COMMENTS
v. 7.0 – 7 Feb. 2024 view/download PDF
Family NIPHONIDAE Ara Grouper
Niphon Cuvier 1828 Niphon (now Nippon, or Japan), presumably named for Japan, or Sea of Japan, type locality of N. spinosus
Niphon spinosus Cuvier 1828 spiny, referring to large spine at angle of preopercle
Family PERCIDAE Perches and Darters
37 genera/subgenera · 260 species/subspecies
Subfamily PERCINAE Freshwater Perches
Gymnocephalus Bloch 1793 gymnos, bare or naked; cephalus, head, referring to scaleless head (but with large cavities usually conspicuous)
Gymnocephalus acerina (Gmelin 1789) a name for an unknown fish dating to Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis historia (77-79 AD), first applied to this species by Güldenstädt in 1775
Gymnocephalus ambriaelacus Geiger & Schliewen 2010 named for Ambriae Lacus, historical name of Lake Ammersee, upper Danube River basin, southern Germany, where it is endemic
Gymnocephalus baloni Holčík & Hensel 1974 in honor of Eugeniusz (also spelled Eugene) K. Balon (1930-2013), friend and former collaborator, who initiated extensive ichthyological investigations of the Slovak section of the Danube River (where this species occurs) ca. 1958
Gymnocephalus cernua (Linnaeus 1758) Cernua, name for this fish dating to at least Belon (1555), possibly derived from cernua, drooping, head foremost or face down, referring to slightly downturned mouth [sometimes spelled cernuus when name is incorrectly treated as an adjective in the masculine case]
Gymnocephalus schraetser (Linnaeus 1758) from schratz, schratzen, schrätzer, schraetzer, and other similar spellings, local Bavarian names for this species
Perca Linnaeus 1758 from perke, ancient Greek name for P. fluviatilis, dating to at least Aristotle
Perca flavescens (Mitchill 1814) yellowish or golden-yellow, described as “brown or olive on the back, turning to yellow on the sides”
Perca fluviatilis Linnaeus 1758 of a river, referring to its occurrence in fresh water
Perca schrenkii Kessler 1874 in honor of Alexander von Schrenck (1816-1876), Baltic-German Russian naturalist and collector-explorer of Central Asia and northern Russia, who published observations about this species in 1840
Percarina Nordmann 1840 combination of Perca and Acerina (=Gymnocephalus), appearing intermediate between those two genera
Percarina demidoffii Nordmann 1840 in honor of Anatoly Nikolaievich Demidov (also spelled Demidoff, 1813-1870), Russian diplomat and patron of the arts and sciences, who organized a scientific expedition to the Crimean Peninsula (1837-1838), during which type was collected
Percarina maeotica Kuznetsov 1888 –ica, belonging to: Maeotis, ancient name for Sea of Azov (Russia and Ukraine), where it is endemic to eastern and northeastern watersheds
Subfamily LUCIOPERCINAE Pikeperches and Danube Perches
Romanichthys Dumitrescu, Bănărescu & Stoica 1957 Roman, Romania, where it is endemic; ichthys, fish
Romanichthys valsanicola Dumitrescu, Bănărescu & Stoica 1957 –icola, dweller or inhabitant, Vâlsan River, tributary of Argeș River at Gales, Danube basin, Romania, type locality
Sander Oken 1817 latinization of Cuvier’s “Les Sandres,” from zander, German name for S. lucioperca [treated as an invalid name by some workers, replaced by Stizostedion Rafinesque 1820 (stizo, prick; stithios, a little breast, referring to “pungent throat” or spiny opercle at pectoral-fin base of S. vitreus); consulting with Ronald Fricke of Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, we believe Sander was validly published and should be retained]
Sander canadensis (Griffith & Smith 1834) –ensis, suffix denoting place: described from Canada (but no types known)
Sander lucioperca (Linnaeus 1758) lucius, pike; perca, perch, i.e., pikeperch, referring to its pike-like shape
Sander marinus (Cuvier 1828) of the sea, referring to occurrence in brackish and marine waters of the northern Black Sea (also Caspian Sea), unlike the largely freshwater S. lucioperca (Cuvier believed its semi-opaque eyes were caused by saltier waters)
Sander vitreus vitreus (Mitchill 1818) glassy, referring to the tapetum lucidum of its eyes, “appearing like the semi-globes of glass in the decks of vessels, when illuminated on the opposite sides”
Sander vitreus glaucus (Hubbs 1926) grayish-blue, referring to its color [extinct due to pollution, overfishing and introgressive hybridization with S. v. vitreus; last confirmed specimen taken in 1965]
Sander volgensis (Gmelin 1789) –ensis, suffix denoting place: described from Volga River, Russia (also from Rhymus, or Ural River), but no types known
Zingel Cloquet 1817 tautonymous with Perca zingel Linnaeus 1766
Zingel asper (Linnaeus 1758) rough, perhaps referring to small but rough ctenoid scales
Zingel balcanicus (Karaman 1937) Balkan, referring to the Vardar River basin of North Macedonia (in the Balkan Peninsula), type locality
Zingel streber (Siebold 1863) German name for this species (sometimes spelled ströber), dating to at least Marsili (or Marsigli), Danubius Pannonico-Mysicus (1726)
Zingel zingel (Linnaeus 1766) German name for this species, dating to at least Kramer’s Elenchus vegetabilium et animalium per Austriam inferiorem observatorum (1756)
Subfamily ETHEOSTOMATINAE North American Darters
Ammocrypta Jordan 1877 psammos, sand; kryptos, concealed, referring to their habit of hiding in the sand
Ammocrypta beanii Jordan 1877 in honor of ichthyologist Tarleton H. Bean (1846-1916), U.S. National Museum, who collected type
Ammocrypta bifascia Williams 1975 bi-, two; fascia, band, referring to two bands of pigment on median fins
Ammocrypta clara Jordan & Meek 1885 clear, referring to translucent color in life
Ammocrypta meridiana Williams 1975 southern, a “southern relative” of the northern A. pellucida
Ammocrypta pellucida (Putnam 1863) translucent, referring to colorless, almost translucent body in life
Ammocrypta vivax Hay 1882 vivacious, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how quicky it can bury itself in the sand
Crystallaria Jordan & Gilbert 1885 –arius, pertaining to: presumably referring to crystal-like translucency of C. asprella
Crystallaria asprella (Jordan 1878) diminutive of Aspro, a European perch (now Zingel) “of similar aspect” (per Jordan 1929) [etymology often incorrectly explained as diminutive of aspro, rough, perhaps referring to scalation]
Crystallaria cincotta Welsh & Wood 2008 in honor of Daniel A. Cincotta (b. 1952), fishery biologist for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, and adjunct professor of ichthyology, West Virginia University, who has “devoted a 30 year career toward studies of the diversity of West Virginia fishes, including efforts toward conservation of the Elk River drainage [type locality] and its diverse ichthyofauna” [presumably a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Etheostoma Rafinesque 1819 etymology not explained, perhaps etheo, filter or strain, and stoma, mouth, which does not seem to match Rafinesque’s 1820 explanation (“The name means different mouths,” in which case name should be “heterostoma”), perhaps referring to how the three darter species known to him (Percina caprodes, Etheostoma blennioides and E. flabellare) are so different in respect of the form of the mouth that he conceived that they might belong to different subgenera
Subgenus Etheostoma
Etheostoma blennioides blennioides Rafinesque 1819 –oides, having the form of: blennius, blenny, having the “appearance, head, and spots of many Blennies” (per Rafinesque 1820)
Etheostoma blennioides newmanii (Agassiz 1854) in honor of physician Francis Hollis Newman (ca. 1805-ca. 1870) of Huntsville, Alabama (USA), who collected and sent fishes to Agassiz, including type of this one
Etheostoma blennioides pholidotum Miller 1968 from the Greek pholidotos, scaled, referring to fully scaled belly compared to partially scaled bellies of E. b. blennioides and E. b. gutselli (now a full species)
