Genus Names
Acanth/us	Acanth = spines; thorns.
Acanthodorus	Acantho = thorn; doras = leathery skin.(spiney Doras)
Acrochordonichthys	Greek, akros = summit, topmost + Greek, chorda = nervous line + Greek, ichthys = fish
Agamyxis	With (very) much slime.
Ageneiosus	Beardless, pertaining to the very small maxillary barbels
Agmus	Greek for agmos = fracture.
Aguarunichthys	From Aguarun, a Peruvian tribe that lives in the limit with Ecuador+ Greek, ichthys = fish
Akysis	A = without; kysis = bladder, in reference to the lack of a swimbladder.
Amaralia	Because of Dr. Afranio de Amaral, name that was used by H.W. Fowler; personal communication of John Friell/Cornell University
Amblyceps	Amblys = blunt; ceps = from caput head.
Amblydoras	Amblys= blunt; doras = leathery skin, cuirass.
Ameiurus	A reference to the tail.
Amphilius	Ame = water bucket; philia = friendly love.
Anadoras	Ana = back; doras =  cuirass
Anarhichas	Anarrhichesis from the Greek, to climb, the action of climbing
Anaspidoglanis	From the Greek, an= meaning without, aspis= meaning shield, and glanis= meaning catfish; in reference to the absence of a well-developed shield between the cranium and the dorsal fin.
Ancistrus	With barbed hooks, ( hooked spines)
Anodontiglanis	Fish without teeth
Arius	Derived from the Greek word Apelos (pronounced Araios) which means "sanctified by the god of war", and refers to the bony structure extending from the skull covering to the powerful thorn of the first dorsal fin ray.
Aspidoras	Aspidos = shield; doras = cuirass
Aspredo	Aspredo; aspredinis = Roughness.
Asterophysus	Greek, aster = star + Greek, physa = tube, pipe, channel
Astroblepus	Astron = star; blepos = look.
Astrodoras	Star Doras
Auchenipterichthys	From the Greek, auchenos, meaning neck; pteron, meaning fin; ichthys, meaning fish in reference to the long cranial shield, giving the appearance that the dorsal fin originates at the neck region.
Auchenipterus	Auchen; auchenos = neck; pteron = wing, fin.
Auchenoglanis	Auchen; auchenos = neck; glanis = catfish.
Bagarius	From the vernucular name; 'Vaghari'
Bagre	From 'bagre', a South American name for a catfish
Bagrichthys	From 'bagre', a South American name for a catfish, but is only used for African and Asian species.
Bagroides	With the appearance of Bagrus.
Bagrus	From 'bagre', a South American name for a catfish, but is only used for African and Asian species.
Baryancistrus	Greek, barys = heavy/sturdy (Ancistrus)+ Greek, agkistron = hook
Batasio	Malabar voice as the name of the fish
Belodontichthys	Belos = arrow; odon, odontos = tooth; ichthys = fish.
Brachy-	Short.
Brachyplatystoma	Greek, brachys, eia = short + Greek, platys = flat + Greek, stoma = mouth
Brachyrhamdia	Brachy = short; rhamdia = from the vernucular name 'Nhamdiá or 'Jamdiá.
Brachysynodontis	Short Synodontis.
Brochis	A sling, (a reference to the structure of the barbels).
Bullockia	Named after D.S. Bullock
Bunocephalus	Buno = mound; cephalus = head.(with bumps on the head)
Callichthys	Callum = hard skin; ichthys = fish.
Calophysus	Greek, kalos, kallos = beautiful + Greek, physa = tube
Carlarius	Named for Carl Ferraris for his contribution to the knowledge of Siluriformes fishes.
Cataphractus	Kataphraktos = covered, mailed.
Centrodoras	Greek, kentron = sting + Greek, dora = skin
Centromochlus	Centrum = sting; mochlus = lever, from ancient Greek "lever arm", referring to the pectoral spines which can be a locked by a special mechanism.
