COMMENTS
v. 9.0 – 8 Dec. 2023 view/download PDF
Family PANTANODONTIDAE Spine Killifishes
3 genera · 8 species
Aliteranodon Meinema & Huber 2023 alius, other, and iter, a way or passage, i.e., “otherwise” or “in another way”; –odon, abridgement of Pantanodon, referring to its “previously unnoticed differences” with that “putatively closely related” genus
Aliteranodon bucinus Meinema & Huber 2023 Latin for hornblower or trumpeter, referring to its superior mouth, reaching above the eye and partially above the dorsal area
Aliteranodon filimbi Meinema & Huber 2023 Swahili (national language of Tanzania, type locality) for whistle or flute, referring to its slightly superior mouth, resembling a swollen upper lip, less pronounced that the superior mouth of A. bucinus (hence a flute rather than a horn or trumpet)
Aliteranodon ndoano Meinema & Huber 2023 Swahili (national language of Kenya, type locality) for hook, referring to its “extreme underbite, the dentary bent and curved upward like a hook”
Aliteranodon rostratus Meinema & Huber 2023 Latin for beaked, referring to its “bird-like” snout
Aliteranodon stuhlmanni (Ahl 1924) in honor of Franz Ludwig Stuhlmann (1863-1928), German Colonial Service, who, with Emin Pascha, led the German East Africa Expedition (1889-1892), during which holotype was collected
Malagodon Meinema & Huber 2023 Malag-, from Malagasy, old name for Madagascar, where genus is endemic; odon, tooth, referring to presence of external teeth (vs. their absence on Aliteranodon and Pantanodon)
Malagodon madagascariensis (Arnoult 1963) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Madagascar, where it is endemic [extinct due to habitat loss and exotic species]
Pantanodon Myers 1955 podus, foot (homologous to the anal fin); oxys, sharp or pointed, referring to its acuminate anal fin
Pantanodon podoxys Myers 1935 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Madagascar, where it is endemic
Pantanodon propinquus Meinema & Huber 2023 Latin for neighboring or similar to, referring to its resemblance to, and nearby distribution of, P. podoxys
Family CYPRINODONTIDAE Pupfishes
10 genera · 112 species
Subfamily CUBANICHTHYINAE Island Pupfishes
Cubanichthys Hubbs 1926 Cuba, where genus was thought to be endemic until generic placement of C. pengelleyi; ichthys, fish
Cubanichthys cubensis (Eigenmann 1903) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cuba, where it is endemic (including mainland and Isla de la Juventud, or Isle of Pines)
Cubanichthys pengelleyi (Fowler 1939) in honor of Jamaican physician and medical officer Charles Edward Pengelley (1888-1966), who “obtained” type specimens and “sent interesting details of his experience with them as aquarium fishes”
Yssolebias Huber 2012 yssos, javelin, referring to elongate and narrow dorsal and anal fins with sharp borders; lebias, Greek name for a kind of small fish, first applied to killifishes (“Les Lebias”) by Cuvier (1816) and now a common root-name formation in the order
Yssolebias martae (Steindachner 1876) of Santa Marta, Colombia, type locality (only one specimen known, perhaps extinct)
Subfamily CYPRINODONTINAE Pupfishes
Cualac Miller 1956 derived from a Mexican place name of Nahuatl origin meaning “where there is good water,” referring to type locality (La Media Luna, San Luis Potosí, México), a “spectacular spring area”
Cualac tessellatus Miller 1956 tessellated, i.e., inlaid with small squares, referring to “mosaic-like or checkered pattern so prominently displayed on the dorsal fin of the male”
Cyprinodon Lacepède 1803 cyprinus, carp or minnow; odon, tooth, i.e., a carp- or cyprinid-like fish but with teeth (hence “tooth carps,” another name for the order)
Cyprinodon albivelis Minckley & Miller 2002 albus, white; velum, sail, referring to white color covering at least ⅓ of outer dorsal and anal fins of nuptial males
Cyprinodon alvarezi Miller 1976 in honor of Mexican ichthyologist José Álvarez del Villar (1903-1986), who collected this species in 1952 and intended to describe it but turned it over to Miller to study [extinct in the wild]
Cyprinodon arcuatus Minckley & Miller 2002 arched or shaped or bent like a bow, referring to highly convex dorsal body profile [extinct in 1971 due to habitat alteration and introduced Largemouth Bass]
Cyprinodon artifrons Hubbs 1936 artus, narrow; frons, forehead, proposed as a subspecies of C. variegatus with a narrower bony interorbital compared to C. v. ovinus
Cyprinodon atrorus Miller 1968 atra, black; ora, border, referring to “conspicuous” black terminal band on caudal fin of males
Cyprinodon beltrani Álvarez 1949 in honor of Mexican biologist Enrique Beltrán Castillo (1903-1994) on the occasion of his 25th anniversary as a biologist
Cyprinodon bifasciatus Miller 1968 bi-, two; fasciatus, striped, referring to two prominent lateral stripes: one along midside from head to base of caudal fin, the other from base of pectoral fin to end of anal-fin base
Cyprinodon bobmilleri Lozano-Vilano & Contreras-Balderas 1999 in honor of Robert Rush Miller (1916-2003), University of Michigan, known as “Bob” to his colleagues, for his lifelong devotion to Mexican fishes and his “friendly support” of the authors’ studies
Cyprinodon bondi Myers 1935 in honor of biologist Richard Marshall Bond (1903-1976), who collected types during an ecological investigation of Hispaniolan lakes
Cyprinodon bovinus Baird & Girard 1853 like a bull, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to robust body shape of males
Cyprinodon brontotheroides Martin & Wainwright 2013 –oides, having the form of: referring to resemblance of protruding nasal region to the “bizarre” horn-like skull appendages of the extinct odd-toed ungulate family Brontotheriidae
Cyprinodon ceciliae Lozano-Vilano & Contreras-Balderas 1993 in honor of Cecilia Contreras Lozano, the senior author’s daughter and the junior author’s niece, who helped in the 1988 trip during which type was collected [extinct when spring nearly dried in 1991]
Cyprinodon dearborni Meek 1909 in honor of American ornithologist Ned Dearborn (1865-1948), who collected type
Cyprinodon desquamator Martin & Wainwright 2013 de-, remove; squamator, scaler, referring to its scale-eating behavior
Cyprinodon diabolis Wales 1930 devilish or of the devil, referring to Devils Hole, Ash Meadows, Nevada, only area of occurrence (believed to be the smallest natural range of any known vertebrate species)
Cyprinodon elegans Baird & Girard 1853 elegant, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to more elongate shape compared to other Cyprinodon described in same publication
Cyprinodon eremus Miller & Fuiman 1987 lonely or alone, referring to isolated type locality (spring-fed pond, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Pima County, Arizona, USA)