Etheostoma blennius blennius Gilbert & Swain 1887 blenny, allusion not explained but clearly referring to its robust, blenny-like shape
Etheostoma blennius sequatchiense Burr 1979 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sequatchie River, Tennessee (USA), where it is endemic
Etheostoma gutselli (Hildebrand 1932) in honor of James S. Gutsell (1887-1976), U.S. Bureau of Fisheries, who collected type while studying the effects of tannery and factory wastes into western North Carolina (USA) streams
Etheostoma histrio Jordan & Gilbert 1887 harlequin, allusion not explained; “The masked face, shaven head, and particolored tights of Italian comedy can be easily conjured by the appearance of this saucy little fish” (Kuehne & Barbour, The American Darters, 1983)
Etheostoma inscriptum (Jordan & Brayton 1878) inscribed, presumably referring to an “orange spot on each scale, these forming continuous lines along the rows of scales” of mature males
Etheostoma lynceum Hay 1885 sharp-sighted, allusion not explained, but two other darters described by Hay (Ammocrypta vivax, Percina vigil) have names that connote wariness
Etheostoma rupestre rupestre Gilbert & Swain 1887 living among rocks, allusion not explained, probably referring to its gravel and rubble habitat
Etheostoma rupestre piersoni Hilburn, Janosik & Johnston 2023 in honor of American ichthyologist J. Malcom Pierson (1949-2007), for his “outstanding” contributions to the study of Alabama’s fishes
Etheostoma rupestre uphapeense Hilburn, Janosik & Johnston 2023 –ense, Latin suffix denoting place: Uphapee Creek, Macon County, Alabama (USA), type locality
Etheostoma swannanoa Jordan & Evermann 1889 named for the South Fork of the Swannanoa River, Black Mountain, North Carolina (USA), paratype locality (also occurs in Virginia and Tennessee)
Etheostoma thalassinum Jordan & Brayton 1878) sea-green, presumably referring to male coloration in life: dark-green or olive body with 6-9 dark blue-green vertical bars, “grass-green” opercular region and middle of pectoral fins, and “brilliant” blue-green color at base of anal fins
Etheostoma zonale (Cope 1868) banded, referring to “broad brown lateral band [usually a series of unconnected spots], from which eight narrower bands more or less completely encircle the belly,” these bands bright green in breeding males
Subgenus Allohistium Bailey 1955 allos, another; histion, sail, referring to “notably elevated” second dorsal fin of E. cinereum
Etheostoma cinereum Storer 1845 ashy gray, referring to 3-4 “cinereous interrupted narrow bands” longitudinally crossing light-yellow body
Etheostoma maydeni Powers & Kuhajda 2012 in honor of “prominent” ichthyologist Richard L. Mayden (b. 1955), Saint Louis University, mentor and friend of the authors, for his studies of the ecology, biogeography, conservation, and systematics of North American fishes
Subgenus Belophlox Fowler 1947 bole, dart (i.e., a darter); phlox, flame, referring to “more or less brilliant red fins” of E. mariae
Etheostoma fricksium Hildebrand 1923 –ia, belonging to: Lunsford Dickson Fricks (1873-1947), surgeon, U.S. Public Health Service, “in charge of field investigations relative to malaria control” using Gambusia, during which this darter was collected
Etheostoma mariae (Fowler 1947) in honor of Maria Darlington (d. 1951), wife of entomologist Emlen P. Darlington, Fowler’s colleague at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia; Mrs. Darlington was the “generous sponsor whose kindly interest has made possible the discovery of this interesting little fish”
Etheostoma okaloosae (Fowler 1941) of Okaloosa County, Florida (USA), where type locality (Little Rocky Creek) is situated
Subgenus Boleosoma DeKay 1842 bole, dart or javelin; soma, body, referring to dart-like shape of B. tessellatum (=E. olmstedi), i.e., a darter
Etheostoma longimanum Jordan 1888 longus, long; manus, handed, referring to “extremely long” pectoral fins, reaching front of anal fin
Etheostoma maculaticeps (Cope 1870) maculatus, spotted; ceps, head, referring to large brown spots on top of nape, head and snout
Etheostoma nigrum Rafinesque 1820 black, referring to black head and darkened body of nuptial males
Etheostoma olmstedi Storer 1842 in honor of Charles H. Olmsted (1798-1878), President of the Hartford Natural History Society (Connecticut, USA), who discovered this darter; “He is a very accurate observer, and is striving to advance the science which has been so long and so inexcusably neglected among us.” [biographical footnote: his cousin, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), was the designer of Central Park in New York City]
Etheostoma perlongum (Hubbs & Raney 1946) per, very; longus, long, i.e., “extremely long” according to the authors, referring to its length compared to other Boleosoma
Etheostoma podostemone Jordan & Jenkins 1889 named for its occurrence in swift water, especially among rocks covered by the riverweed Podostemum certaophyllum
Etheostoma susanae (Jordan & Swain 1883) in honor of the senior author’s first wife, Susan Bowen Jordan (1845-1885), “who was interested in life studies of the darters” (per Jordan & Evermann 1896)
Etheostoma vexillare (Jordan 1880) flag- or standard-bearing, referring to shorter but higher second dorsal fin compared Boleosoma effulgens (=E. olmstedi olmstedi)
Subgenus Catonotus Agassiz 1854 cato, low or inferior; notos, back, presumably referring to first dorsal fin of E. flabellare lineolatum “much lower than second”
Etheostoma barbouri Kuehne & Small 1971 in honor of zoologist Roger W. Barbour (1919-1993), University of Kentucky, for his many contributions to the knowledge of Kentucky (USA) vertebrates
Etheostoma basilare Page, Hardman & Near 2003 at the base, referring to relatively basal phylogenetic position in the barcheek darter group
Etheostoma brevispinum (Coker 1926) brevis, short; spinus, spined, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “short stiff spines” of first dorsal fin, lower than second dorsal fin
Etheostoma chienense Page & Ceas 1992 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Bayou de Chien River system of Kentucky (USA), where it is endemic
Etheostoma corona Page & Ceas 1992 crown, referring to crown-like appearance of small white knob on tip of each fin spine on second dorsal fin of breeding males
Etheostoma crossopterum Braasch & Mayden 1985 crosso, fringed; pterus, finned, referring to small white knob on tip of each spine on second dorsal fin of breeding males
Etheostoma cumberlandicum Jordan & Swain 1883 -icum (L.), belonging to: described as “excessively abundant in all the small streams of the Cumberland Mountains” (Kentucky, USA)
Etheostoma derivativum Page, Hardman & Near 2003 derived, referring to its derived phylogenetic position in the barcheek darter group
Etheostoma flabellare flabellare Rafinesque 1819 like a flabellum, fan, referring to fan-like pattern on caudal fin of adult males
Etheostoma flabellare humerale (Girard 1859) pertaining to the shoulder, referring to “jet black spot … immediately above the insertion of the pectorals close to the thoracic arch”
Etheostoma flabellare lineolatum (Agassiz 1854) with small lines, referring to “close narrow interrupted black longitudinal lines” on body (formed by a small blackish spot on each scale)
Etheostoma forbesi Page & Ceas 1992 in honor of Stephen A. Forbes (1844-1930), “prominent” ichthyologist and first Chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey (where both authors were working at the time)
Etheostoma kennicotti (Putnam 1863) in honor of Robert Kennicott (1835-1866), naturalist, explorer and founder of the Chicago Academy of Sciences; he collected type from what he described as a “rocky brook in Southern Illinois”
Etheostoma lemniscatum Blanton 2008 adorned with ribbons, referring to black ribbon-like distal bands on second dorsal, anal and caudal fins