Cephalosilurus	Greek, kephale = head + Greek, silouros = a cat fish
Cetopsidium	Cetopsidium, from Cetopsis, that was the first genus proposed in the Cetopsinae, and “idium” meaning diminutive, is in reference to the relatively small body sizes of the members of the genus.
Cetopsis	Cetus = whale; opsis = having the appearance of.
Chaca	From the vernucucular name 'Chaca'
Chaetostoma	From the Greek, chaite = hair + Greek, stoma = mouth
Channallabes	Channe = a sea perch; al-to; labes = stain.
Chiloglanis	Cheilos = lip; glanis = catfish.
Chrysichthys	Chrysos = gold; ichthys = fish.
Cranoglanis	Greek, kranion = skull + Greek, glanis = the name of a kind of fish.
Clarias	Clear or shining.
Clarotes	From the Greek, klarotes, a term for slaves, people with bent necks; in reference to the morphology of the head
Corydoras	Cory = helmeted; doras = leathery skin,(helmeted Doras) cuirass.
Doras	Skin.(leathery)
Dianema	Dia = through; nema = thread. The gender of this name is neuter, not feminine as usually thought.
Dinotopterus	Di = two; notos = back; pteron = wing, fin.
Diplomystes	Diploos = double; mystax = hair on the upper lip.
Doras	Doras = cuirass.
Doumea	From Doumé, a locality.
Duopalatinus	Latin, duo = two + Greek, palatum, palate = roof of the mouth
Entomocorus	Greek; entome, meaning notch, and kore, meaning pupil; in reference to the deep groove at the lower margin of the eye in which the maxillary barbels fit into.
Eremophilus	Greek, eremos = alone + Greek, philein = to like
Erethistes	Greek, erethizo = that irritates
Euchilichthys	Greek, euchilos, os, -ou = well nourished
Euchiloglanis	Greek, eu = good + Greek, cheilos = lip + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Eutropiellus	Eutrophia = well-fed
Exallodontus	In Greek, "exallias" meaning strange, marvellous, and "odous" for teeth
Exostoma	Greek, exos = outside + Greek, stoma = mouth
Farlowella	Named in honour of W.G.Farlow of Harvard University.
Gagata	Velvety-black.
Glyptoperichthys	Greek, glyptes = carver + Greek,peri = around + Greek, ichthys = fish
Glyptosternon	Glyptos = carved; sternon = breast.
Glyptothorax	With a carved breast-plate.
Goeldiella	In honour of Goeld, (diminutive form).
Goslinia	After Dr. William A. Gosline, functional morphology of teleostean fishes; Ph. Dr. Stanford Univ., 1941 and professor of Zoology, 1954-1971. Member of different professional associations
Helogenes	Helos = marsh; genus = born.
Hemi-	Half.
Hemiancistrus	Half Ancistrus.
Hemibagrus	Hemi- half; bagrus- From 'bagre', a South American name for a catfish, but is only used for African and Asian species.
Hemiodontichthys	Hemi = half; odon, odontos = tooth; ichthys = fish.
Hemidoras	Greek, hemis = the half + Greek, dora = skin
Hemisilurus	Hemi- half; From 'silouros', a kind of river fish. Silurus, sheetfish, catfish. According to Lacepéde (1803) this word indicates the rapidity with which Silurus can move its tail.
Hemisorubim	Hemi = half; 'Suribim' =  a vernucular name.
Hemisynodontis	Hemi = half; Syn = together; odon, odontos = tooth;
Henonemus	Greek, enioi, -ai, -a = sometimes, some + Greek, nema = filament
Heptapterus	Greek, epta = seven + Greek, pteron = wing, fin
Heterobranchus	from the Greek heteros meaning other; Greek, pneo = to breath (atmospheric air)
Heteropneustes	Heteros = different; pneustikos = of breathing.
Hoplosternum	With armed sternum, (breast).