Cyprinodon esconditus Strecker 2002 hidden, referring to prior failure to detect this species among specimens not assignable to one of the other pupfish species in Laguna Chichancanab (Yucatán, México)
Cyprinodon eximius Girard 1859 exceptional, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its being the largest Cyprinodon species “so far observed in North America” at the time
Cyprinodon fontinalis Smith & Miller 1980 living in or near springs, referring to its occurrence in five springs and their outflows in Bolsón de los Muertos, Chihuahua, México
Cyprinodon higuey Rodriguez & Smith 1990 named for the Higüey people who originally inhabited eastern Hispaniola, where this species occurs (a coastal lake in eastern Dominican Republic)
Cyprinodon inmemoriam Lozano-Vilano & Contreras-Balderas 1993 in memory, referring to its being described after it went extinct shortly after its discovery in 1983 due to dewatering of spring habitat
Cyprinodon julimes De la Maza-Benignos & Vela-Valladares 2009 named for municipality of Julimes, Chihuahua, México, where this pupfish is known from a single thermal spring
Cyprinodon labiosus Humphries & Miller 1981 large-lipped, referring to its “enlarged and convoluted” lips
Cyprinodon laciniatus Hubbs & Miller 1942 laciniate (divided into deep narrow irregular segments), referring to “strongly and diagnostically laciniate scale margins”
Cyprinodon latifasciatus Garman 1881 latus, broad; fasciatus, banded, presumably referring to much wider caudal band compared to C. variegatus [extinct due to habitat destruction, last seen in 1903]
Cyprinodon longidorsalis Lozano-Vilano & Contreras-Balderas 1993 longus, long; dorsalis, of the back, referring to long dorsal fin of mature males, reaching caudal fin when depressed [extinct in wild]
Cyprinodon macrolepis Miller 1976 macro-, large; lepis, scales, referring to its distinctively large scales, 23 or 24 along lateral line
Cyprinodon macularius Baird & Girard 1853 spotty, referring to color pattern of females and non-breeding males
Cyprinodon maya Humphries & Miller 1981 named for the Maya, indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica in pre-Columbian times, who occupied the region (Yucatán, México) where this pupfish occurs
Cyprinodon meeki Miller 1976 in honor of ichthyologist Seth Eugene Meek (1859-1914), who “pioneered in exploring the Mexican freshwater fish fauna”
Cyprinodon nazas Miller 1976 named for the Río Nazas basin of northern México (Durango, Zacatecas, Coahuila), where it is endemic
Cyprinodon nevadensis nevadensis Eigenmann & Eigenmann 1889 –ensis, suffix denoting place: referring to type locality, Saratoga Spring, Death Valley, Inyo County, California, USA, which the authors erroneously placed in Nevada
Cyprinodon nevadensis amargosae Miller 1948 of the Armagosa River, San Bernardino County, California, USA, where it is endemic
Cyprinodon nevadensis calidae Miller 1948 of a calida, warm spring, referring to Tecopa Hot Springs, Inyo County, California, USA, where it occurred [extinct due to modification of springs for bathhouses; last seen in 1970]
Cyprinodon nevadensis mionectes Miller 1948 Greek for “one who has less,” referring to its reduced size and lower number of fin rays and scales compared to other C. nevadensis subspecies
Cyprinodon nevadensis pectoralis Miller 1948 pectoral, referring to increased number of pectoral-fin rays compared to other C. nevadensis subspecies
Cyprinodon nevadensis shoshone Miller 1948 Native American word meaning “warm water,” referring to Shoshone Spring outflow, Inyo County, California, USA, where it is endemic
Cyprinodon nichollsi Smith 1989 in honor of Kenneth W. Nicholls (no other information available), for “support of fieldwork”
Cyprinodon pachycephalus Minckley & Minckley 1986 pachy, thick; cephalus, head, referring to greatly enlarged head, its length >⅓ and width >¼ SL, with “broad and massive” jaws
Cyprinodon pecosensis Echelle & Echelle 1978 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Pecos River system of Texas and New Mexico, USA, where it is endemic
Cyprinodon pisteri Miller & Minckley 2002 in honor of fisheries biologist Edwin Philip (“Phil”) Pister (b. 1929); “For almost four decades, Phil Pister has unerringly and effectively performed the daunting task of preserving the integrity of natural aquatic habitats and biotas in North American deserts, along the way teaching others to do the same. His infectious and tireless persistence, enthusiasm, optimistic outlook, and unique capability to redirect conflicting views toward common goals have led to significant and enviable successes in equating science and a strong environmental ethic with political reality.”
Cyprinodon radiosus Miller 1948 rayed, referring to higher average number of dorsal-, anal- and pelvic-fin rays compared to congeners from Death Valley (California, USA) system (macularius, nevadensis, diabolis, salinus)
Cyprinodon riverendi (Poey 1860) in honor of Cuban naturalist Luis Le Riverend, who provided type; he “added to the knowledge of natural history” in Cuba (type locality) “through his collections and his aquariums” (translation)
Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis Fowler 1916 rubro-, red; fluviatilis, of a river, referring to the Red River drainage of Texas and Oklahoma, the “most northern inland region” in which the genus naturally occurs
Cyprinodon salinus salinus Miller 1943 of salt, named for Salt Creek, Death Valley, California, USA, where it is endemic
Cyprinodon salinus milleri LaBounty & Deacon 1972 in honor of Robert Rush Miller (1916-2003), University of Michigan, who described the nominate form in 1943
Cyprinodon salvadori Lozano-Vilano 2002 in honor of Salvador Contreras-Balderas (1936-2009), for his “life-long dedication” to the study and teaching about Mexican fishes, and his “friendly support” of the author’s studies over many years [note: Lozano-Vilano is married to Contreras-Balderas’ brother]
Cyprinodon simus Humphries & Miller 1981 snub-nosed, referring to its short, blunt snout
Cyprinodon suavium Strecker 2005 kiss, referring to distinctive protruded appearance of its lips
Cyprinodon tularosa Miller & Echelle 1975 named for the endorheic Tularosa basin on New Mexico, USA, where it is endemic
Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus Lacepède 1803 variegated, referring to variable color patterns of brown spots and bands on sides
Cyprinodon variegatus baconi Breder 1932 in honor of Daniel Bacon, sponsor of the Bacon-Andros Expedition in the Carribean, during which type was collected; Bacon was also Breder’s host in Long Cay, Bahamas
Cyprinodon variegatus hubbsi Carr 1936 in honor of ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894-1979), who suggested this form of C. variegatus be described as a new species
Cyprinodon variegatus ovinus (Mitchill 1815) of sheep, referring to Sheep’s-Head Killifish, local name of C. variegatus in New York, USA (now widely known as Sheepshead Minnow)
