SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish


SPECIES NAMES PAGE 'N' Species (second name: a group of organisms generally resembling each other and capable of reproduction).
Genus Names A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
N

*nami*	The specific name is in honour of the young ichthyologist and our best friend Mr. Chu Hoang Nam. The species name is a noun in genitive case (Euchiloglanis nami).
nandae	The specific name nandae honours Maria Fernanda Boaz Lehmann, daughter of the first author of this paper and affectionately known as “Nanda”. A noun in genitive.
*nanodon*	Name from the Greek nano, meaning reduced, and odon, meaning teeth.
nanus	Dwarf.
napoensis	Named after Napo, one of the regions from which it was collected.
narcissus	Named after Narcissus, son of the Greek river god, Kephise. According to Greek mythology, a young man named Narcissus was so fascinated when he looked into still water that he fell in love with the beauty of his own reflection.
nasus	A nose; a nozzle.
natalensis	Named after the the Province of Natal in South Africa.
nattereri	In honour of Johann Natterer, the Austrian collector.
nauticus	Named after the type locality, the town of Nauta, located on the north bank of the major Upper Amazonian tributary.
nebulosa/us	Clouded, dark or mottled.
negro	After the River in Bolivia where this Corydoras species was found.
neivai	In honour of Arthur Neiva (1880-1943), founder, Instituto Biológico, São Paulo (Tatia neivai).
nella	Derived from nalla-jella, local name for this catfish in Vizagapatam, India (Plicofollis nella).
*nelsoni*	Named for Douglas Nelson, for his dedicated service to the ichthyological commnunity since 1983 as Collection Manager of Fishes, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
nemacheir	nema-, thread; cheir, hand, referring to first pectoral-fin rays prolonged beyond rest of fin (more pronounced in females), (Imparfinis nemacheir).
nematopteryx	nematos, threaded; ptéryx, wing or fin, referring to its extremely narrow, one-rayed, filamentous pectoral fin (Listura nematopteryx).
nemurus	nema-, thread; oura, tail, presumably referring to the thread-like extension of upper caudal-fin lobe (Hemibagrus nemurus).
*nenga*	From Nenga gagora, local Bengali name for this catfish in India (Kyataphisa nenga).
*nettoferreirai*	The epithet specific niettoferreirai, is a tribute to ichthyologist Dr. André Luiz Netto Ferreira, of the University of São Paulo - Brazil, by their large contributions to the South American Ichthyology.
neumanni	In honour of Neumann.
ngamensis	–ensis, suffix denoting place: Lake Ngami district (i.e., area), Botswana, type locality (Parauchenoglanis ngamensis).
*ngouniensis*	Specific name referring to the Ngounié River basin, its type locality.
nheco	Referring to the town of Nhecolândia, Rio Paraguay basin, Brazil, type locality; nheco apparently does not have any particular significance other than having probably been a nickname for the town founder (Amblydoras nheco).
*nheengatu*	The specific epithet, nheengatu, honours the indigenous people of the Amazon. Nheengatu is known as the general language of the Amazon that helped create the cultural identity of the largest Brazilian region. In the nineteenth century Nheengatu was the most commonly spoken language in the Amazon region, in both small and large cities (e.g., Belém, Manaus, Macapá, Santarém, Tefé, and Óbidos). Currently, Nheengatu is being rescued in indigenous schools of the lower rio Tapajós basin. A noun in apposition.
nicaraguense/is	From Lake Nicaragua and or from Nicaragua.
*niceforoi*	H. niceforoi was described by Fowler (1943), who used them to honour Brother Nicéforo Maria. Brother Nicéforo was then at the La Salle Institute in Bogota, Colombia, and he shipped many Colombian fish specimens to Fowler at Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences in 1931 and 1932.
nickeriensis	From the Nickerie River, Suriname.
niger	From the Niger River or to have a black body colour.
nigra	The specific name nigra, is a Latin reference to the dark colour pattern of this species (Tatia)