Horabagrus	Taken from Mr. S.L.Hora, director of Zoological Survey of India + Greek, pagros = a fish, Dentex sp.
Hyalobagrus	Hyalo+bagrus=3D transparent bagrid
Hypancistrus	Greek, hypo = under + Greek, agkistron = hook
Hypophthalmus	Hypo = underneath; ophthalmos = eye.
Hypoptopoma	Hypo = underneath; opter = pertaining to site.
Hypostomus	Hypo = underneath;stomus = mouth.(mouth underneath)
Ictalurus	Ichthys = fish; ailouros = cat.
Iheringichthys	Because of Hermann von Ihering, 1850-1930; He arrived in Brazil in 1880 and settled in Rio Grande as physician and naturalist. Expert in birds, fishes and mollusc's
Ituglanis	Greek, itys, ityos = circle + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Kryptopterus	Krypto = hidden; pterus = fin, (a reference to the almost invisible one-rayed dorsal fin).
Leiarius	Smooth.
Leiocassis	Smooth head.
Leporacanthicus	From the Latin; "lepus", "leporis" meaning rabbit and from the Greek, "akantha" meaning thorn.
Lepthoplosternum	A thin sternum, (breast)
Leptodoras	Greek, leptos = thin + Greek, doras = skin
Leptoglanis	Greek, leptos = thin + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Leyvaichthys	In honour of Mr. Leyva.
Liobagrus	Greek, leio = smooth + Mozarabic bagre, Greek, pagros = a kind of fish.
Liosomadoras	From the Greek leios, meaning smooth; soma; meaning body and Doras (a genus of doradid catfishes); in reference to the lack of bony plates on the body (when the genus was described as a doradid).
Lithodoras	Greek, lithos = stone + Greek, dora = skin
Lophiobagrus	Lophia, lophos = mane, crest; bagrus = 'Bagre' meaning catfish.
Lophiosilurus	Greek, lophos = crest + Greek, silouros = cat fish
Loricaria	Coat of mail, a corselet (bearer of armour), harness.
Loricariichthys	Loricara = harness; ichthys = fish.
Luciopimelodus	ucius =pike + greek, pimele = fat + greek, odous = teeth
Malapterurus	Mala = soft; pter = fin; urus = tail.
Mastiglanis	Greek, mastax, -agos = bite + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Megalancistrus	Large Lancistrus
Megalechis	Greek, megas, megalos = great + greek, echis, -eos = viper
Megalodorus	With a large helmet (cuirass)
Merodontotus	Greek, meros, -eos, -oys = thigh + Greek, odous = teeth
Microglanis	Micro = small; glanis = catfish.
Microlepidogaster	Small plates on the belly.
Micronema	From the Greek mikros, meaning small, and nema, meaning thread. In reference to the relatively small barbels
Microsynodontis	Micro = small; Syn = together; odontis =  teeth.(fused tooth plates).
Mochokiella	From the Latin -ella; in reference to the small size of the fish (literally: "a small Mochokus").
Mystus	"Mystax" meaning whiskered (hair on the upper lip) Mystus was first used by Belon in 1553 to describe all fish with whiskers.
Nemadorus	Greek, nema, -atos = filament + Greek, dora = skin
Nemuroglanis	From the Nemuro peninsula in Japan, Hokkaido + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Neoarius	Neo means "new" in latin and Arius is Derived from the Greek word Apelos (pronounced Araios) which means "sanctified by the god of war", and refers to the bony structure extending from the skull covering to the powerful thorn of the first dorsal fin ray.
Neosiluroides	Greek, neos = new + Greek, silouros = cat fish
Neosilurus	Neo means "new" in latin and "silurus" From 'silouros', a kind of river fish. Silurus, sheetfish, catfish. According to Lacepéde (1803) this word indicates the rapidity with which Silurus can move its tail.
Neotropius	Neo means "new" in latin, tropis from the Latin , meaning keel, in reference to the compressed body of the fish.