Cyprinodon verecundus Humphries 1984 mysterious or shy, referring to how it was overlooked in previous investigations of pupfishes of the Yucatán Peninsula of México
Cyprinodon veronicae Lozano-Vilano & Contreras-Balderas 1993 in honor of Verónica Contreras Arqueita, the junior author’s daughter and the senior author’s niece, for her help in the 1984 trip during which type was collected [extinct in wild]
Floridichthys Hubbs 1926 Florida (USA), where Hubbs stated the genus “appears to be wholly confined” (but Hubbs later found F. polyommus to occur along the Yucatán Peninsula of México); ichthys, fish
Floridichthys carpio (Günther 1866) carp (Cyprinus carpio), allusion not explained, probably referring to its carp-like shape, especially since it is larger than most of its presumed congeners in Cyprinodon
Floridichthys polyommus Hubbs 1936 poly, many; omma, eye, referring to numerous ocellated spots on posterior body of adult males
Garmanella Hubbs 1936 –ella, diminutive connoting endearment: “dedicated to the respected memory” of Harvard ichthyologist-herpetologist Samuel Garman (1843-1927), with “special regard” to his 1895 monograph on cyprinodontiform fishes; “In a prospected second revision of this group, left unfinished by his death, Garman recognized the genotype of Garmanella as a undescribed species” [treated as a junior synonym of Jordanella by many workers]
Garmanella pulchra Hubbs 1936 lovely or beautiful, described as a “very pretty species” and “handsomely marked” [placed in Jordanella by many workers]
Jordanella Goode & Bean 1879 –ella, diminutive connoting endearment: in honor of ichthyologist David Starr Jordan (1851-1931)
Jordanella floridae Goode & Bean 1879 of Florida, USA, where it is endemic (but introduced elsewhere)
Megupsilon Miller & Walters 1972 mega, large; upsilon, the Greek letter Y, referring to exceptionally large Y chromosome in males
Megupsilon aporus Miller & Walters 1972 a-, without; porus, pores, referring to lack of pores in sensory cephalic canal system [extinct; last surviving captive specimens perished in 2014]
Subfamily ORESTIINAE Andean Pupfishes
Orestias Valenciennes 1839 named for the Greek mythological figure Orestes, the “nymph of the mountains” (translation), referring to their occurrence in the Andes [genus is feminine, so all adjectival names, originally ending in –us (e.g., albus, robustus), have been emended (e.g., alba, robusta) per Cruz-Jofré et al. (2013)]
Orestias agassii Valenciennes 1846 in honor of zoologist-geologist Louis Agassiz (1807-1873), who collected type, but was specifically honored (along with O. F. Müller, see O. mulleri) for his contributions to science [three spellings appear in the publication: agassii, agassizii, agassisii; Parenti (1994), as the first reviser to analyze all three spellings, chose “agassii” since it appears above the original description and is used by most modern workers; according to Huber (2014), Valenciennes may have deleted the “z” in order to create a phonetic spelling that was easier for non-French readers to pronounce]
Orestias alba Valenciennes 1846 white, one of two species from Lake Titicaca locally known by their colors, a yellow species (see O. lutea) and this one, described as “gilded green” in alcohol but probably “whiter” in life (translation)
Orestias ascotanensis Parenti 1984 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lago Ascotan, a salt basin in northwestern Chile, where it is endemic
Orestias chungarensis Vila & Pinto 1987 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Chungará, Chilean Altiplano, where it is endemic
Orestias crawfordi Tchernavin 1944 in honor of malacologist George I. Crawford (1910-2011), British Museum (Natural History), Deputy Leader of Percy Sladen Trust Titicaca Expedition (1937), during which type was collected
Orestias ctenolepis Parenti 1984 ctenos, comb; lepis, scale, referring to ctenoid scales over most of body of adult males
Orestias cuvieri Valenciennes 1846 in honor of French naturalist and zoologist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832); Valenciennes was Cuvier’s pupil and successor as author of the 22-volume Histoire Naturelle des Poissons (1828-1850)
Orestias elegans Garman 1895 elegant, fine or select, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to more elongate shape compared to the similar O. agassii
Orestias empyraeus Allen 1942 named for Empyrean, the highest heaven in ancient cosmologies, referring to its “extremely elevated habitat” (3048-4267 m)
Orestias forgeti Lauzanne 1981 in honor of Lauzanne’s friend J. M. Forget (no other information available)
Orestias frontosa Cope 1876 with a broad head, presumably referring to wider head compared to O. ortonii (=agassii)
Orestias gilsoni Tchernavin 1944 in honor of botanist Hugh Cary Gilson (1910-2000), Leader of Percy Sladen Trust Titicaca Expedition (1937), during which type was collected
Orestias gloriae Vila, Scott, Mendez, Valenzuela, Iturra & Poulin 2012 in honor of Chilean ichthyologist Gloria Arratia, for her research work on Chilean fishes, especially those of the Andean region
Orestias gracilis Parenti 1984 slender or thin, referring to its “overall elongate and delicate appearance”
Orestias gymnota Parenti 1984 gymnos, naked or lightly clad; –ta, adjectival suffix denoting possession, referring to few or no head scales, and no lateral scales dorsal or ventral to the lateral, median rows of scales
Orestias hardini Parenti 1984 in honor of ecologist Tim Hardin, Colorado State University (now biologist and instream flow specialist, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife), for collecting and donating Orestias specimens from northern Peru, including type of this one
Orestias imarpe Parenti 1984 abbreviation for Instituto del Mar del Peru, which “helped to inspire a cooperative study of the Titicaca Basin”
Orestias incae Garman 1895 of the Incas, presumably referring to its occurrence in Lake Titicaca (Bolivia and Peru), part of the Inca Empire in the 15th century
Orestias ispi Lauzanne 1981 etymology not explained, almost certainly derived from ispus, local Andean name for smaller Orestias species
Orestias jussiei Valenciennes 1846 in honor of Joseph de Jussieu (1704-1779), French botanist and explorer in South America, who illustrated this species and O. pentlandii; according to Huber (2014), Valenciennes may have deleted the “u” in order to create a phonetic spelling that was easier for non-French readers to pronounce
Orestias laucaensis Arratia 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Río Lauca, Parinacota, Chile, elevation ~4300 m, type locality
Orestias lutea Valenciennes 1846 yellow, one of two species from Lake Titicaca locally known by their colors, a white species (see O. alba) and this one, pale in alcohol but with a yellowish background that indicates the fish is more yellow in life (and indeed it is)