nigribarbis	nigri-, black; barbis, barbel, referring to “almost black” barbels (Parapimelodus nigribarbis).
nigricauda	nigri-, black; cauda, tail, referring to “deep black” caudal fin (with outer rays spotted with white) (Hisonotus nigricauda).
*nigriceps*	nigri-, black; ceps, head, referring to its blackish head (Mystus nigriceps).
nigrita	Blackened.
nigriventris	Black belly.
nigrocollaris	Black collar.
nigrodigitatus	Black fingered.
nigrolineatus	Black lines.
nigromaculatus	Black spots.
nigripinnis	Black fin.
nigrirostrum	Black nose.
nijsseni	Named in honour of Dr. Han Nijssen.
nilotica/us	Specific name of niloticus –icus, belonging to the Nile River near Thebes, Egypt, the type locality.
nimairaco	The specific name nimairaco in the Uitoto-Muinane language from Peru, means “house of a wise man” (Minor, Hendrich-Minor, 2008:86). In tribute to our friend and colleague, José Iván Mojica, late professor of the Instituto de Ciencias Naturales de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. His contributions to Colombian ichthyology (biology, ecology, systematics, and biogeography of freshwater fishes) have made it possible to advance in the conservation of the country’s fishes and rivers, such as the Amazon, the river that was always the home of the wise. A noun in apposition (Loricaria nimairaco).
nitidus	Neat, elegant or shining, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to “reddish body, wine-coloured towards the back” (translation), (Tachysurus nitidus).
nix	From the Latin nix meaning snow, alluding to the colour: in dark individuals the dots look like falling snowflakes, while pale individuals look like they have the whole body covered by snow; treated as a noun in apposition.
njassae	From Lake Malawi.
noelkempffi	Named after Mr Noel Kempff Mercardo, who was engaged in the protection of wildlife in Bolivia and was killed by the Mafia in 1986.
*nocturnus*	Nocturnus meaning nocturnal, referring to the dark coloration.
nodosus	Knotty or swollen, referring to the large swelling at base of dorsal fin (Pseudauchenipterus nodosus).
normani	In honour of John Roxburgh Norman, British ichthyologist (1898-1944).
notatus	Marked, (with a spot, usually).
notialis	From the Greek notos, meaning southern, in reference to the distribution of this species (southern Borneo).
notospilus	With spots on the back.
novaeguineae	Of New Guinea, specifically Irian Jaya of Western New Guinea (now West Papua, Indonesia), type locality (Neosilurus novaeguineae).
*noxium*	From the Latin “noxa”, a noun meaning “injury, damage”, plus “ium”, a Latin suffix used to form adjectives from nouns. The name alludes to the powerful toxin released by the new species under stress, which kills any fish kept in the same bag/container during transport. An adjective (Hoplisoma noxium).
nudiceps	Black belly.
nudipectoris	The specific name “nudipectoris” is a compound Latin word formed by the neutral noun pectus, meaning breast, and the adjective nudus, meaning bare, in the genitive declension.
*nudiventris*	nudus (L.), bare or naked; ventris, genitive of venter (L.), belly, referring to naked (i.e., non-plated) abdomen, compared with plated abdomen of Parancistrus aurantiacus.
nyktos	Derives from Greek meaning “night”, in allusion to the dark colour of the specimens in comparison with other species of the genus and also to the deep locations where they can be found, where there is no light. An adjective, (Pseudacanthicus nyktos).

Back to Etymology Page

SPECIES NAMES PAGE "N"

If you would like to contribute to the monthly factsheets with an article, information or photos, please e-mail me. You will of course be credited for your work.

If you would like to donate any denomination of monies to the site just click the above link button. All proceeds will go to running the site and hopefully to keep it going for a few years yet.

SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

SPECIES NAMES PAGE 'N'

Genus Names A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

N