Noturus	Meaning "Back Tail" referring to the fusion of the adipose and caudal fins.
Olyra	A kind of grain.
Ompok	It has been suggested that the name is a bad reproduction of the Malay name 'limpok'. Or from the vernucular name, 'Ompok'
Opsodoras	Ops = ear; doras = cuirass ( helmeted)
Oreoglanis	Greek, oreos = mountain+Greek, glanis = Latin, aurum = gold + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Orinocodoras	From the Orinoco River; doras = cuirass ( helmeted)
Ossancora	Meaning "bony anchor" which refers to their distinctive pectoral-fin spine and shoulder girdle.
Otocinclus	Oto = ear; cinclus = a latticework, (an allusion to the holes in the head in the region of the ear).
Oxydoras	Oxys = sharp; doras = cuirass ( helmeted)
Panaque	Venezuelan common name for plecostomus. Panaque nigrolineatus was the first described and it is from central Venezuela
Panaqolus	The name "olus" meaning small, as in small Panaque.
Pangasianodon	Pangasius + an (Greek for without)+odon (Greek for tooth); in reference to the toothless state of the adult fish
Pangasius	Derived from the vernucular name.
Paraloricaria	Para = beside; loricara = harness
Parauchenoglanis	Beside (similar to) Auchenoglanis.
Pardiglanis	Greek, pardias, -ou = a fish similar to grey mullet + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Pareuchiloglanis	Greek, para = near + Greek, cheilo = lip + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Pareutropius	Para = beside; eutropia = well-fed.
Parotocinclus	Greek, para in the side of + greek, ous, otis = ear + Greek, kygklos, ou = a fish
Parakysis	Greek, para = the side of + Greek, kysthos = bladder
Parastegophilus	Greek, para in the side of + Greek, stego, to cover + Greek, phileo = to like
Paulicea	From the state of  Sào Paulo.
Peckoltia	Named for Snr. Gustavo Peckolt of the Natural History Commission of Rondon.
Perrunichthys	After the vernucular name 'Bagre perruno', ichthys = fish.
Phracto-	Protected.
Phractocephalus	Protected head.
Phractura	Protected tail.
Phreatobius	Greek, phreas, -atos = well, (from a) spring + Greek, bios = alive
Phyllonemus	Greek, phyhllon = leaf + Greek, nema = filament
Physopyxis	Physa = bellows; pyxix = box.
Pimelodella	Pimel = fat; odella = a little tooth, (a little Pimelodus)
Pimelodus	Pimel = fat; odus = tooth.
Pinirampus	Latin, pinna = fin + perhaps Old German, rampf = hook
Planiloricaria	Flat Loricaria.
Platydoras	Platys = broad; doras = cuirass.
Platynematichthys	Greek, platys = flat + Greek, nema = filament + Greek, ichthys = fish
Platysilurus	Greek, platys = flat and from 'silouros', a kind of river fish. Silurus, sheetfish, catfish.
Platystacus	Platys = broad; acus = needle.
Platystomatichthys	Greek, platys = flat + Greek, stoma = mouth + Greek, ichthys = fish
Platytropius	Greek, platys = flat + Greek, tropis = keel, in reference to the compressed body of the fish
Pylodictis	Means "mud fish" in Greek.
Plotosus	Plotos = swimming.
Pogonopoma	Greek, pogon = beard + Greek, poma, -atos = cover, operculum
Porochilus	Holed lip (refers to position of nostrils)
Pseudo-	False
Pseudacanthicus	With false thorns.
Pseudecheneis	Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, echein = to hold + Greek, nays = ship; remora, suckling fish
Pseudeutropius	Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, eu = well + keel, in reference to the compressed body of the fish
Pseudexostoma	Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, exo = outside + Greek, stoma = mouth
Pseudobagrus	False Bagrus.
Pseudodoras	Pseudos = fallacy; doras = cuirass.
Pseudohemiodon	Pseudos = fallacy; hemi = half; odon, odontos = tooth.