Etheostoma marmorpinnum Blanton & Jenkins 2008 marmor, marbled; pinna, finned, referring to distinct marbled pattern of second dorsal fin of breeding males
Etheostoma nebra Near & Thomas 2015 nebros, Greek for young deer or fawn, reference to its endemic distribution in Buck Creek system of Cumberland River drainage (Kentucky, USA), and the “fact that the authors are both presently parents of young children”
Etheostoma neopterum Howell & Dingerkus 1978 neo-, new; pterus, finned, referring to “unique” second dorsal fin of breeding males (each ray terminates in an expanded, flattened flap), i.e., a new kind of fin not heretofore seen in darters
Etheostoma nigripinne Braasch & Mayden 1985 nigrum, black; pinna, fin, referring to “striking” black dorsal, anal and pelvic fins of breeding males
Etheostoma obeyense Kirsch 1892 –ensis, suffix denoting place: location not identified, presumably referring to Obey River of Tennessee (USA), a major tributary of the Cumberland River of Kentucky and Tennessee; this darter, described from Kentucky, occurs in the Cumberland drainage from Big South Fork down to the Obey River
Etheostoma olivaceum Braasch & Page 1979 olive, referring to color of non-breeding individuals
Etheostoma oophylax Ceas & Page 1992 oön, egg; phyla, guard, i.e., egg guarder, referring to “tenacious” egg-guarding behavior of breeding males
Etheostoma percnurum Jenkins 1994 percno, dusky; oura, tail, referring to reduced barring on tail, which contrasts “markedly” with patterns of other members of the E. flabellare (“fantail darter”) group
Etheostoma pseudovulatum Ceas & Page 1992 pseudo-, false; ovulatus, egged, referring to egg-mimicking knobs on tips of rays of second dorsal fin of breeding males
Etheostoma sitikuense Blanton 2008 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Citico Creek, Tennessee (USA), type locality, derived from the Cherokee sitiku, “a place of clean fishing water”
Etheostoma smithi Page & Braasch 1976 in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Philip W. Smith (1921-1986), Head of the Section of Faunistic Surveys and Insect Identification of the Illinois Natural History Survey (where the senior author worked), for his “outstanding” contributions to vertebrate natural history
Etheostoma squamiceps Jordan 1877 squamus, scale; ceps, head, referring to “thickly scaly” cheek, opercle, throat and nape
Etheostoma striatulum Page & Braasch 1977 striated, referring to narrow streaks on sides (contrasting with E. virgatum, which has wider and better-defined stripes)
Etheostoma virgatum (Jordan 1880) striped, referring to small blackish spot on each scale, which form “conspicuous lateral stripes”
Etheostoma xanthovum Wood & Near 2023 xanthos, yellow; ovum, egg, referring to the yellow egg-mimic structures on the distal end of the second dorsal-fin rays in spawning males
Subgenus Doration Jordan 1929 Greek for a little dart, presumably alluding to the common name “darter,” itself an allusion to their dart-like shape and/or darting movements
Etheostoma akatulo Layman & Mayden 2009 derived from the Cherokee noun for mask and, like the common name Bluemask Darter, referring to uninterrupted, intense blue pigment covering lower face of breeding males
Etheostoma clinton Mayden & Layman 2012 in honor of Bill Clinton (b. 1946), 42nd President of the United States of America, for his “lasting environmental accomplishments in creating and expanding national monuments, preserving millions of acres of wilderness areas, his leadership and commitment during challenging economic times, and his continued commitment to global humanitarian issues and needs and peace” [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Etheostoma gore Layman & Mayden 2012 in honor of Al Gore (b. 1948), 45th Vice President of the United States of America, for his “environmental vision, commitment, and accomplishments throughout decades of public service and his role in educating the public and raising awareness on the issue of global climate change” [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Etheostoma jessiae (Jordan & Brayton 1878) matronym not identified but in honor of Brayton’s wife Jessie Dewey Brayton (per Jordan & Evermann 1896)
Etheostoma jimmycarter Layman & Mayden 2012 in honor of Jimmy Carter (b. 1924), 39th President of the United States of America, for his “environmental leadership and accomplishments in the areas of national energy policy and wilderness protection, and his life-long commitment to social justice and basic human rights” [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Etheostoma meadiae (Jordan & Evermann 1898) in honor of the junior author’s wife, Meadie Hawkins Evermann (1854-1929)
Etheostoma obama Mayden & Layman 2012 in honor of Barack Obama (b. 1961), 44th President of the United States of America, for his “environmental leadership and commitment during challenging economic times in the areas of clean energy, energy efficiency, environmental protection and humanitarian efforts globally, and especially for the people of the United States” [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Etheostoma stigmaeum (Jordan 1877) speckled, referring to body of larger specimens “sprinkled with small orange dots, which are more conspicuous after death, when the green has faded”
Etheostoma teddyroosevelt Layman & Mayden 2012 in honor of Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), 26th President of the United States of America, for his “enduring legacy in environmental conservation and stewardship, including the designation of vast areas as national forests, wildlife refuges, national monuments, and national parks, and his efforts to forge the American Museum of Natural History, New York” [a noun in apposition, without the patronymic “i”]
Subgenus Fuscatelum Page 1981 fuscus, dark; telum, dart (i.e., a darter), referring to absence of bright colors of E. parvipinne [Boschung and Mayden, Fishes of Alabama (2004), incorrectly state name is derived from fuscus, spindle and telium, end]
Etheostoma parvipinne Gilbert & Swain 1887 parvus, little; pinna, finned, referring to any or all of the following: “very short” pectoral and ventral fins, “low” spinous dorsal fin, “small” soft dorsal fin
Etheostoma phytophilum Bart & Taylor 1999 phytum, plant or vegetation; philo, loving, referring to habitat preference for emergent vegetation along stream margins, particularly rushes (Juncus spp.), hence the common name Rush Darter
Subgenus Hololepis Putman 1863 holos, entirely; lepis, scale, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to head of E. fusiforme barratti “covered with small scales” (unlike head of E. f. fusiforme, which is virtually devoid of scales on top of head)
Etheostoma collis (Hubbs & Cannon 1935) of the high ground, referring to how it “seems to occur at a higher elevation than most species” of darter (above the Fall Line)
Etheostoma fusiforme fusiforme (Girard 1854) fusus, spindle; forma, shape, referring to “slender and fusiform” body shape
Etheostoma fusiforme barratti (Holbrook 1855) in honor of John P. Barratt (1795–1859), of Abbeville District, South Carolina (USA), “an excellent Naturalist, who has done much for the advancement of Zoology and Botany”
Etheostoma gracile (Girard 1859) slender or graceful, described as “slender and graceful in general appearance”
Etheostoma serrifer (Hubbs & Cannon 1935) serra, saw; fero, to bear, referring to “diagnostically serrate preopercle”
Etheostoma zonifer (Hubbs & Cannon 1935) zona, band; fero, to bear, referring to four vertical, dark (actually bright green) bars on sides, “well developed for a Hololepis”
Subgenus Ioa Jordan & Brayton 1878 from ios, Greek for arrow or dart, presumably alluding to the common name “darter,” itself an allusion to their dart-like shape and/or darting movements