Orestias minima Tchernavin 1944 least, at 36 mm SL, the smallest Orestias known
Orestias minuta Tchernavin 1944 minute or very small, referring to maximum size (37 mm SL) of type specimens, both ripe females
Orestias mooni Tchernavin 1944 in honor of biologist Harold Philip Moon (1919-1982), Freshwater Biological Association (UK), member of Percy Sladen Trust Titicaca Expedition (1937), during which type was collected
Orestias mulleri Valenciennes 1846 patronym identified only as “Muller,” one of three Orestias species Valenciennes named after famous biologists of the day, including O. agassii (see above) and O. owenii (Richard Owen, now a junior synonym of O. jussiei); probably in honor of Danish naturalist Otto Friedrich Müller (1730-1784), whose Fauna Danica (also known as Zoologica Danica) is cited three times in the volume, and who was earlier praised by Cuvier & Valenciennes (1828) as “one of the most painstaking and accurate observers of the 18th century, made famous by his microscopic discoveries” (translation) [Huber (2001) states that name honors Johann Friedrich “Fritz” Theodor Müller (1822-1897), but he was still at university and medical school in 1846 and had not yet emigrated to Brazil where he conducted his famous studies on mimicry in butterflies]
Orestias multiporis Parenti 1984 multi-, many; porus, pore, referring to multiple series of neuromasts along median dorsal ridge and lateral series
Orestias munda Parenti 1984 neat or trim, referring to unadorned, nearly uniform color pattern from juvenile through adult males and females
Orestias olivacea Garman 1895 olive-colored, referring to “olive” color of larger specimens (7.6-11.3 cm) in and “olivaceous mottled with brownish” color of smaller specimens (5 cm)
Orestias parinacotensis Arratia 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Parinacota, northern Chile, where type locality, a bofedales (wetland) at 4300 m, is situated
Orestias pentlandii Valenciennes 1846 in honor of Joseph Barclay Pentland (1796-1873), Irish explorer and diplomat in Bolivia, who collected several species of Orestias from Lake Titicaca, including type of this one
Orestias piacotensis Vila 2006 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Piacota, Parinacota Province, Chilean Altiplano, where it is endemic
Orestias polonorum Tchernavin 1944 Poles (i.e., people of Poland), presumably referring to how “first specimens of this species were collected by a Polish zoologist, [Konstanty] Jelski, member of the Count K. Branicki Expedition to South America in 1866-1867, and the British Museum of Natural History obtained these specimens through the courtesy of the Warsaw University”
Orestias puni Tchernavin 1944 of Bahia de Puno, Lake Titicaca, Peru, type locality
Orestias richersoni Parenti 1984 in honor of limnologist (and later evolutionary anthropologist) Peter J. Richerson (b. 1943), University of California, Davis, who provided the impetus for a multidisciplinary and international study of Lake Titicaca
Orestias robusta Parenti 1984 strong or robust, referring to its “overall robust appearance”
Orestias rotundipinnis Parenti 1984 rotundus, round; pinnis, fin, referring to rounded margin of pectoral fins
Orestias silustani Allen 1942 of Silustan, “nearby Inca ruin on the shore of Lake Umayo [Peru], overlooking the weedy habitat” from which type was collected
Orestias taquiri Tchernavin 1944 named for Taquiri Island, Lesser Lake Titicaca, Bolivia, only known area of occurrence
Orestias tchernavini Lauzanne 1981 patronym not identified but clearly in honor of Russian ichthyologist Vladimir V. Tchernavin (1887-1949), author of 1944 revision of the subfamily (he earlier achieved fame as one of the few prisoners of the Soviet Gulag to escape and live abroad, eventually settling at the Natural History Museum of London)
Orestias tomcooni Parenti 1984 in honor of ecologist-limnologist Thomas G. “Tom” Coon, University of California, Davis (now at Michigan State University), for his “expert collection” of more than 3000 specimens of Orestias from the Titicaca Basin in 1979, which formed the impetus for Parenti’s revision of the family
Orestias tschudii Castelnau 1855 in honor of Swiss naturalist and “learned traveler” (translation) Johann Jakob von Tschudi (1818-1889), author of Faune du Pérou and other works
Orestias tutini Tchernavin 1944 in honor of botanist Thomas Gaskell Tutin (1908-1987), member of Percy Sladen Trust Titicaca Expedition (1937), during which type was collected
Orestias uruni Tchernavin 1944 named for Uruni Bay, north side of Capachica Peninsula, Lake Titicaca, Peru, only known area of occurrence
Orestias ututo Parenti 1984 named for Lago Ututo, Peru, type locality
Pseudorestias Arratia, Vila, Lam, Guerrero & Quezada-Romegialli 2017 pseudo-, false, i.e., although this genus may have “overall similarities” with Orestias, such an appearance is false
Pseudorestias lirimensis Arratia, Vila, Lam, Guerrero & Quezada-Romegialli 2017 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lirima, a small village in northern Chile that is irrigated by Charvinto Creek, type locality
Family PROFUNDULIDAE Middle American Killifishes
2 genera · 14 species
Profundulus Hubbs 1924 pro-, in front of or before, allusion not explained but clearly reflecting Hubbs’ belief (“it seems not improbable that Profundulus, of all American genera, diverges least from a general ancestral cyprinodont type”) that this genus is ancestral compared to Fundulus, its confamilial at the time (name does not mean “deep” as stated by FishBase and others)
Profundulus balsanus Ahl 1935 –anus, belonging to: Río Balsas system, Guerrero, México, where Ahl believed type locality (Malinaltepec River) was situated; in actuality, that river is a tributary of the Papagayo River and does not occur in the Balsas system
Profundulus chimalapensis Del Moral-Flores, López-Segovia & Hernández-Arellano 2020 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Selva de Los Chimalapas, geographic area in Oaxaca, México, type locality (Chimalapa means “jicara [cup or bowl made from the fruit of a calabash tree] of gold” in Castilian)
Profundulus emilioi Calixto-Rojas, Lira-Noriega, Rubio-Godoy, Pérez-Ponce de Léon & Pinacho-Pinacho 2023 in honor of Emilio Martínez Ramírez, professor of ichthyology, colleague and friend, “always willing to study fishes” in Oaxaca, Mexico, and who “kindly opened the doors of his lab” to the first and fourth authors “in their early student days”
Profundulus guatemalensis (Günther 1866) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Guatemala, where it occurs (also occurs in Ecuador)
Profundulus kreiseri Matamoros, Schaefer, Hernández & Chakrabarty 2012 in honor of biologist Brian R. Kreiser, University of Southern Mississippi (USA), doctoral advisor and friend of the first author
