepis kabia (Herre 1935) from kabi, native name for this rainbowfish at Koragu, New Guinea
Glossolepis leggetti Allen & Renyaan 1998 in honor of Australian aquarist-naturalist Ray Leggett (b. 1936), for his contributions to the knowledge of freshwater fishes of the Australia-New Guinea region
Glossolepis maculosa Allen 1981 spotted, referring to row of 7-8 irregularly spaced spots along middle of side
Glossolepis multisquamata (Weber & de Beaufort 1922) multi-, many; squamata, scaled, referring to 24-31 predorsal scales compared to <24 on Indo-Australian congeners known at the time
Glossolepis pseudoincisa Allen & Cross 1980 pseudo, false, i.e., although this species may resemble G. incisa, and lives in close proximity to it, such an appearance is false
Glossolepis ramuensis Allen 1985 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ramu River system, Papua New Guinea, type locality
Glossolepis wanamensis Allen & Kailola 1979 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Wanam, Papua New Guinea, where it is endemic
Iriatherina Meinken 1974 Iria, referring to west Irian Jaya, Indonesia, type locality of I. werneri; Atherina, type genus of Atherinidae, its presumed family at the time
Iriatherina werneri Meinken 1974 in honor of Arthur Werner, German aquarium fish exporter (Transfish), who collected and donated type
Melanotaenia Gill 1862 melanos, black; taenia, band, referring to black lateral band of M. nigrans, which Gill believed was one of two diagnostic characters separating M. nigrans from Atherina, genus in which it had been described
Melanotaenia affinis (Weber 1907) related, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its affinity with, and/or Weber’s nearly identifying it as, Nematocentris novaeguineae (=M. goldiei)
Melanotaenia ajamaruensis Allen & Cross 1980 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ajamaru Lakes, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia albimarginata Allen, Hadiaty, Unmack & Erdmann 2015 albus, white; marginata, margined, referring to prominent white markings on caudal-fin lobes
Melanotaenia ammeri Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2008 in honor of Max Ammer (b. 1961), Papua Diving Resorts (and later owner of Sordido Bay Resort); “His enthusiasm for nature exploration is infectious and he has provided invaluable logistic support, beginning in 1998, enabling the lead author to travel and collect extensively around the Bird’s Head region of western New Guinea”
Melanotaenia angfa Allen 1990 named for ANGFA, Australia New Guinea Fishes Association, which has “greatly contributed to our knowledge of the biology of rainbowfishes” (translation)
Melanotaenia arfakensis Allen 1990 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Arfak Mountains, the “imposing backdrop” (translation) to the type locality, Sub River, Irian Jaya, New Guinea
Melanotaenia arguni Kadarusman, Hadiaty & Pouyaud 2012 named for Arguni Bay, close to type locality, Egerwara village, Jasu Creek, District Aguni Bawat, Papua Barat, Indonesia
Melanotaenia aruensis Allen, Hadiaty, Unmack & Erdmann 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Aru Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia australis (Castelnau 1875) southern, presumed to represent a new genus (Neoatherina) and family (Neoatherinidae) endemic to Australia
Melanotaenia batanta Allen & Renyaan 1998 named for Batanta Island, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia boesemani Allen & Cross 1980 in honor of Marinus Boeseman (1916-2006), Curator of Fishes, Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (now Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, Netherlands), who collected type in 1955
Melanotaenia bowmani Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2016 in honor of Ron Bowman (b. 1924), a “widely respected” Australian aquarist, for his many years of rainbowfish breeding expertise and knowledge sharing, and “countless contributions and exemplary leadership” in connection with the Australia New Guinea Fishes Association (ANGFA) and its journal Fishes of Sahul
Melanotaenia caerulea Allen 1996 blue, referring to iridescent blue on sides and back of living specimens, with a faint, darker blue midlateral stripe on posterior half of body and bluish to translucent fins
Melanotaenia catherinae (de Beaufort 1910) in honor of de Beaufort’s wife Catherine, who helped her husband on expedition during which type was collected