Etheostoma vitreum (Cope 1870) glassy, referring to the “transparency of its muscles” in life
Subgenus Litocara Bailey 1948 litos, smooth or unadorned; kara, head, referring to scaleless head of all included species
Etheostoma nianguae Gilbert & Meek 1887 of the Niangua River headwaters near Marshfield, Missouri (USA), type locality
Etheostoma sagitta (Jordan & Swain 1883) arrow, referring to its long and slender appearance
Etheostoma spilotum Gilbert 1887 spotted or marked, presumably referring to eight V-shaped markings on middle of sides and/or reddish-orange spots in the light interspaces between these markings
Subgenus Microperca Putnam 1863 micro-, small; perca, perch, referring to small size (4.4 cm TL) of M. punctulata (=Etheostoma microperca)
Etheostoma fonticola (Jordan & Gilbert 1886) fontus, fountain or spring; cola, dweller or inhabitant, referring to its occurrence in San Marcos and Comal springs and their effluent rivers in the Guadalupe River system of Texas (USA)
Etheostoma microperca Jordan & Gilbert 1888 micro-, small; perca, perch, referring to small size (4.4 cm TL), then believed to be the smallest darter (although E. fonticola is smaller) [replacement name for Microperca punctulata Putnam 1863, secondarily preoccupied in Etheostoma by Poecilichthys punctulatus Agassiz 1854]
Etheostoma proeliare (Hay 1881) of a battle, allusion not explained, presumably referring to type locality, Corinth, Mississippi (USA), site of an 1862 Civil War battle
Subgenus Mooreichthys Stephens, Johnson & Grady 2014 in honor of zoologist George A. Moore (1899-1998), Oklahoma State University and past president (1961) of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists; ichthys, fish
Etheostoma sellare (Radcliffe & Welsh 1913) saddled, referring to its four dorsal saddles [presumed extinct, not seen since 1989]
Subgenus Oligocephalus Girard 1859 oligos, scanty; cephalus, head, presumably referring to “small” head of E. lepidum
Etheostoma artesiae (Hay 1881) of Artesia, Lowndes County, Mississippi (USA), where type locality (Catawba Creek) is situated
Etheostoma asprigene (Forbes 1878) asper, rough; genis, cheeked, referring to well-scaled cheeks, compared to naked cheeks of E. spectabile, with which it had been confused
Etheostoma australe Jordan 1889 southern, referring to its distribution south of the USA-México border
Etheostoma bison Ceas & Page 1997 referring to enlarged nuchal hump on large breeding males, reminiscent of body shape of the North American bison (Bison bison), which bears the common folk name “buffalo”
Etheostoma burri Ceas & Page 1997 in honor of Brooks M. Burr (b. 1950), Southern Illinois University, “esteemed colleague and accomplished ichthyologist,” who brought this fish to the authors’ attention
Etheostoma caeruleum Storer 1845 blue, referring to color on cheeks and sides of breeding males
Etheostoma collettei Birdsong & Knapp 1969 in honor of Bruce B. Collette (b. 1934), now Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service Systematics Laboratory, for his contributions to the systematics of percid fishes
Etheostoma cyanorum (Moore & Rigney 1952) cyan, blue, literally “of the Blues,” referring to Blue River and its tributary, Little Blue River, Johnston County, Oklahoma (USA), where it is endemic
Etheostoma ditrema Ramsey & Suttkus 1965 di-, two; trema, hole, referring to typical possession of two coronal pores
Etheostoma exile (Girard 1859) slender, referring to its “slender appearance”
Etheostoma fragi Distler 1968 fragum, Latin for strawberry, referring to the Strawberry River headwaters of Missouri and Arkansas (USA), where it is endemic
Etheostoma grahami (Girard 1859) in honor of Col. James Duncan Graham (1799-1865), head of the Scientific Corps of the U.S. Boundary Survey (between USA and México), during which type was collected
Etheostoma hopkinsi hopkinsi (Fowler 1945) in honor of ornithologist-farmer Milton N. Hopkins, Jr. (1926-2007) of southern Georgia (USA), who collected type (called Christmas Darter because of its red and green bands)
Etheostoma hopkinsi binotatum Bailey & Richards 1963 bi-, two; notatus, marked, referring to two large diagnostic spots on nape; the authors added, “It is likely that these are recognition marks of importance to the fish as well as to the systematist” (called both the Christmas-Eve Darter and the Hanukkah Darter because it is a subspecies of the Christmas Darter)
Etheostoma kantuckeense Ceas & Page 1997 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Kan-tuck-kee, hunting grounds of the Shawnee and other Native American peoples, bordered by the Ohio, Cumberland, Big Sandy, and Mississippi Rivers, an area within which this darter occurs
Etheostoma lawrencei Ceas & Burr 2002 in honor of darter taxonomist Lawrence M. Page (b. 1944), “mentor, invaluable colleague, aquatic naturalist extraordinaire, ardent conservationist, and Principal Scientist Emeritus, Illinois Natural History Survey” (now Curator of Fishes, Florida Museum of Natural History)
Etheostoma lepidum (Baird & Girard 1853) attractive or elegant, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to its colors, described as “reddish, with indistinct transverse blackish bars; base of the scales black; belly and fins unicolor,” with a “vertical black spot beneath the eye”
Etheostoma lugoi Norris & Minckley 1997 in honor of José “Pepé” Lugo-Guajardo, resident of Cuatro Ciénegas (Coahuila, México), who befriended, assisted and served as a guide for biologists studying the fauna of the Cuatro Cienegas basin for almost 40 years
Etheostoma luteovinctum Gilbert & Swain 1887 luteus, yellow; vinctus, banded, allusion not explained, probably referring to orange-yellow (actually red) crossbars on body below lateral line and/or yellow or orange bar through middle of dorsal fin of breeding males
Etheostoma nuchale Howell & Caldwell 1965 nuchal, i.e., pertaining to the nape, referring to its light-yellow color and “distinctly humped” shape
Etheostoma pottsii (Girard 1859) “in remembrance of our esteemed friend from Chihuahua [México],” John Potts, naturalist and manager of a mine, who collected type
Etheostoma radiosum radiosum (Hubbs & Black 1941) rayed, referring to greater number of soft dorsal-fin rays compared with the similar E. artesiae
Etheostoma radiosum paludosum (Moore & Rigney 1952) Latin for boggy, referring to Bois d’Arc Creek, a tributary of Clear Boggy Creek, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma (USA), type locality
Etheostoma segrex Norris & Minckley 1997 separate or apart, referring to its geographic segregation from E. lugoi and other Mexican darters in the subgenus Oligocephalus
Etheostoma spectabile spectabile (Agassiz 1854) notable or showy, “remarkable for [the] brilliant colors” of breeding males
Etheostoma spectabile pulchellum (Girard 1859) diminutive of pulcher, beautiful, allusion not explained (although breeding males, not mentioned by Girard, are very colorful)
Etheostoma spectabile squamosum Distler 1968 scaly, referring to “moderately scaled” anterior region (i.e., head) of breeding males compared to “usually naked” head of E. s. pulchellum
Etheostoma swaini (Jordan 1884) in honor of mathematics professor Joseph Swain (1857-1927), who was Jordan’s student and collaborated with him on several ichthyological papers
Etheostoma tecumsehi Ceas & Page 1997 in honor of Tecumseh (1768-1813), leader of the Shawnee Nation, “whose members once hunted in Kentucky,” where this darter is endemic
Etheostoma thompsoni Suttkus, Bart & Etnier 2012 in honor of the late Bruce A. Thompson (1946-2007), Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA), for his “intense interest in the systematics and biology of darters. His detailed studies of the log perches, wherein he described four new species, were exemplary. His leadership in two extensive papers on Percophidae … was commendable.”