Profundulus mixtlanensis Ornelas-García, Martinez-Ramírez & Doadrio 2015 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Mixtlan (mixtli, cloud and –tlan, place, i.e., “the place of the clouds”), Nahuatl name used in Tenoch culture for the Mixteca region of Oaxaca, México, where this killifish occurs
Profundulus oaxacae (Meek 1902) of Oaxaca, México, where it is endemic to the Verde River basin
Profundulus parentiae Matamoros, Domínguez-Cisneros, Velázquez-Velázquez & McMahan 2018 in honor of Lynne R. Parenti (b. 1954), Smithsonian Institution, for “many important contributions to our knowledge of the systematics, biogeography, biology, and morphology of cyprinodontiforms as well as numerous other groups of fishes”
Profundulus punctatus (Günther 1866) spotted, described as having a vertical dark-purple or violet spot at center of each scale (especially on the tail), and 3-4 series of blackish dots on dorsal fin
Profundulus rei Calixto-Rojas, Lira-Noriega, Rubio-Godoy, Pérez-Ponce de Léon & Pinacho-Pinacho 2023 named for the first author’s pet cat Rei, his “companion for 11 years, during which his academic formation took place (BSc, MSc and almost all PhD), and was his constant attendant while measuring all the fish specimens for this work”; the cat’s name was inspired by the fictional character Rei Ayanami from the Japanese animation series Neon Genesis Evangelion
Tlaloc Álvarez & Carranza 1951 named for Tlaloc, god of water in Aztec mythology, presumably referring to occurrence of T. mexicanus (=labialis) in Chiapas, México
Tlaloc candalarius (Hubbs 1924) –ius, pertaining to: Candalaria, a limestone spring near the Mexican boundary of Guatemala, type locality (also occurs in Chiapas, México)
Tlaloc hildebrandi (Miller 1950) in memory of Samuel F. Hildebrand (1883-1949), for his “significant contributions to our understanding of the ichthyology of Central America”
Tlaloc labialis (Günther 1866) of the lips, referring to “well developed, broad” lips, extending to angle of mouth
Tlaloc portillorum (Matamoros & Schaefer 2010) –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Honduran brothers Hector (b. 1963, ecologist and environmental consultant) and Danilo (b. 1965) Portillo, life-long fieldwork collaborators who guided senior author to type locality and provided valuable natural history information about the area
Family GOODEIDAE Goodeids
19 genera/subgenera · 53 species/subspecies
Subfamily EMPETRICHTHYINAE Springfishes
Crenichthys Hubbs 1932 creno-, spring, referring to occurrence in desert springs; ichthys, fish
Crenichthys baileyi baileyi (Gilbert 1893) in honor of American naturalist and ethnographer Vernon Orlando Bailey (1864-1942), who collected type with C. Hart Merriam (see Empetrichthys merriami)
Crenichthys baileyi albivallis Williams & Wilde 1981 albus, white; vallis, valley, referring to White River Valley of Nevada (USA), where it is endemic
Crenichthys baileyi grandis Williams & Wilde 1981 large, the largest subspecies of C. baileyi
Crenichthys baileyi moapae Williams & Wilde 1981 of the Moapa River system (specifically, headwater streams), Clark County, Nevada (USA), where it is endemic
Crenichthys baileyi thermophilus Williams & Wilde 1981 thermos, heat; philo, to love, referring to its occurrence in warm spring waters
Crenichthys nevadae Hubbs 1932 of Nevada (USA), where it is endemic to thermal spring systems of Railroad Valley in Nye County
Empetrichthys Gilbert 1893 em-, within and petra, rock, referring to stone-like pharyngeal teeth of E. merriami; ichthys, fish
Empetrichthys latos latos Miller 1948 latus, wide; os, mouth, referring to wider mouth compared to E. merriami
Empetrichthys latos concavus Miller 1948 concave, referring to marked concavity of top of head [extinct by 1960 due to introduced carp and bullfrogs]
Empetrichthys latos pahrump Miller 1948 named for Pahrump Ranch in Pahrump Valley, Nevada, USA, where it was endemic [extinct in 1958 due to introduced carp and bullfrogs and excessive spring pumping]
Empetrichthys merriami Gilbert 1893 in honor of American naturalist and physician C. Hart Merriam (1855-1942), who led Death Valley (California, USA) expedition during which he collected type with Vernon O. Bailey (see Crenichthys baileyi) [extinct in the early 1950s due to introduced bullfrogs and crayfish]
Subfamily GOODEINAE Goodeids or Splitfins
Allodontichthys Hubbs & Turner 1939 allos, different and odon, tooth, referring to distinctly shaped jaw teeth of A. zonistius, “instead of being regularly conic (everywhere evenly round in cross section) are definitely compressed and shouldered within the slender conic tip and are keeled (rather weakly) at either edge of the anterior face”; ichthys, fish
Allodontichthys hubbsi Miller & Uyeno 1980 in honor of ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894-1979), “whose early studies on goodeids set the stage for subsequent understanding of this compact but highly diversified family”
Allodontichthys polylepis Rauchenberger 1988 poly, many; lepis, scales, referring to greater number of scales along lateral line compared to congeners
Allodontichthys tamazulae Turner 1946 of Tamazula, a town in Jalisco, México, where type locality is situated
Allodontichthys zonistius (Hubbs 1932) zon(us), band; istius, sail, referring to jet-black bands on dorsal fin
Alloophorus Hubbs & Turner 1939 allos, different; oön, egg; phoras, bearing, referring to its distinctive ovarian structure, e.g., ovarian septum entire and trophotaeniae (see Allotoca) not rosette-shaped
Alloophorus robustus (Bean 1892) stout, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to chunky appearance compared to presumed congeners in Fundulus (Fundulidae)
Allotoca Hubbs & Turner 1939 allos, different; tokos, offspring, referring to the trophotaeniae, ribbon-like extensions that hang from anal region of developing goodeine embryos and absorb nutrients from the mother’s ovarian fluid
Allotoca catarinae (de Buen 1942) of Laguna Santa Catarina, Michoacán, México, type locality
Allotoca diazi (Meek 1902) in honor of José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (1830-1915), President of México from 1877-1880 and 1884-1911
Allotoca dugesii (Bean 1887) in honor of French physician Alfredo Dugès (1826-1910), often called the father of Mexican herpetology, who collected type
Allotoca goslinei Smith & Miller 1987 in honor of ichthyologist William A. Gosline (1915-2002), University of Michigan, for his work on sensory canals in cyprinodontoid fishes [possibly extinct in wild]
Allotoca maculata Smith & Miller 1980 spotted, referring to black spot at base of caudal fin
Allotoca meeki (Álvarez 1959) in honor of ichthyologist Seth Eugene Meek (1859-1914), who authored the first review of Mexican fishes in 1904