Melanotaenia corona Allen 1982 rim or border, referring to distinctive white margin on dorsal fins
Melanotaenia duboulayi (Castelnau 1878) in honor of “Mr. Duboulay,” who collected type, probably Francis Houssemayne du Boulay (1837-1914), collector, entomologist and natural history artist
Melanotaenia dumasi Weber 1907 patronym not identified but almost certainly in honor of Johannes Maximiliaan Dumas (1856-1931), a feather merchant, surveyor and self-taught naturalist who collected (mostly birds) in West Papua, Indonesia, where this rainbowfish occurs
Melanotaenia eachamensis Allen & Cross 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Eacham, northern Queensland, Australia, type locality
Melanotaenia ericrobertsi Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2014 in honor of Eric Roberts, a pilot with Associated Mission Aviation (AMA), Papua Province, Indonesia; he is an “aquarium fish enthusiast who collected live specimens and is responsible for the introduction of this species to the aquarium hobby”
Melanotaenia etnaensis Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2016 –ensis, suffix denoting place: streams flowing into Etna Bay, West Papua, Indonesia, or its immediate vicinity, where it appears to be endemic
Melanotaenia exquisita Allen 1978 fine or exquisite, referring to its coloration and overall appearance
Melanotaenia fasinensis Kadarusman, Sudarto, Paradis & Pouyaud 2010 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Fasin Creek, Bird’s Head Peninsula, West Papua, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia flavipinnis Allen, Hadiaty & Unmack 2014 flavus, yellow; pinnis, fin, referring to yellow dorsal, anal and pelvic fins
Melanotaenia fluviatilis (Castelnau 1878) of a river, presumably referring to its first collecting locality habitats, Ropes Creek, near Sydney, and Murrumbidgee River, New South Wales, Australia
Melanotaenia fredericki (Fowler 1939) in honor of physician (and dog driver on Admiral Byrd’s 1928-30 Antarctic expedition) Frederick E. Crockett (1907-1978), who, with his wife, anthropologist Charis Denison Crockett (d. 1964), organized New Guinea expedition during which type was collected (Fowler originally placed this species in the genus Charisella, now a synonym of Melanotaenia, which he named in honor of Mrs. Crockett)
Melanotaenia garylangei Graf, Herder & Hadiaty 2015 in honor of Gary William Lange, “well-known rainbowfish enthusiast,” who discovered this species
Melanotaenia goldiei (Macleay 1883) in honor of “Mr. Goldie,” probably Andrew Goldie (1840-1891), Scottish-born merchant, explorer and natural history collector, who collected type from the Goldie River (which he named after himself) in Papua New Guinea (also occurs in Indonesia and Aru Islands)
Melanotaenia gracilis Allen 1978 slender, referring to its body shape
Melanotaenia grunwaldi Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2016 in honor of the late Norbert Grunwald, a “well-known and highly respected German aquarist who devoted much of his life to captive rainbowfishes and contributed considerable knowledge on their maintenance and biology”
Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi Allen 1981 in honor of pet-book publisher Herbert R. Axelrod (1927-2017), for his “continuing interest and support” of Allen’s rainbowfish studies
Melanotaenia irianjaya Allen 1985 named for Irian Jaya, Indonesia, where type locality is situated
Melanotaenia iris Allen 1987 Iris, goddess of the rainbow, referring to the common appellation “rainbowfish”
Melanotaenia jakora Graf, Ohee, Herder & Haryono 2023 named for the village of Jakora, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia, the “closest named locality” to the type locality, an unnamed rainforest creek in the Sebjar River system
Melanotaenia japenensis Allen & Cross 1980 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Japen Island, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia kamaka Allen & Renyaan 1996 local name for Lake Kamakawaiar, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, where it appears to be endemic
