Curious Scientific Names

Trilobites
- Aegrotocatellus
– the Latin translation means «sick puppy» - Aegrotocatellus
jaggeri – named after Mick Jagger (have a look at
the genus transaltion – were the namers trying to say something)? - Arcticalymene
viciousi, A. rotteni, A. jonesi, A. cooki,
A. matlocki – named for the Sex Pistols - Avalanchurus
lennoni, A. starri – named after
John Lennon and Ringo Starr - Celmus michaelmus
– its abdomen looks like a Mouseketeer hat (Mickey Mouse ears). - Mackenziurus
johnnyi, M. joeyi, M. deedeei, M. ceejayi – named after
the Ramones - Milesdavis
– named for Miles Davis - Merlinia
– named after King Arthur’s wizard Merlin. - Norasaphus
monroeae – named after Marylin Monroe because of its
hourglass shape. - Perirehaedulus
richardsi – named after Keith Richards (Rolling
Stones guitarist)
Fossils
- Amaurotoma
zappa (Gastropod) – also named after Frank Zappa. - Anomphalus
jaggerius (Gastropod) – named after Mick Jagger also. - Eucritta
melanolimnetes (amphibian) – loosely translates to «Creature
from the Black Lagoon» - Excalibosaurus
(Jurassic ichthyosaur) – named after King Arthur’s sword Excalibur
– they have a sword-like upper jaw. - Frodospira
(Silurian gastropod) – a small genus named after a well-known
Hobbit. - Mestoronema
(Fossil Snail) – named after the evil snail king in Doctor Who.
Fish
- Aphyocharax yekwanae
(Tetra) – named after the Ye’Kwana Indians of the Caura River
Basin (Venezula) where the fish is found. - Apistogramma
medezi (Dwarf cichlid)
– named after the rubber tapper and rainforest defender Chico
Mendes (misspelled). - Bidenichthys
beeblebroxi (Triple-fin Blenny) – named after The
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy two-headed character Zaphod Beeblebrox-
they have a false head pattern. - Chromidiotilapia
mrac (African cichlid) – named after Musee Royal
de l’Afrique Centrale. - Corydoras narcissus
(Catfish) – named narcissus because the discoverers insisted that
the describer name the fish after them . Narcissis was fascinated
with his own image. - Discoverichthys
(Deep sea fish) – named after the subersible Discover. - Draculo
(Dragonet Fish) – named after Dragons. - Eeyorius
(Australian fish) – named for the Donkey Eeyor in Winnie the Pooh.
Like EEyor, it lives in damp, dark places. - Fiordichthys
slartibartfasti (Triple-fin Blenny) – named for the Hitchhiker’s
Guide to the Galaxy character Slartibartfast, who was noted for
designing fjords. - Grimaldichthys
profundissimus (Deep sea fish) – named after the Grimaldi
family – reigning in Monaco - Inpaichthys
(South American Tetra) – named after INPA, the Brazilian INstituto
Nacional dePesquisas da Amazonia. Also named after INPA – Crenicichla
inpa (cichlid), Aguarunichthys inpai
(siluroid fish) and Bryconops inpai (Characoid fish) - Kali
(Deep sea swallower fish) – named after the Indian Goddess Kali. - Lucifer
(Fish) – named aftee the Devil - Mephisto
(Spikefish) – also named after the Devil - Natalichthys
ori (Fish) – named after the Oceanographic Research
Institute (South Africa) and N. sam – named after
the South African Museum where the specimen was found. - Pomadasys
peroteti (Parrot Grunt) – peroteti means «small-breasted
dog». - Puck
(Anglerfish) – named after the character in A MidSummer Night’s
Dream - Roloffia
roloffi roloffi (Killiefish) – named after the describer
Roloff. (Is now Scripaphyosemion) - Satan
(Catfish) – a blind unpigmented catfish from the artesian wells
near San Antonio (Texas). Found at depths bteween 1000 and 1250
feet. The full name Satan eurystomus mean «wide-mouthed
Prince of Darkness». - Satanoperca
lilith (Eartheater cichlid) – also S. daemon and
S. jurupari. - Sio
(Deep sea fish) – named after the Scripps Institute for Oceanography. - Tanganicodus
irsacae (Tanganyikan Goby Cichlid) – named after
IRSAC, the Central African Science Research Institute. - Tomocichla
asfraci (Cichlid) – named after the Association
Francaise des Cichlidophiles - Zappa
(Australian Goby) – named after Frank Zappa - Zoogonectius
tequila (Goodeid Fish) – named after the alcoholic
drink Tequila.
Gastropods and relatives
- Buddhaites
(Mollusc)
– named after Buddha - Bufonaria
borisbeckeri (Sea Snail) – named after Boris Becker - Conus tribblei
(Marine snail) – named after a pet cat called Tribbles, who was
named after the furry creatures from Star Trek. - Godiva
(Nudibranch) – nudi means naked and Lady Godiva was reported to
have ridden naked through the streets of Coventry. - Mandelia
(Sea Slug) – named after Nelson Mandela - Piseinotecus
divae (Snail) – Piseintotecus means «I stepped
on Teco». Teco was a dog belonging to a diva that the describers
(Evelyne and Ernest Marcus) were staying with. One of them stepped
on the dog on the way to the kitchen in the middle of the night.
Squid and relatives
- Grimalditeuthis
bonplandi (Transparent squid) – named after the Grimaldis - Lepidoteuthis
grimaldii (Squid) – named for Prince Albert (Grimaldi)
who pioneered the study of deep sea creatures (particularly squid).
This squid was collected from the stomach contents of a whale. - Phialella zappai
(Jellyfish) – named as part of the describers plan to
meet Frank Zappa. - Vampyroteuthis
infernalis (Squid relative) – means «Vampire Squid
from Hell.