Allotoca regalis (Álvarez 1959) regal, referring to Los Reyes (the kings), Michoacán, México, near type locality [placed in a monotypic Neoophorus by some workers, but that genus is a junior synonym of Allotoca based on placement of type species, A. diazi; if A. regalis warrants its own genus, then a new one needs to be proposed for it]
Allotoca zacapuensis Meyer, Radda & Domínguez-Domínguez 2001 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Laguna de Zacapu, Michoacán, México, type locality
Ameca Miller & Fitzsimons 1971 named for upper Río Ameca basin (primarily in the Río Teuchitlán springs), Jalisco, México, where it is endemic
Ameca splendens Miller & Fitzsimons 1971 bright, shining or glowing, referring to its “striking” colors in life
Ataeniobius Hubbs & Turner 1939 a-, without; taenia, band; bios, means of living, referring to lack of functional trophotaeniae (see Allotoca) in newborn fish
Ataeniobius toweri (Meek 1904) in honor of its discoverer, William L. Tower (1872-1955), evolutionary biologist, University of Chicago (USA)
Chapalichthys Meek 1902 named for Lago de Chapal, near Ocotlan, Jalisco, México, type locality of C. encaustus; ichthys, fish
Chapalichthys encaustus (Jordan & Snyder 1899) branded, referring to nine vertical bands on median part of body
Chapalichthys pardalis Álvarez 1963 leopard, referring to its circular black spots, like those of a leopard
Characodon Günther 1866 charax, Greek word meaning “palisade of pointed sticks”; odon, tooth, presumably referring to “about twenty smallish teeth in each jaw” of C. lateralis
Characodon audax Smith & Miller 1986 bold or daring, referring to its aggressive behavior
Characodon garmani Jordan & Evermann 1898 in honor of Harvard ichthyologist-herpetologist Samuel Garman (1843-1927), for his “valuable studies” of cyprinodontoid fishes [extinct]
Characodon lateralis Günther 1866 of the sides, referring to darker (than brownish-olive body) band running from eye to caudal-fin root, sometimes broken up into a series of brownish black spots (band most evident in preserved specimens)
Girardinichthys Bleeker 1860 named for ichthyologist-herpetologist Charles Girard (1822-1895), whose 1859 work on cyprinodontoid fishes mentioned a form that Bleeker believed represented a new genus and species, now a junior synonym of G. viviparus; ichthys, fish
Subgenus Girardinichthys
Girardinichthys multiradiatus (Meek 1904) multi-, many; radiatus, rayed, referring to its long (>20 rays) dorsal and anal fins
Girardinichthys viviparus (Bustamante 1837) livebearer (as are all members of the subfamily), but at the time believed to be a cyprinid that gave birth to live young [note: the first Mexican fish scientifically described by a Mexican]
Subgenus Hubbsina de Buen 1940 –ina, belonging to: ichthyologist Carl L. Hubbs (1894-1979); when paired with the specific epithet of G. turneri, the combined name honors the biologists who collaborated on a seminal revision of the goodeids in 1939
Girardinichthys ireneae Radda & Meyer 2003 in honor of Radda’s wife Irene
Girardinichthys turneri (de Buen 1940) in honor of zoologist Clarence Lester Turner (1890-1969); when paired with the genus-level epithet of Hubbsina, the combined name honors the biologists who collaborated on a seminal revision of the goodeids in 1939 [probably extinct; not seen since the 1980s]
Goodea Jordan 1880 –ea, belonging to: ichthyologist George Brown Goode (1851-1896), Director, U.S. National Museum, and “one of the most scholarly of modern writers on fishes” (per Jordan & Evermann 1896)
Goodea atripinnis Jordan 1880 ater, black; pinna, fin, referring to “chiefly black” vertical fins, especially on distal half
Ilyodon Eigenmann 1907 ilyos, ooze; odon, tooth, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how single series of bicuspid teeth of I. paraguayense (=furcidens), along with its alimentary canal (described as three times as long as entire fish) are adaptations for grazing on afwuchs and detrital matter
Ilyodon cortesae Paulo-Maya & Trujillo-Jiménez 2000 in honor of María Teresa Cortés, for her “outstanding” (translation) contributions to the development of Mexican ichthyology [treated as a synonym of I. whitei by some workers]
Ilyodon furcidens (Jordan & Gilbert 1882) furcatus, forked; dens, teeth, referring to anterior teeth, all bicuspid or Y-shaped
Ilyodon lennoni Meyer & Förster 1983 in honor of singer-songwriter John Lennon (1940-1980) of The Beatles [treated as a synonym of I. whitei by some workers]
Ilyodon whitei (Meek 1904) in honor of E. A. White, Interoceanic Railway of Mexico (Mexico City), who took a “personal interest” in Meek’s work, for “many favors received through his courtesy,” which “resulted in considerable substantial aid”
Neotoca Hubbs & Turner 1939 neo, new; tokos, offspring, i.e., a new type of embryo, presumably a general reference to trophotaeniae (see Allotoca)
Neotoca bilineata (Bean 1887) bi-, two; lineatus, lined, referring to two vertical lines on body of females
Skiffia Meek 1902 –ia, belonging to: Frederick J. V. Skiff (1851-1921), Director of the Field Columbian Museum (now the Field Museum, Chicago, USA), where Meek was Assistant Curator of Zoology at the time
Skiffia francesae Kingston 1978 in honor of Frances H. Miller (1919-1987), daughter of Carl L. Hubbs (see Hubbsina) and wife and collecting partner of Mexican fish expert Robert Rush Miller, for her “help in furthering our understanding of Mexican fishes” [extinct in wild]
Skiffia lermae Meek 1902 of the Río Lerma system, where type locality (Patzcuaro Lake at Parzvuaro, Michoacan, México) is situated
Skiffia multipunctata (Pellegrin 1901) multi-, many; punctatus, spotted, referring to dark spot on posterior margin of each scale on upper half of body
Xenoophorus Hubbs & Turner 1939 xenos, strange; oön, egg; phorus, bearing, referring to distinctive structure of ovary; e.g., ovarian flaps thick and trophotaeniae (see Allotoca) “very considerably elongated, when fully developed about reaching end of caudal fin, not lobate, asymmetrical”
Xenoophorus captivus (Hubbs 1924) captive, allusion not explained, probably referring to Hubbs’ hypothesis that it derived from Goodea atripinnis (presumed closest relative) after isolation following stream capture
Xenotaenia Turner 1946 xenos, strange; taenia, ribbon or band, but in this case possibly short for trophotaeniae (see Allotoca); since its trophotaeniae “are unlike any others in the subfamily, the genus is named for [this] character”
Xenotaenia resolanae Turner 1946 of Río Resolana, ~40 km southwest of Autlan, Jalisco, México, type locality
Xenotoca Hubbs & Turner 1939 xenos, strange; toca, offspring (i.e., embryo), presumably a general reference to trophotaeniae (see Allotoca)
Xenotoca doadrioi Domínguez-Domínguez, Bernal-Zuñiga & Piller 2016 in honor of the “prestigious” ichthyologist Ignacio Doadrio (b. 1957), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Spain), who has “strongly contributed to the study and knowledge of Mesoamerican fish diversity”