Melanotaenia klasioensis Kadarusman, Hadiaty & Pouyaud 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Klasio Creek, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia kokasensis Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2008 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kokas Village, major landmark near type locality, Bird’s Head region, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia
Melanotaenia kolaensis Allen, Hadiaty, Unmack & Erdmann 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kola Island, Aru Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia lacunosa Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2016 full of lakes and ponds, referring to many small ponds and larger lakes found in the Mbuta Basin (West Papua, Indonesia), where this rainbowfish is endemic
Melanotaenia lacustris Munro 1964 lacustrine (belonging to a lake), referring to Lake Kutubu, Papua New Guinea, where it is endemic
Melanotaenia lakamora Allen & Renyaan 1996 named for Lake Lakamora, Irian Jaya, New Guinea, type locality (also occurs in nearby Lake Aiwaso)
Melanotaenia laticlavia Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2014 latus, wide; clavius, purple striped, referring to broad bluish-gray stripe along lower side of body
Melanotaenia longispina Kadarusman, Avarre & Pouyaud 2015 longus, long; spina, spine, referring to long spines on dorsal and anal fins
Melanotaenia maccullochi Ogilby 1915 in honor of friend and colleague Allan Riverston McCulloch (1885-1925), Curator of Fishes, Australian Museum, “whose excellent papers on our southern and deep-water fishes have become the leading feature in Australian ichthyology”; he also made the illustrations featured in Ogilby’s paper, “to whom we here tender our grateful thanks”
Melanotaenia mairasi Allen & Hadiaty 2011 tribal name of traditional landowners of type locality, Lake Furnusu, West Papua, Indonesia, New Guinea
Melanotaenia mamahensis Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2016 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sungai Mamah, West Papua Province, Indonesia, only known area of occurrence
Melanotaenia manibuii Kadarusman, Slembrouck & Pouyaud 2015 in honor of Alfons Manibui, Bupati (local leader) from Bintuni, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia maylandi Allen 1983 in honor of aquarium-fish author Hans Joachim Mayland (ca. 1928-2004), who helped finance Allen’s visit to Irian Jaya, whereupon type was collected
Melanotaenia misoolensis Allen 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Misool Island, West Papua, Indonesia, where it is endemic
Melanotaenia monticola Allen 1980 of the mountains, referring to mountainous terrain of type locality, Omei Creek, Papua New Guinea
Melanotaenia mubiensis Allen 1996 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Mubi River, Kikori River system, Papua New Guinea
Melanotaenia multiradiata Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2014 multi-, many; radiata, rayed, referring to relatively high number of pectoral-fin rays (15 or more in 91.3% of specimens) compared to other Ayamaru complex species
Melanotaenia naramasae Kadarusman, Nugraha & Pouyaud 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Naramasa River, Bird’s Neck Isthmus, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia nigrans (Richardson 1843) darkly colored, referring to black lateral band, compared to silvery or green band of Atherina jacksoniana (=Odontesthes smitti, Atherinidae), its presumed congener at the time
Melanotaenia ogilbyi Weber 1910 in honor of ichthyologist James Douglas Ogilby (1853-1925), for contributions to the knowledge of the fauna of Australia and New Guinea, especially of the family Melanotaeniidae
Melanotaenia oktediensis Allen & Cross 1980 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ok Tedi River, Fly River system, Papua New Guinea, type locality
Melanotaenia papuae Allen 1981 of Papua, southern portion of Papua New Guinea, where type locality (rainforest stream at Mt. Diamond) is situated
Melanotaenia parkinsoni Allen 1980 in honor of amateur naturalist Brian Parkinson (b. 1944) of Rabaul, New Britain, for his “generous” assistance (logistics and knowledge of the country) during Allen’s trips to Papua New Guinea, where this species is endemic
Melanotaenia parva Allen 1990 small, referring to its size, described at 37.6-53.0 mm SL (but reported to grow larger)
Melanotaenia patoti (Weber 1907) in honor of W. J. Tissot van Patot, who collected fishes in Borneo for the Zoölogisch Museum (Amsterdam), including type of this one