Etheostoma uniporum Distler 1968 uni-, one; porus, pore, proposed as a subspecies of E. spectabile with one, instead of 2-4, pores occurring modally in posterior segment of infraorbital canal
Etheostoma whipplei (Girard 1859) in honor of Lieut. Amiel Weeks Whipple (1818-1863), military engineer and surveyor, who led boundary survey team that collected type
Subgenus Ozarka Williams & Robison 1981 named for the Ozark Mountains Physiographic Province, believed to have been the center of dispersal for the subgenus
Etheostoma autumnale Mayden 2010 autumnal, referring to its reddish-orange, orange, brown, tan, and reddish-yellow colors, typical of the seasonal autumn colors found in the Ozarkian hardwood forests of Missouri and Arkansas (USA), where it is endemic; name also honors Frank B. Cross (1925–2001), Curator of Fishes, University of Kansas, a “great ichthyologist, naturalist, mentor, and friend” who was “adamant” that this darter not be named after him, so Mayden named it for “one of his favorite seasons of the year”
Etheostoma boschungi Wall & Williams 1974 in honor of Herbert T. Boschung (1925-2015), University of Alabama, for his contributions to ichthyology and “his inspiration and devotion to his students”
Etheostoma cragini Gilbert 1885 in honor of Francis Whittemore Cragin (1858-1937), herpetologist, paleontologist, librarian, curator, and founder of the Washburn Biological Survey of Kansas (USA), who collected type
Etheostoma mihileze Mayden 2010 Osage (midwestern Native American tribe of the Great Plains) word (pronounced mi-hi-le-ze) for sundown, referring to bright red-orange venter of males and its restriction largely to the belly region, which, when viewed from the side, resembles a “setting sun”; this darter, endemic to the region of the United States where the original Osage tribe existed, is named as a “dedication to the many extant and extinct cultures of the Native American people,” and itself probably would not face extinction if their “environmental beliefs and stewardship had not been usurped by the “cultural environmental attitudes embraced by so many of the family lineages of people that replaced them”
Etheostoma pallididorsum Distler & Metcalf 1962 pallidus, pale; dorsum, back, referring to wide, pale stripe along dorsum from occiput to insertion of caudal fin
Etheostoma punctulatum (Agassiz 1854) dotted, referring to caudal, anal, ventral, and pectoral fins “dotted all over with minute dark specks”
Etheostoma trisella Bailey & Richards 1963 tri-, three; sella, saddle, referring to “diagnostic significance” of three dark saddles on back
Subgenus Poecilichthys Agassiz 1854 poecilo-, varicolored, referring to variegated coloration of E. variatum; ichthys, fish
Etheostoma erythrozonum Switzer & Wood 2009 erythros, red; zonus, banded, referring to characteristic red-orange stripe and lateral red-orange blotches of males
Etheostoma euzonum euzonum (Hubbs & Black 1940) eu-, well; zonus, banded, referring to four “more regular and straight-edged” dorsal saddles
Etheostoma euzonum erizonum (Hubbs & Black 1940) eri-, very; zonus, banded, referring to four “less regular and straight-edged” dorsal saddles
Etheostoma kanawhae (Raney 1941) of the Kanawha River system, Virginia and North Carolina (USA), of which the New River (where this darter is endemic) is a main tributary
Etheostoma osburni (Hubbs & Trautman 1932) in honor of zoologist Raymond C. Osburn (1872-1955), Ohio State University, for his contributions (“by study and encouragement”) to our knowledge of North America’s freshwater fishes
Etheostoma tetrazonum (Hubbs & Black 1940) tetra, four; zonus, banded, referring to four prominent dark saddles characteristic of this and related species (E. euzonum and E. variatum)
Etheostoma variatum Kirtland 1840 variegated, referring to its “gaudy” coloration
Subgenus Psychromaster Jordan & Evermann 1896 psychros, cold; master, searcher, allusion not explained, presumably referring to spring and spring run habitat of E. tuscumbia
Etheostoma tuscumbia Gilbert & Swain 1887 named for Tuscumbia, Alabama (USA), type locality (also occurs in Tennessee)
Subgenus Ulocentra Jordan 1878 oulos, complete; centra, spine, referring to well-developed anal-fin spines compared to slender, flexible spines in subgenus Boleosoma
Etheostoma atripinne (Jordan 1877) ater, black; pinna, fin, referring to “chiefly black” fins (of males in alcohol; since Jordan did not collect type, he probably never saw the brilliant green pigment of live nuptial males)
Etheostoma baileyi Page & Burr 1982 in honor of Reeve M. Bailey (1911-2011), Curator Emeritus of Fishes, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, for his “outstanding” contributions to systematic ichthyology
Etheostoma barrenense Burr & Page 1982 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Barren River system of Kentucky and Tennessee (USA), where it is endemic
Etheostoma bellator Suttkus & Bailey 1993 warrior, referring to Black Warrior River system above Fall Line in Alabama (USA), where it is endemic
Etheostoma brevirostrum Suttkus & Etnier 1991 brevis, short; rostrum, snout, referring to its short snout (like other members of the “snubnose darter” subgenus Ulocentra)
Etheostoma cervus Powers & Mayden 2003 Latin for both fork and deer, referring to Forked Deer River system of Tennessee (USA), where it is endemic
Etheostoma chermocki Boschung, Mayden & Tomelleri 1992 in honor of Ralph L. Chermock (1918-1977), primarily a lepidopterist, Director, Alabama Natural History Museum (1960-1966), and founder of the University of Alabama Ichthyological Collection
Etheostoma colorosum Suttkus & Bailey 1993 very colorful, referring to “high color” of nuptial males
Etheostoma coosae (Fowler 1945) of the Coosa River system of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee (USA) above Mitchill Dam, where it is endemic
Etheostoma cyanoprosopum Near & Kozal 2017 cyano-, blue; prosopos, face, referring to blue head of breeding males
Etheostoma duryi Henshall 1889 in honor of amateur entomologist Charles Dury, who collected type while collecting insects in eastern Tennessee (USA)
Etheostoma etnieri Bouchard 1977 in honor of zoologist David A. Etnier (1937-2023), University of Tennessee (Knoxville, USA), for his contributions to ichthyology and efforts to preserve Tennessee’s aquatic fauna
Etheostoma faulkneri Sterling & Warren 2020 in honor of writer and Nobel Laureate William C. Faulkner (1897-1962), a native of Oxford, Mississippi (USA); an avid hunter and fisher, the landscape was an important theme in many of his works, and the actions of his characters were often influenced by the lands and streams surrounding his fictional Jefferson, Mississippi, including the Yocona River (which he renamed the Yoknapatawpha, hence the common name Yoknapatawpha Darter), where this darter occurs
Etheostoma flavum Etnier & Bailey 1989 flavus, golden-yellow or yellow (adjective, not noun), its predominant body color (more subdued than the “gaudy: colors of most species of subgenus Ulocentra)
Etheostoma lachneri Suttkus & Bailey 1994 in honor of Ernest A. Lachner, (1916-1996), curator of fishes at the U.S. National Museum, for his “detailed” studies of darter biology, his “exhaustive” studies of the systematics, zoogeography and biology of the genus Nocomis (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae), and his “seemingly untiring, unselfish expenditure of time and energy to help young ichthyologists during their formative professional years”