Xenotoca eiseni (Rutter 1896) in honor of Gustav Eisen (1847-1940), Curator of Marine Invertebrates, California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco, USA), who collected type
Xenotoca lyonsi Domínguez-Domínguez, Bernal-Zuñiga & Piller 2016 in honor of the “prominent” ichthyologist John Lyons, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (now retired), for “substantial contributions to our understanding of the distribution, ecology, diversity, and conservation status of fishes in Mexico, and to goodeids in particular”
Xenotoca melanosoma Fitzsimons 1972 melano-, black; soma, body, referring to “nearly jet-black” adult males and “dark-bodied” females
Xenotoca variata (Bean 1887) spotted, referring to numerous dark spots on lower half of body
Zoogoneticus Meek 1902 –icus, having the nature of: zoon, animal; gonos, offspring, i.e., live young, referring to its viviparity, which Meek used to distinguish it from the superficially similar Fundulus (Fundulidae)
Zoogoneticus purhepechus Domínguez-Domínguez, Pérez-Rodríguez & Doadrio 2008 derived from Purhepecha, name of indigenous ethnic group who inhabited part of the distribution range of this species, including type locality (Zamora, Michiacán, México)
Zoogoneticus quitzeoensis (Bean 1898) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Quitzeo (now known as Cuitzeo), Michoacán, México, type locality
Zoogoneticus tequila Webb & Miller 1998 named for Volcan Tequila (2920 m), which “looms north” of type locality (Río Teuchitlán, Río Ameca drainage, at eastern edge of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, México)
Family FUNDULIDAE Topminnows
6 genera/subgenera · 46 species/subspecies
Fundulus Lacepède 1803 fundus, bottom; –ulus, a diminutive suffix, i.e., a “small burrower,” referring to “mudfish,” local name for F. heteroclitus in South Carolina (USA), perhaps referring to their occurrence in muddy pools, creeks and ditches, and/or to how they bury 15-20 cm into the mud during winter
Subgenus Fundulus
Fundulus albolineatus Gilbert 1891 albus, white; lineatus, lined, referring to rows of scales on males with “interrupted whitish streaks, most conspicuous on hinder half of body” [extinct by 1900 due to habitat modification, dewatering and exotics]
Fundulus bifax Cashner & Rogers 1988 two-faced, referring to strong resemblance with F. catenatus
Fundulus catenatus (Storer 1846) chained, allusion not explained, probably referring to series of dots and dashes that form lines on flanks
Fundulus confluentus Goode & Bean 1879 flowing together, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to confluence of salt and fresh water at type locality (Lake Monroe, Florida, USA), which is 161 miles from the sea; Wildekamp (1996) says name refers to “partial interconnection of the cross-bars on the sides of the body” but provides no source for this explanation
Fundulus diaphanus diaphanus (Lesueur 1817) transparent, referring to its semi-translucent (“diaphanous”) body (probably a male)
Fundulus diaphanus menona Jordan & Copeland 1877 named for Lake Menona, Wisconsin (USA), type locality (but occurs throughout Mississippi River and Great Lakes basins)
Fundulus grandis Baird & Girard 1853 large, probably referring to its “stout” body and/or length (described at 12.7 cm)
Fundulus grandissimus Hubbs 1936 very large, referring to larger size compared to the similar F. grandis
Fundulus herminiamatildae García-Ramírez, Lozano-Vilano & De la Maza Benignos 2022 in honor of Herminia Ramírez and Matilde García, the senior author’s parents, “who were important pillars in the profesional [sic] and personal growth of the author, and who have a great respect for nature” [preferably spelled herminiamatildarum since name honors more than one woman, but ICZN 32.5.1 forbids such a correction; first published online in 2021 but without ZooBank registration, so name dates to printed version, which appeared in 2022]
Fundulus heteroclitus heteroclitus (Linnaeus 1766) heteros, different; clinus, leaning or inclining, i.e., deviating, abnormal or different, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to Linnaeus’ uncertainty (“Genus nondun certam”) in placing it in the loach genus Cobitis, from which it clearly differs; Wildekamp (1996) states that name refers to “differences between the sexes,” but sexual dimorphism is not included in Linnaeus’ brief description (based on notes from South Carolina naturalist Andrew Garden, who sen–t Linnaeus right half-skins of two specimens, pressed in a botanical press, varnished, and glued to a sheet of herbarium paper)
Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus Walbaum 1792 macro-, large; lepidotus, scaled, referring to larger scales on head and preorbital region compared to nominate form
Fundulus jenkinsi (Evermann 1892) in honor of Oliver Peebles Jenkins (1850-1935), physiology professor, Stanford University, for his work on fishes of the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands
Fundulus julisia Williams & Etnier 1982 derived from the Cherokee (Native American) words amjulisi, watercress, and atsat, fish, referring to its association with aquatic vegetation, typically watercress
Fundulus majalis (Walbaum 1792) pertaining to May, based on “Mayfish,” local name recorded by Schöpf (1788), who collected specimens from New York City’s East River
Fundulus persimilis Miller 1955 per, through or by, referring to its “evolution through F. similis or the precursor of that species”
Fundulus philpisteri García-Ramírez, Contreras-Balderas & Lozano-Vilano 2007 in honor of fisheries biologist Edwin Philip (“Phil”) Pister (b. 1929), for his dedication to the study and teaching of ichthyology, and for promoting the conservation of the desert fishes and their ecosystems
Fundulus pulvereus (Evermann 1892) powdery, referring to small mother-of-pearl spots on sides of males
Fundulus rathbuni Jordan & Meek 1889 in honor of Richard Rathbun (1852-1918), Chief of the Division of Scientific Inquiry, U.S. Fish Commission
Fundulus saguanus Rivas 1948 –anus, belonging to: Sagua La Grande, Las Villas Province, Cuba, type locality (also known from southern peninsular Florida and the Florida Keys)
Fundulus seminolis Girard 1859 –is, genitive singular of: allusion not explained, probably referring to the Seminole Indians, originally from Florida (USA), where this killifish is endemic
Fundulus similis (Baird & Girard 1853) similar, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to similarity with F. majalis; Jordan & Evermann (1896) say name refers “sexes being nearly alike,” perhaps referring to “Transverse narrow black bands in both sexes” as noted in original description
Fundulus stellifer (Jordan 1877) stella, star; fero, to bear, probably referring to sparkles on nuptial males and/or large pale yellow blotch on back in front of dorsal fin, “very distinct in life, so that the fish may be recognized in the water as far as it can be seen”