Melanotaenia picta Allen, Hadiaty, Unmack & Erdmann 2015 painted, referring to its “beautiful” color pattern
Melanotaenia pierucciae Allen & Renyaan 1996 in honor of Paola Pierucci, who, along with her friend, explorer and ornamental-fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944), discovered this species
Melanotaenia pimaensis Allen 1981 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Pima [Oima] River, Papua New Guinea, where it is endemic
Melanotaenia praecox (Weber & de Beaufort 1922) premature, referring to elevated rhombic form, which is obtained at a much smaller size than all members of family known by the authors
Melanotaenia pygmaea Allen 1978 pygmy, described at up to 32 mm SL (some reports indicate males can reach 70 mm)
Melanotaenia rubripinnis Allen & Renyaan 1998 ruber, red; pinnis, fin, referring to red-orange dorsal, anal and caudal fins
Melanotaenia rubrivittata Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2015 ruber, red; vittata, striped, referring to red body stripes, which distinguish it from the similar M. praecox
Melanotaenia rubrostriata (Ramsay & Ogilby 1886) ruber, red; striata, striped, referring to nine broad, red longitudinal bands on silvery body
Melanotaenia rumberponensis Kadarusman, Ogistira & Pouyaud 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Rumberpon Island, Cendrawasih Bay, Bird’s Neck Isthmus, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia sahulensis Hammer, Allen, Martin, Adams & Unmack 2019 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Pleistocene-era continent Sahul, which comprised the land masses of Australia and New Guinea connected under low sea-level, reflecting the modern distribution of this species in northeast Cape York Peninsula, Australia, and southern central New Guinea; name is also a tribute to the Australian and New Guinea Fishes Association (publisher of the journal Fishes of Sahul), which has done “much to promote and document native fishes of the region, especially rainbowfishes”
Melanotaenia salawati Kadarusman, Sudarto, Slembrouck & Pouyaud 2011 named for Salawati Island, West Papua, Indonesia, where it is endemic
Melanotaenia sembrae Kadarusman, Carman & Pouyaud 2015 of Sembra River, near Teminabuan, Sorong Selatan Regency, Papua Barat Province, type locality
Melanotaenia senckenbergiana (Weber 1911) –iana, belonging to: allusion not explained, presumably referring to Senckenberg Natural History Society (Frankfurt, Germany), in whose journal description was published
Melanotaenia sexlineata (Munro 1964) sex, six; lineata, lined, referring to six well-defined longitudinal black stripes overlaying junctions of horizontal scale rows
Melanotaenia sikuensis Kadarusman, Sudarto & Pouyaud 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Siku Creek, Bird’s Neck Isthmus, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia sneideri Allen & Hadiaty 2013 in honor of Richard Sneider (b. 1960) Los Angeles, California (USA), entrepreneur, conservationist and explorer, who, with Max Ammer (see M. ammeri), planned and executed the 2013 Kumawa Mountains Expedition, during which Sneider discovered, photographed and filmed this species, and helped collect type
Melanotaenia splendida splendida (Peters 1866) splendid, grand or admirable, described as a “beautiful brownish-red” (translation) with a silver lateral band, yellowish pectoral fins, ventral fins violet with black tips, and the second dorsal and the anal fins with violet-red longitudinal lines and dark edges
Melanotaenia splendida inornata (Castelnau 1875) unadorned, presumably referring to general silvery color with greenish tinge of the specimen(s) Castelnau examined (although much more colorful in life)
Melanotaenia splendida tatei (Zietz 1896) patronym not identified but probably in honor of botanist-geologist Ralph Tate (1840-1901), who participated in the 1894 Horn Expedition to Central Australia, during which type was collected
Melanotaenia susii Kadarusman, Hubert & Pouyaud 2015 of Susi (actually spelled Sos) Creek, Papua Barat Province, Indonesia, type locality
Melanotaenia sylvatica Allen 1997 –aticus, belonging to: sylva, forest, referring to typical forest stream habitat