Etheostoma orientale Powers & Mayden 2007 eastern, referring to eastern Highland Rim of Kentucky and Tennessee (USA), where it is largely restricted
Etheostoma planasaxatile Powers & Mayden 2007 planus, flat; saxatilis, living among rocks, referring to bedrock pools in which it is primarily found
Etheostoma pyrrhogaster Bailey & Etnier 1988 pyrrhos, flame; gaster, belly, referring to bright reddish-orange undersurface, lower side and anal fins of breeding males
Etheostoma rafinesquei Burr & Page 1982 in honor of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840), “pioneer naturalist” and former Professor of Botany and Natural History at Transylvania University (Kentucky, USA), “who described 36 of Kentucky’s presently recognized species of fishes” (this darter is endemic to Kentucky)
Etheostoma ramseyi Suttkus & Bailey 1994 in honor of John S. Ramsey, for his contributions to our knowledge of the systematics, zoogeography, and biology of darters and other fishes in the southeastern United States; he also “generously” contributed his field notes and preliminary analyses to the authors
Etheostoma raneyi Suttkus & Bart 1994 in honor of the late Edward C. Raney (1909-1984), Cornell University, for his numerous contributions to our knowledge of darter systematics and biology; he passed his enthusiasm for darters to a number of his students, and authored or co-authored seven original descriptions of darters between 1939 and 1967
Etheostoma scotti Bauer, Etnier & Burkhead 1995 in honor of zoologist Donald C. Scott (1920-1997), who established the fish collection at the University of Georgia Museum of Natural History and made many significant early collections from the Etowah River system of Georgia (USA), where this darter is endemic
Etheostoma simoterum (Cope 1868) simus, flat-nosed, teres, rubbed off, i.e., snub-nosed, referring to its “obtuse muzzle”
Etheostoma tallapoosae Suttkus & Etnier 1991 of the Tallapoosa River system of Alabama and Georgia (USA), almost exclusively above the Fall Line, where it is endemic
Etheostoma zonistium Bailey & Etnier 1988 zona, band; histium, fin or sail, referring to distinctive and diagnostic banding in spinous dorsal fin
Subgenus Vaillantia Jordan 1878 –ia, belonging to: zoologist Léon Vaillant (1834-1914), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), whose “thoroughly excellent” 1873 monograph on darters is “still the starting point for all work on that difficult but most interesting group”
Etheostoma chlorosoma (Hay 1881) chloro-, green; soma, body, presumably referring to “pale greenish yellow” seen on many specimens [some workers treat name as an adjective, spelling it chlorosomum]
Etheostoma davisoni Hay 1885 in honor of D. M. Davison, one of two persons who supplied a small collection of fishes from western Florida (USA), including this darter; no other information about him is available
Subgenus Villora Hubbs & Cannon 1935 villus, hairy and shaggy; ora, margin, referring to “replacement of the genital papilla of the female, supposedly diagnostic of the Etheostomatinae, by a marginal ring of matted villi”
Etheostoma edwini (Hubbs & Cannon 1935) in honor of carcinologist Edwin P. Creaser (1907-1981), University of Michigan, who collected the first specimen (but not holotype) of this and of other fishes to come to Hubbs’ attention
Nothonotus Putnam 1863 nothos, false; notos, back, meaning unknown; Jordan & Evermann (1896) state that nothos means “prominent,” in which case it may be a misspelled abridgement of notablis, presumably referring to “longer and higher” first dorsal fin compared with Catonotus (subgenus of Etheostoma); Boschung & Mayden (Freshwater Fishes of Alabama, 2004) suggest nothos means “spotted,” but this is doubtful since Agassiz, who coined Nothonotus in an unpublished ms., also coined Catonotus, in which notus clearly means “back” and the two taxa are distinguished by the size of their first dorsal fins) [treated as a subgenus of Etheostoma by many workers]
Nothonotus acuticeps (Bailey 1959) acutus, pointed or sharp; ceps, head, referring to its “extremely sharp” snout
Nothonotus aquali (Williams & Etnier 1978) from the Cherokee word agaquali, meaning cheek, referring to copper-colored markings on cheek in life
Nothonotus bellus (Zorach 1968) beautiful, referring to bright fin coloration of males
Nothonotus camurus (Cope 1870) crooked or turned inward (i.e., blunt-headed), referring to head “suddenly decurved from the orbit to the muzzle”
Nothonotus chlorobranchius (Zorach 1972) chloro-, green; branchos, fin, referring to prominent, broad, dark-green bands in median fins of males in life
Nothonotus chuckwachatte (Mayden & Wood 1993) from the Creek (also known as Muscogee) American Indian chuckwee, mouth, and chattee, red, referring to red lips of breeding males
Nothonotus denoncourti (Stauffer & van Snik 1997) in honor of ichthyologist Robert F. Denoncourt, who introduced the senior author to the “diversity and complexity” of southern Appalachian stream fishes; he also collected type, with members of his family, in 1967
Nothonotus douglasi (Wood & Mayden 1993) in honor of Neil H. Douglas, Director and Curator, Northeast Louisiana University Museum of Zoology, for his contributions to our understanding of the freshwater fish fauna of Louisiana and his dedication to teaching
Nothonotus etowahae (Wood & Mayden 1993) of the Etowah River system of Georgia (USA), where it is endemic
Nothonotus jordani (Gilbert 1891) in honor of David Starr Jordan (1851-1931), Gilbert’s high-school teacher and ichthyological mentor, frequent collaborator, and colleague at Stanford University (California, USA)
Nothonotus juliae (Meek 1891) in honor of Julia Hughes Gilbert (1849-1916), wife of ichthyologist Charles Henry Gilbert (1859-1928)
Nothonotus maculatus (Kirtland 1840) spotted, referring to 12-20 “carmine dots near the medial line” of males
Nothonotus microlepidus (Raney & Zorach 1967) micro-, small; lepidus, scaled, referring to smaller and therefore more numerous scales compared to most if not all congeners
Nothonotus moorei (Raney & Suttkus 1964) in honor of zoologist George A. Moore (1899-1998), Oklahoma State University and past president (1961) of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, for his contributions to ichthyology and particularly for his studies of fishes in the mid-South (USA)
Nothonotus rubrus (Raney & Suttkus 1966) red, referring to red on all median fins, touches of red on paired fins, and red spots on body
Nothonotus rufilineatus (Cope 1870) rufus, reddish; lineatus, lined, referring to narrow longitudinal lines of males, which contain “quadrate spots of a mahogany or brick red color”
Nothonotus sanguifluus (Cope 1870) sanguis, blood; fluvius, river, literally “blood of the river,” referring to blood-red second dorsal fin and bright crimson spots of males
Nothonotus starnesi Keck & Near 2013 in honor of ichthyologist Wayne C. Starnes, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, co-author of The Fishes of Tennessee (1993), and “valued” colleague, for “substantial contributions to our understanding of the natural history and biology of North American freshwater fishes. We find it particularly fitting that both Nothonotus starnesi and Etheostoma etnieri, named for the other author of The Fishes of Tennessee, are endemic to the Caney Fork system in middle Tennessee.”
