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.