Melanotaenia synergos Allen & Unmack 2008 named to honor Peggy Dulany on the 20th anniversary of the Synergos Institute, which she founded in 1986 to create a more just and equitable global society in which all individuals, families and communities have a meaningful opportunity to improve the quality of their lives for themselves and future generations
Melanotaenia trifasciata (Rendahl 1922) tri-, three; fasciata, banded, referring to broad blackish brown band on sides and thin light-colored or whitish bands directly above and below it; the contrast between these light and dark bands was especially pronounced in the preserved specimen that Rendahl examined
Melanotaenia urisa Kadarusman, Setiawibawa & Pouyard 2012 named for Urisa village, near type locality, a karst spring emerging from Berari Anticline at the altitudinal level of Sewiki Lake, District Arguni Bawah, Papua Barat
Melanotaenia utcheensis McGuigan 2001 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Utchee Creek, Queensland, Australia, type locality; name also recognizes its being sold in the aquarium trade as the “Utchee Creek Type”
Melanotaenia vanheurni (Weber & de Beaufort 1922) in honor of Willem Cornelis van Heurn (1887-1972), the “indefatigable” zoologist of the Dutch New Guinea Expedition (1920-1921), during which type was collected
Melanotaenia veoliae Kadarusman, Caruso & Pouyaud 2012 in honor of the Foundation Veolia Environment, which sponsored, among others, the Lengguru-Kaimana Expedition in October-November 2010, during which type was collected
Melanotaenia wanoma Kadarusman, Segura & Pouyaud 2012 named for Wanoma village, near type locality, Wermura Creek, District Arguni Bawah, Papua Barat, Indonesia
Melanotaenia wilsoni Hammer, Allen, Martin, Adams & Unmack 2019 in honor of David Wilson, the first person to document the presence of the small, isolated population of this species in the Northern Territory (Australia), and who has “worked tirelessly and generously to promote the sustainable use and conservation of native aquatic animals, especially rainbowfishes”
Melanotaenia wokamensis Allen, Hadiaty, Unmack & Erdmann 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Wokam Island, Aru Islands, Maluku Province, Indonesia, type locality
Pelangia Allen 1998 after pelangi, Indonesian word for rainbow, referring to rainbowfishes
Pelangia mbutaensis Allen 1998 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Mbuta Basin, Irian Jaya, Indonesia, where it appears to be endemic
Rhadinocentrus Regan 1914 rhadinos, slender; centron, thorn or spine, referring to slender and flexible rays of spinous dorsal fin
Rhadinocentrus ornatus Regan 1914 decorated, presumably referring to two rows of scales with black margins along middle of sides, scattered dark spots below it, and/or dark spot at base of each ray of soft dorsal and anal fins
Family PSEUDOMUGILIDAE Blue-eyes
3 genera · 19 species
Kiunga Allen 1983 named after village of Kiunga, Papua New Guinea, largest settlement in area where K. ballochi occurs
Kiunga ballochi Allen 1983 in honor of David Balloch (b. 1950), staff biologist, Ok Tedi Mining Ltd., who provided “invaluable logistic support and collecting assistance,” which were “directly responsible for the discovery of this new species”
Kiunga bleheri Allen 2004 in honor of explorer and ornamental-fish wholesaler and supplier Heiko Bleher (b. 1944), who collected type and was the first to observe this species in the wild
Pseudomugil Kner 1866 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may resemble the mullets (Mugilidae) in overall shape, width of head, and number of rays in first dorsal fin, such an appearance is false
Pseudomugil connieae (Allen 1981) in honor of Allen’s wife Connie, “as a small token of appreciation for her invaluable assistance over the years” (she usually prepares her husband’s manuscripts for publication)
Pseudomugil cyanodorsalis Allen & Sarti 1983 cyano-, blue; dorsalis, of the back, referring to distinctive blue upper back of males
Pseudomugil furcatus Nichols 1955 forked, referring to “sharply forked” caudal fin
Pseudomugil gertrudae Weber 1911 in honor of Gertrude Merton, “gracious wife” (translation) of German naturalist Hugo Merton (1879-1940); she accompanied her husband to the Aru Archipelago of Indonesia, during which type was collected
Pseudomugil inconspicuus Roberts 1978 not readily seen or not prominent, referring to slender body, probable transparency in life, and small size (described at 23.1 mm SL) as adults (Tyson R. Roberts, pers. comm.)