Pseudolithoxus	Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, lithos = stone + Greek, oxys = sharp
Pseudoloricaria	Pseudos = fallacy; loricara = harness,
Pseudopimelodus	Pseudos = fallacy; pimelodus = fatty.
Pseudoplatystoma	Pseudos = fallacy; platys = broad; stoma = mouth.
Pseudostegophilus	Greek, pseudes = false + Greek, stego = covered + Greek, philo, philein = to like
Ptero-	Wing.
Pterobunocephalus	From the Greek pteron, meaning fin; buno = mound; cephalus = head.(with bumps on the head)
Pterocryptis	Greek, pteron = wing, fin + Greek, kryptos = hidden
Pterodoras	Winged Doras.
Pterygoplichthys	Pterygos = wing, fin; pleion = more; ichthys = fish.
Pylodictis	Greek, pylos = mud + Greek, ichthys = fish
Rama	Named after the legendary Indian king regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu
Rhamdia	Brazilian vernacular name, Nhamdia/Jamdia
Rhinodoras	Greek, rhinos = nose + Greek, dora = skin
Rineloricaria	Rhine = file; loricara = harness.
Rita	A vernacular name from Bangladesh
Satan	The prince of darkness. Hube liked to name cave fishes with diabolic names based on the idea of hell being underground
Schilbe	schérifié (noble). It probably announces the superiority of this species for its taste".
Scleromystax	From the Greek "sclero" meaning hard and the Latin "mystax" meaning moustache.
Scobinancistrus	Latin, scobis = sawdust + Greek, agkistron = hook
Scoloplax	A thorned plate.
Silurichthys	A fish like Silurus.
Silurus	From 'silouros', a kind of river fish. Silurus, sheetfish, catfish. According to Lacepéde (1803) this word indicates the rapidity with which Silurus can move its tail.
Sorubim	Comes from the native name "Sorobim" which is applied to many large Pimelodids.
Sorubimichthys	A fish like Sorubim.
Spectracanthicus	Latin name meaning spectrum = look, apparition + Greek, akantha meaning thorn.
Squaliforma	Squalis (shark) and 'form' is a reference to the shark like form of the fish.
Sturisoma	With a body like a sturgeon.
Synodontis	Syn = together; odontis =  teeth.(fused tooth plates).
Tandanus	A local name, tandan, in Australia
Tatia	In honour of Mr. C. Tate Regan.
Trachelyichthys	Greek, trachelos = neck + Greek, ichthys = fish.
Trachelyopterichthys	From the Greek, trachelos, meaning neck, pteron, meaning fin and ichthys, meaning fish; in reference to the long cranial shield, giving the appearance that the dorsal fin starts in the region of the neck area.
Trachelyopterus	Greek, trachelos = neck + greek, pteron = wing, fin
Trachycorystes	Greek, trachys, -eia, -ys = rough + Greek, chorystes, -ou = a soldier with helmet
Trachydoras	Greek, trachys, -eia, -ys = rough + Greek, doras
Trachyglanis	Trachys = rough; glanis = catfish.
Trichomycterus	Trichos = hair; mykteros = nose.
Tridensimilis	Greek, tres tria = three + Latin, dens = teeth + Latin, simil = similar, equal
Trogloglanis	Greek, trogle = hole + Greek, glanis a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish
Tympanopleura	Tympanon = drum; pleura = side.
Uegitglanis	Uegit = a pool in Uegit, Somalia + Greek, glanis = a fish that can eat the bait without touching the hook; a cat fish. This fish was found in a pool associated with a spring
Wallago	Bleeker, in 1851 took the Indian fish name 'Wallagoo', gave it generic rank, and used it in connection with a new species.
Xenoclarias	Strange Clarias.
Xyliphius	Greek: xylephion, xylarion = a little piece of wood
Zaireichthys	A fish from Zaire
zungaro	Comes from the native name "Zungaro" which is applied to many large pimelodids.

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