Fundulus waccamensis Hubbs & Raney 1946 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, USA, where it is endemic
Subgenus Plancterus Garman 1895 wandering, allusion not explained, possibly referring to “convolutions of the intestine and the reduction of the pharyngeals [which] indicate habits [“mud-eating”] differing from those of the majority of the genus”
Fundulus kansae Garman 1895 of Kansas, USA, type locality (but occurs elsewhere in central USA, including Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas)
Fundulus zebrinus Jordan & Gilbert 1883 zebra-like, replacement name for Hydrargyra zebra Girard 1859, secondarily preoccupied by Fundulus zebra DeKay 1842 (=F. heteroclitus), originally referring to its “numerous transverse lateral bars”
Subgenus Wileyichthys Ghedotti & Davis 2013 in honor of Edward O. Wiley (b. 1944), University of Kansas (USA), for his many contributions to our understanding of fundulid fishes, North American biogeography, and to phylogenetic systematics; ichthys, fish
Fundulus parvipinnis parvipinnis Girard 1854 parvus, small; pinnis, fin, “All the fins are of small dimensions”
Fundulus parvipinnis brevis Osburn & Nichols 1916 short, referring to “noticeably shorter and deeper body” compared to nominate form
Fundulus lima Vaillant 1894 file, referring to scale ctenii, which form elongate spines in breeding males
Subgenus Zygonectes Agassiz 1854 zygos, yoke (i.e., in pairs; nectes, swimmer, allusion not explained; according to Jordan (1882), referring to “supposed habit of swimming at the surface of the water in pairs”
Fundulus blairae Wiley & Hall 1975 in honor of Blair Knies (no other information available), for her assistance in the field
Fundulus chrysotus (Günther 1866) based on manuscript name coined by physician-naturalist John E. Holbrook (1796-1871); scholars have offered two etymologies: gilded, referring to gold flecks on sides, and chrysos, gold and otos, ear, referring to gold iridescence on opercle (neither character mentioned by Günther, who remarked “it is impossible to know whether the specimens described are identical with those for which Holbrook intended this name”)
Fundulus cingulatus Valenciennes 1846 banded, referring to vertical bars on sides of both sexes
Fundulus dispar (Agassiz 1854) dissimilar, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to differences between the sexes (“Longitudinal lines of minute dots particularly distinct in the anterior part of the body, alternating backwards with continuous lines in the males, which are besides transversely barred, whilst the female has only continuous serrated lines upon the sides”)
Fundulus escambiae (Bollman 1887) of the Escambia River, Alabama (USA), type locality; also occurs in Georgia and Florida
Fundulus euryzonus Suttkus & Cashner 1981 eury, broad; zonus, band, referring to wide purple-brown stripe on sides of both sexes
Fundulus lineolatus (Agassiz 1854) lined, presumably referring to black stripes on sides of females (vertical bars on males)
Fundulus luciae (Baird 1855) in honor of Baird’s daughter, Lucy Hunter Baird (1848-1913)
Fundulus notatus (Rafinesque 1820) marked, referring to white spot (pineal eye) on top of head
Fundulus nottii (Agassiz 1854) in honor of Josiah Clark Nott (1804-1873), surgeon-anthropologist from Mobile, Alabama (USA), who sent type to Agassiz (footnote: a slave owner, Nott claimed that “the negro achieves his greatest perfection, physical and moral, and also greatest longevity, in a state of slavery”)
Fundulus olivaceus (Storer 1845) olive-colored, referring to coloration of upper body, “sprinkled with minute black dots”
Fundulus rubrifrons (Jordan 1880) ruber, red; frons, forehead, “Jaws and space in front of eyes bright orange-red”
Fundulus sciadicus Cope 1865 shady or belonging to the shade, allusion not explained nor evident; perhaps referring to coloration (described as “olive slate” above, “brownish yellow” below) or to habitat (occurs in heavy vegetation, but this is not mentioned by Cope)
Fundulus xenicus (Jordan & Gilbert 1882) strange, foreign or exotic, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to deep, diamond-shaped body, like that of Cyprinodon (Cyprinodontidae), unusual for Fundulus; Huber (2013) says name refers to its “rare or discontinuous occurrence,” but the species occurs along Gulf Coast from southern Florida to Corpus Christi, Texas, and was described as “locally very abundant” (as Adinia multifasciata) by Jordan and Evermann in 1896 [previously placed in its own genus, Adinia]
Leptolucania Myers 1924 leptos, slender, compared to the deeper-bodied Lucania
Leptolucania ommata (Jordan 1884) eyed, referring to ocellus on mid-caudal peduncle of both sexes
Lucania Girard 1859 a Native American word chosen presumably because Girard liked the sound of it
Lucania goodei Jordan 1880 in honor of ichthyologist George Brown Goode (1851-1896), who collected type
Lucania interioris Hubbs & Miller 1965 interior, being an “isolated endemic species of an interior-drainage basin far inland in northeastern México
Lucania parva (Baird & Girard 1855) small, referring to its “diminutive size” (up to 6.2 cm TL)
Family FLUVIPHYLACIDAE American Lampeyes
1 genus · 7 species
Fluviphylax Whitley 1965 fluvius, river; phylax, guard or guardian, replacement name for Potamophylax Myers & Carvalho 1955 (potamos, river), preoccupied in caddisflies, allusion not explained by the original authors, possibly referring to occurrence of F. pygmaeus in the middle Amazon basin and metaphorical all-seeing or guardian nature of its “enormous eyes”
Fluviphylax gouldingi Bragança 2018 in honor of conservation ecologist Michael Goulding (b. 1950), for his collection efforts in the Amazon, especially in the Rio Negro, and for his many ecological studies on neotropical fishes
Fluviphylax obscurus Costa 1996 dark, referring to how larger specimens preserved in alcohol seem to be darker than congeners known at the time
Fluviphylax palikur Costa & Le Bail 1999 named for the Palikur Indians, who live in the coastal part of the lower Oiapoque drainage of northern Brazil, where this species occurs
Fluviphylax pygmaeus (Myers & Carvalho 1955) dwarf, a “very tiny” species (up to 19.3 mm SL)
Fluviphylax simplex Costa 1996 simple, referring to open cephalic sensory canals of adults
Fluviphylax wallacei Bragança 2018 in honor of English naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), for his collection effort in the Amazon, especially in the Rio Negro drainage (where this species occurs); unfortunately, when he was returning to Europe, an accidental fire resulted in the sinking of the ship and all specimens were lost (only some drawings of the fishes survived)
Fluviphylax zonatus Costa 1996 banded, referring to 6-12 dark bars on sides of males