Pseudomugil ivantsoffi Allen & Renyaan 1999 in honor of ichthyologist Walter Ivantsoff (Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia), for “valuable” contributions to our knowledge of atherinoid taxonomy
Pseudomugil luminatus Allen, Unmack & Hadiaty 2016 light up, referring to bright colors exhibited by adult males
Pseudomugil majusculus Ivantsoff & Allen 1984 somewhat larger or greater, implying how this species grows larger than its congeners
Pseudomugil mellis Allen & Ivantsoff 1982 honey, referring to rich honey coloration of mature males, particularly during the breeding cycle
Pseudomugil novaeguineae Weber 1907 of New Guinea (the island), where it is endemic (occurring in both Papua Province and Papua New Guinea)
Pseudomugil paludicola Allen & Moore 1981 paludis, marsh or swamp; cola, to inhabit, referring to its favored habitat
Pseudomugil paskai Allen & Ivantsoff 1986 in honor of John Paska, former fisheries technician, New Guinea Ministry of Fisheries, for his assistance during Allen’s visits to Papua New Guinea; he also helped collect type
Pseudomugil pellucidus Allen & Ivantsoff 1998 clear or transparent, described as “quite transparent”
Pseudomugil reticulatus Allen & Ivantsoff 1986 netted, referring to net-like appearance of scales edged with black
Pseudomugil signifer Kner 1866 signum, flag; fero, to bear, referring to elongate dorsal fin (and perhaps also anal fin) of males
Pseudomugil tenellus Taylor 1964 delicate, referring to its “small dainty or delicate appearance”
Scaturiginichthys Ivantsoff, Unmack, Saeed & Crowley 1991 scaturginis, bubbling spring, referring to habitat from inland aquifers of Lake Eyre drainage, Queensland, Australia; ichthys, fish
Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis Ivantsoff, Unmack, Saeed & Crowley 1991 vermeil, old French for red or vermilion; pinnis, fin, referring to vermilion-edged fins of males
Family TELMATHERINIDAE Sailfin Silversides
5 genera · 18 species
Kalyptatherina Saeed & Ivantsoff 1991 kalyptos, covering or concealing, referring to how its “true nature is concealed” by its external similarity to Pseudomugilidae; Atherina, type genus of order, probably used here as a generic term for a silverside
Kalyptatherina helodes (Ivantsoff & Allen 1984) marshy, referring to its occurrence in mangrove swamps or marshy habitat
Marosatherina Aarn, Ivantsoff & Kottelat 1998 Maros, a town in the range of M. ladigesi in southwest Sulawesi, Indonesia; Atherina, type genus of order, probably used here as a generic term for a silverside
Marosatherina ladigesi (Ahl 1936) in honor of aquarist and ichthyologist Werner Ladiges (1910-1984), director, Zoologisches Staatsinstitut und Zoologisches Museum Hamburg, who collected type
Paratherina Kottelat 1990 para-, near; Atherina, possibly shorthand for Telmatherina, referring to its close kinship with that genus; coined by Aurich (1935), but since he did not designate a type species the name dates to Kottelat, who did
Paratherina cyanea Aurich 1935 blue, referring to “steel blue” (translation) coloration of living males
Paratherina labiosa Aurich 1935 large-lipped, referring to its “fleshy” (translation) lips
Paratherina striata Aurich 1935 striped, presumably referring to thin, dark and long stripe on ventral edge of body behind anus
Paratherina wolterecki Aurich 1935 in honor of biologist-hydrologist Richard Woltereck (1877-1944), who collected all four species of this genus and provided sketches of their colors in life
Telmatherina Boulenger 1897 telma, swamp or marsh, allusion not explained, possibly referring to swampy margins of Lake Towuti, type locality of type species, T. celebensis; Atherina, type genus of Atherinidae, its family at time of description
Telmatherina abendanoni Weber 1913 in honor of Dutch malacologist and mining engineer Eduard Cornelius Abendanon (1878-1962), who led Central Celebes Expedition (1907-1918), during which type was collected
Telmatherina albolabiosa Tantu & Nilawati 2008 albus, white; labiosus, large-lipped, referring to its milky white thick lips, which can be protruded
Telmatherina antoniae Kottelat 1991 in honor of Kottelat’s wife Antionette Kottelat-Kloetzli, for “her help at all stages of this and many other research projects”
Telmatherina bonti Weber & de Beaufort 1922 from Bonti-bonti, local name for this species at Lake Towuti, Sulawesi, Indonesia, type locality