Nothonotus tippecanoe (Jordan & Evermann 1890) named for the Tippecanoe River at Marshfield, Indiana (USA), type locality (occurs in Ohio River basin from Pennsylvania and Indiana south to Tennessee River drainage of Virginia and Tennessee)
Nothonotus vulneratus (Cope 1870) wounded, referring to red spots on males
Nothonotus wapiti (Etnier & Williams 1989) American Indian name (probably Iroquois) for the American Elk (Cervus canadensis), referring to the Elk River of Alabama and Tennessee (USA), where it is endemic
Percina Haldeman 1842 diminutive of Perca, proposed as a subgenus of that genus (name often translated as “small perch,” but Haldeman did not reference size in his description)
Subgenus Percina
Percina apina Near & Simmons 2017 Greek for “without dirt” or clean, referring to silt-free river substrates where it is found
Percina austroperca Thompson 1995 auster, southern; perca, perch, “one of the most southern species of logperch,” occurring in Alabama and Florida (USA)
Percina bimaculata Haldeman 1844 bi-, two; maculatus, spotted, allusion not explained, possibly referring to distinct caudal spot on each side of body
Percina burtoni Fowler 1945 in honor of E. Milby Burton (1898-1977), Director of the Charleston Museum (South Carolina, USA), who collected local fishes for his museum, including type of this one, and invited Fowler to study them; Fowler called him a friend to whom he was “indebted for many favors”
Percina caprodes caprodes (Rafinesque 1818) –oides, having the form of: capros, pig, referring to its often fleshy, upturned and blunt snout, like that of a pig (“museau en grouin de cochon” per Rafinesque 1819)
Percina caprodes semifasciata (DeKay 1842) semi-, half; fasciata, banded, referring to ~20 “dark olive or brownish stripes across the back, alternately but not regularly longer, and becoming dilated on the vertebral line”
Percina carbonaria (Baird & Girard 1853) made of coal, allusion not explained, probably referring to any of all of the following: transverse bars of black on body, black spot base of the caudal, and black base of dorsal, anal and ventral fins
Percina fulvitaenia Morris & Page 1981 fulvus, reddish-yellow; taenia, band, referring to orange band on first dorsal fin of adult males [treated as a subspecies of P. caprodes by some workers]
Percina jenkinsi Thompson 1985 in honor of ichthyologist Robert E. Jenkins (1940-2023), Roanoke College (Virginia, USA), for his work with eastern North American fishes, particularly with the subgenus Percina
Percina kathae Thompson 1997 in honor of Kathy S. Thompson, “my friend, my wife, my life-long seining partner who has shared many riffles with me in my pursuit of studying darters”
Percina macrolepida Stevenson 1971 macro-, large; lepida, scaled, referring to larger lateral line scales compared to P. carbonaria
Percina rex (Jordan & Evermann 1889) king, referring to its being the largest known darter at the time (that distinction belongs to P. lenticula)
Percina suttkusi Thompson 1997 in honor of friend and mentor Royal D. Suttkus (1929-2009), Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA), for his “long-term study of this species in particular, and more broadly for his contributions to systematics and biology of fishes in the southeastern United States”
Subgenus Alvordius Girard 1859 –ius, belonging to: Gen. Benjamin Alvord (1813-1884), soldier, mathematician and botanist, who collected type of P. maculata
Percina crassa Jordan & Brayton 1878 thick, referring to its stocky appearance, “more heavily built” than Alvordius aspro (=P. maculata), “the form being less graceful than that of the other members of the genus”
Percina gymnocephala Beckham 1980 gymno-, naked or lightly clad; cephala, head, referring to reduced scalation of head and nape compared to other members of the P. maculata species group
Percina kusha Williams & Burkhead 2007 Choctaw American Indian name for cane or canebrake, origin of name of Coosa River of Georgia and Tennessee (USA), in whose headwaters this darter is endemic [may warrant a new subgenus along with P. smithvanizi]
Percina macrocephala (Cope 1867) macro-, large; cephalus, headed, referring to its elongate eel-like cranium
Percina maculata (Girard 1859) spotted, referring to “dorsal region being tessellated with blackish spots, whilst a series of black patches may be observed on either side, larger and less numerous in the male than in the female”
Percina nevisensis (Cope 1870) –ensis, suffix denoting place: presumably a variant spelling of “Neuse,” referring to Neuse River, North Carolina (USA), type locality [often incorrectly spelled nevisense]
Percina notogramma notogramma (Raney & Hubbs 1948) notos, back; gramma, lined, referring to prominent light-colored streak along back
Percina notogramma montuosa Hogarth & Woolcott 1966 of the mountains, referring to its distribution in headwater streams of the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia (USA)
Percina pantherina (Moore & Reeves 1955) like a panther, presumably referring to its leopard-like spots
Percina peltata (Stauffer 1864) shielded, referring to thick, shield-like scales on belly
Percina roanoka (Jordan & Jenkins 1889) named for the Roanoke River system of Virginia (USA), type locality
Percina sipsi Williams & Neely 2007 Chickasaw-Choctaw American Indian name for poplar or cottonwood tree, origin of the stream name Sipsey Fork, Black Warrior River system of Alabama (USA), where this darter is endemic
Percina smithvanizi Williams & Walsh 2007 in honor of William F. Smith-Vaniz (b. 1941), for his “outstanding” contributions to ichthyology in general and specifically for his authorship of the first book (1968) on the freshwater fishes of Alabama (although this darter is endemic to Georgia) [may warrant a new subgenus along with P. kusha]
Percina williamsi Page & Near 2007 in honor of James D. Williams (b. 1941), ichthyologist, malacologist and “natural historian extraordinaire”
Subgenus Cottogaster Putnam 1863 etymology not explained, probably kottos, sculpin; gaster, belly, perhaps referring to caducous spinous scales along median line of belly of a misidentified Boleosoma tessellatum of Thompson (not of DeKay) 1853
Percina aurora Suttkus & Thompson 1994 dawn, referring to how golden-yellow pattern of dorsal and dorsolateral areas and golden patches along rays of dorsal and caudal fins resemble the rising sun
Percina brevicauda Suttkus & Bart 1994 brevis, short; cauda, tail, referring to shortest caudal (and pectoral) fin amongst males of the subgenus
Percina copelandi (Jordan 1877) in memory of Jordan’s friend and student Herbert E. Copeland (1849-1876), “to whose patient study of these beautiful little fishes we owe much that is now known of their habits and ways. I have named this graceful species, taken at the rapids where he and I had so often fished together, for him, in recognition of his genuine love of nature, and in token of our long scientific association and personal friendship” (Copeland died, presumably from pneumonia, three weeks after falling into the cold waters of an Indiana stream securing specimens for his studies)
Subgenus Ericosma Jordan & Copeland 1877 eros, springtime; cosmeo, to adorn, referring to “gay coloration” of males P. evides during the spring breeding season