Telmatherina celebensis Boulenger 1897 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Celebes (now Sulawesi), Indonesia, where it is endemic
Telmatherina obscura Kottelat 1991 dark, referring to dark-brown head and body of living males, blackish on back, and several irregular black vertical markings
Telmatherina opudi Kottelat 1991 Opudi, common name for all Telmatherina and Oryzias (Beloniformes: Adrianichthyidae) in Lake Matano (Sulawesi, Indonesia)
Telmatherina prognatha Kottelat 1991 pro-, front; gnathos, jaw, referring to its projecting upper jaw, giving it a predator-like appearance
Telmatherina sarasinorum Kottelat 1991 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: named for Swiss naturalist-ethnologist Paul Sarasin (1856-1929) and his second cousin, naturalist Fritz Sarasin (1859-1942), who discovered Matano and Towuti Lakes (Sulawesi, Indonesia) and collected the first museum specimens of Telmatherina
Telmatherina wahjui Kottelat 1991 in honor of Beni N. Wahju (1934-2012), Vice President and Secretary, P. T. Inco Industries, for his “invaluable help and assistance, without which the ichthyological survey of the Malili Lakes [Sulawesi, Indonesia] would not have been possible” (he was also a founding member of the Nature Conservancy’s Indonesia Advisory Board and founding chairman of YPAN, the Indonesian Natural Heritage Foundation)
Tominanga Kottelat 1990 named for the Tominanga River (Sulawesi, Indonesia), which links lakes Towuti (T. sanguicauda) and Matano (although T. aurea occurs only in Lake Mahalona), the two known habitats of the genus
Tominanga aurea Kottelat 1990 gold, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to yellow or red spots on silvery body of males
Tominanga sanguicauda Kottelat 1990 sanguis, blood; cauda, tail, referring to red caudal fin of males
Family ISONIDAE Surf Sardines
Iso Jordan & Starks 1901 from Isoi-Iwashi, Japanese name for Surf Sardines
Iso flosmaris Jordan & Starks 1901 flos, flower; maris, of the sea, referring to its name among Japanese fishermen, Namino-hana, or flower of the waves
Iso hawaiiensis Gosline ensis, suffix denoting place: Oahu, Hawaiian Islands, type locality (also occurs at Marshall and possibly Rapa islands)
Iso natalensis Regan 1919 –ensis, suffix denoting place: off the Natal coast (now called KwaZulu-Natal coast) of South Africa, type locality (occurs in Indian Ocean from East Africa to India, and Andaman Islands)
Iso nesiotes Saeed, Ivantsoff & Crowley 1993 islander, known at the time from only American Samoa and Pitcairn Island (but occurs elsewhere in South Pacific)
Iso rhothophilus (Ogilby 1895) rhothos; torrent; philo, to love, “essentially surf-fishes, coming in with the waves, and being swept up into the gulches and pools on the reef”
Family DENTATHERINIDAE Tusked Silverside
Dentatherina Patten & Ivantsoff 1983 dentatus, toothed, referring to tusk-like protrusion on anterior border of maxilla; atherina, originally placed in the family Atherinidae
Dentatherina merceri Patten & Ivantsoff 1983 in honor of Frank V. Mercer, Macquarie University (Sydney, Australia), “whose help and encouragement in the study of the family Atherinidae will not be forgotten”
Family PHALLOSTETHIDAE Priapium Fishes
4 genera · 24 species
Gulaphallus Herre 1925 gula, throat; phallus, penis, referring to priapium, copulatory organ under throat of male
Gulaphallus bikolanus (Herre 1926) –anus, belonging to: Bikol provinces (now known as Bicol Region), Philippines, where it is known to occur at Lake Bato (Camarines Sur Province) and Lake Lanigay (Albay Province)
Gulaphallus eximius Herre 1925 extraordinary; because of priapium, this “family comprises perhaps the most remarkable fishes known to the scientific world”
Gulaphallus falcifer Manacop 1936 falcis, sickle or scythe; fero, to bear, referring to scythe-like osseous postanal papilla of female
Gulaphallus mirabilis Herre 1925 wonderful; because of priapium, this “family comprises perhaps the most remarkable fishes known to the scientific world”
Gulaphallus panayensis (Herre 1942) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Panay, Philippines, type locality
Neostethus Regan 1916 neo-, new; stethus, short for Phallostethus, i.e., a new genus of phallostethid fishes
Neostethus amaricola (Villadolid & Manacop 1935) amarus, bitter; cola, inhabitant, referring to brackish habitat