Percina evides (Jordan & Copeland 1877) comely, being “one of the most beautiful of all the darters”
Percina palmaris (Bailey 1940) a prize, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to how its handsome coloration makes it a prize (i.e., something that is excellent of its kind)
Subgenus Hadropterus Agassiz 1854 hadros, strong; pteron, fin, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to membrane of first dorsal fin of P. nigrofasciata extending to second dorsal fin, and/or “large and equal” anal and second dorsal fins
Percina apristis (Hubbs & Hubbs 1954) a-, without; pristis, saw, proposed as a subspecies of P. sciera with 0-1 serrations on preopercle
Percina aurolineata Suttkus & Ramsey 1967 auro-, gold; lineata, lined, allusion not explained, possibly referring to yellow area above and below thin dorsolateral stripe
Percina crypta Freeman, Freeman & Burkhead 2008 hidden or concealed, refers to close similarity in appearance to the sympatric P. nigrofasicata
Percina freemanorum Near & Dinkins 2021 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: in honor of Mary C. Freeman, Research Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey, and Byron (Bud) J. Freeman (b. 1950), Director, Georgia Museum of Natural History, for “substantial” contributions to the study of freshwater fishes in the southeastern United States; in particular, their work has “shed light on and significantly aided in the conservation of the biodiverse rich Etowah River system” of Georgia, where this logperch occurs
Percina lenticula Richards & Knapp 1964 freckled, referring to freckle-like dark blotches on pectoral-fin base
Percina nigrofasciata nigrofasciata (Agassiz 1854) niger, black; fasciata, banded, referring to 11-16 bars on side
Percina nigrofasciata raneyi Crawford 1956 in honor of ichthyologist Edward C. Raney (1909-1984), Cornell University, whose “investigations of darters and other freshwater fishes of the southeastern United States are well known”
Percina sciera (Swain 1883) dusky, presumably referring to color in spirits, “yellowish olive, everywhere vaguely blotched with black”
Subgenus Hypohomus Cope 1870 hypo-, below; homo, same, presumably referring to uniform scales on sides and belly, i.e., lacking the “median ventral series of shields” of Etheostoma
Percina aurantiaca (Cope 1868) orange-colored, referring to “bright yellow” color in life (probably referring to yellow and tangerine middle of lower body of breeding males)
Subgenus Imostoma Jordan 1877 eimi, to move; stoma, mouth, referring to projectile jaw of P. shumardi, which distinguishes it from subgenus Alvordius
Percina antesella Williams & Etnier 1977 ante-, anterior; sella, saddle, referring to first dorsal saddle in front of spiny dorsal fin, unique in the subgenus
Percina shumardi (Girard 1859) in honor of George C. Shumard (1823-1867), surgeon-geologist of the U.S. Pacific Railroad Survey, who collected holotype
Percina tanasi Etnier 1976 name of village on Little Tennessee River (type locality) that served as Cherokee Nation capital and origin of the name Tennessee (USA)
Percina uranidea (Jordan & Gilbert 1887) urano-, sky; eidos, looking, referring to eye placement on top of head
Percina vigil (Hay 1882) alert or watchful, allusion not explained, possibly referring to “large” eyes set on top of head
Subgenus Odontopholis Page 1974 odontos, tooth; pholis, scale, referring to caudal keel covered with strongly toothed scales in males
Percina cymatotaenia (Gilbert & Meek 1887) cymato-, wavy; taenia, band, referring to blue-black lateral band “running in a wavy course”
Percina stictogaster Burr & Page 1993 stictos, spot; gaster, belly, referring to black specks or blotches on belly of all individuals except breeding males
Subgenus Swainia Jordan & Evermann 1896 –ia, belonging to: mathematics professor Joseph Swain (1857-1927), Jordan’s student at and later President of Indiana University, who discovered type species, P. squamata, and co-described it
Percina brucethompsoni Robison, Cashner & Near 2014 in honor of friend and colleague Bruce A. Thompson (1946-2007), Tulane University (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA), first noted the distinctiveness of this species in his 1977 doctoral dissertation
Percina nasuta (Bailey 1941) long-nosed, referring to “excessive prolongation and compression of the snout”
Percina oxyrhynchus (Hubbs & Raney 1939) oxy-, sharp; rhynchus, nose, referring to its “extraordinarily sharp snout”
Percina phoxocephala (Nelson 1876) phoxos, tapered; cephala, headed, referring to “very narrow, pointed, eel-like head”
Percina squamata (Gilbert & Swain 1887) scaled, referring to any or all of the following: body covered with very small scales, uniform in size, covering belly (instead of belly scutes as in presumed congeners in Etheostoma); cheeks, breast and nuchal region covered with “still finer” scales; larger, spinous scales on opercle; an enlarged black humeral scale
Family TRACHINIDAE Weeverfishes
2 genera · 9 species
Echiichthys Bleeker 1861 echis, adder or viper, referring to the specific epithet vipera, named for the venomous spine of first dorsal fin; ichthys, fish
Echiichthys vipera (Cuvier 1829) adder or viper; according to Cuvier & Valenciennes (1829), alluding to adder-pike, a name used by British fishermen referring to “much dreaded” (translation) venomous spine of first dorsal fin (the common name weeverfish is derived from the Middle English wever, from the Old Northern French wivre, meaning serpent)
Trachinus Linnaeus 1758 per Cuvier & Valenciennes (1829), latinization of trascina, trachina and/or tragina, Italian names for T. draco derived from dracoena, ancient Greek name for this species dating to at least Aristotle (name is not derived from trachys, rough, as reported by many sources)
Trachinus araneus Cuvier 1829 of spiders, a name for weeverfishes dating to Pliny the Elder, allusion uncertain, perhaps referring to pain caused by venomous first-dorsal fin, like the bite of a spider (the fact that fishes of this genus are called “weevers” and spiders of the genus Araneus are called “orb-weavers” is just a homonymic coincidence)
Trachinus armatus Bleeker 1861 armed with a weapon, probably referring to venomous spine of first dorsal fin
Trachinus collignoni Roux 1957 in honor of colleague Jean Collignon, marine biologist, oceanographer, Head of Research at ORSTOM (Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique d’Outre-Mer), and senior author of monograph in which description appeared
Trachinus cornutus Guichenot 1848 horned, referring to two spines on upper and anterior edge of orbit, “more protruding” than in its congeners, “so that it seems to have a backwards-bent horn in front of the eyes” (translation)
Trachinus draco Linnaeus 1758 from dracoena, dragon, ancient Greek name for this species dating to at least Aristotle
Trachinus lineolatus Fischer 1885 with small or narrow lines, referring to 12-14 nearly parallel oblique lines on body
Trachinus pellegrini Cadenat 1937 in honor of ichthyologist Jacques Pellegrin (1873-1944), Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (Paris)
Trachinus radiatus Cuvier 1829 radiated; per Cuvier & Valenciennes (1829), referring to fan-shaped groups of bony ridges on the top of head just behind eye