Neostethus bicornis Regan 1916 bi-, two; cornis, horn, presunably referring to pair of ctenactinia (elongate, curved bones used for clasping female during mating) on priapium
Neostethus borneensis Herre 1939 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sandakan Bay, Sabah, northern Borneo, type locality
Neostethus ctenophorus (Aurich 1937) ctenos, comb; phoros, bearer, referring to comb-like projections of papillary (trio of small bones at hind end of priapium)
Neostethus djajaorum Parenti & Louie 1998 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: honoring the contributions of the Djaja family (Rachmat, Jootje and their children Ike, Yuni and Andi), for their “kindness and extraordinary support” of the authors’ fieldwork in Sulawesi
Neostethus geminus Parenti 2014 twin or double, referring to close morphological similarity with its inferred sister species, N. bicornis, and to the paired or double ctenactinia (elongate, curved bones used for clasping female during mating) in both species
Neostethus lankesteri Regan 1916 in honor of British zoologist Ray Lankester (1847-1929), to whom Regan was “indebted for many acts of kindness and much sound advice. Moreover, it seems to me [Regan] not inappropriate that this little fish, whose structure presents more than one problem for the consideration of students of animal morphology, should bear the name of the most distinguished morphologist of our time.”
Neostethus palawanensis (Myers 1935) –ensis, suffix denoting place: west coast of Palawan Island, Philippines, where type locality (mouth of Caiholo River at Ulugan Bay) is situated
Neostethus robertsi Parenti 1989 in honor of ichthyologist Tyson R. Roberts (b. 1940), collector of type series and student of phallostethid fishes (he described Phenacostethus posthon in 1971)
Neostethus thessa (Aurich 1937) etymology not explained nor evident; possibly thessa, a hired girl or servant, or Thessa, a northern German ladies first name (Aurich’s wife?)
Neostethus villadolidi Herre 1942 in honor of Herre’s friend and associate for many years, Deogracias V. Villadolid (1896-1976), chief of the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries (and co-author of N. amaricola)
Neostethus zamboangae Herre 1942 of Zamboanga, Mindanao, Philippines, type locality
Phallostethus Regan 1913 phallos, penis; stethos, breast or chest, referring to priapium, copulatory organ under throat of male
Phallostethus cuulong Shibukawa, Tran & Tran 2012 Vietnamese name of the Mekong delta (Cuu Long), type locality; “Cuu Long” means “nine dragons,” referring to nine distributaries of the Mekong basin in Viêt Nam
Phallostethus dunckeri Regan 1913 in honor of ichthyologist Georg Duncker (1870-1953), Zoologisches Museum Hamburg, who first wrote about this species in 1904; too busy with other work to prepare a description, he gave some of his specimens to Regan to be described
Phallostethus lehi Parenti 1996 in honor of fisheries biologist Charles Leh, Muzium Sarawak and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, who aided the first scientific collection of Phallostethus in Borneo
Phenacostethus Myers 1928 phenax, imposter; stethus, short for Phallostethus, allied with Phallostethus in the presence of a toxactinium (long, curved projection from anterior end of priapium) and shield-like pulvinulus (elongate mass of fibrous tissue at base of toxactinium), and to Neostethus and Gulaphallus in short anal fin and character of female abdomen
Phenacostethus posthon Roberts 1971 Greek for one with a large penis, referring to large penis (entirely smooth in this species) that projects considerably from the priapium (a characteristic of the family)
Phenacostethus sikat Parenti, Lumbantobing & Haryono 2023 Bahasa Indonesian word for brush, referring to the distinct, brush-shaped external morphology of the seminal papilla of adult males
Phenacostethus smithi Myers 1928 in honor of ichthyologist Hugh M. Smith (1865-1941), Fisheries Commissioner to the Siamese Government, who published observations of Neostethus lankesteri in the wild and sent Myers some specimens
Phenacostethus trewavasae Parenti 1986 in honor of Ethelwynn Trewavas (1900-1993), British Museum (Natural History), in “deep appreciation of her continued contribution to the field of ichthyology”