COMMENTS
v. 33.0 – 1 Oct. 2021 view/download PDF
9 families • 54 genera/subgenera • 301 species/subspecies
Family PENTANCHIDAE Deepwater Cat Sharks
11 genera • 112 species
Apristurus Garman 1913 a-, not; pristis, saw; oura, tail, referring to absence of saw-toothed crest of enlarged dermal denticles along upper edge of caudal fin as found in the closely related Pristiurus (=Galeus)
Apristurus albisoma Nakaya & Séret 1999 albus, white; soma, body, referring to whitish color
Apristurus ampliceps Sasahara, Sato & Nakaya 2008 amplus, large; –ceps, head, which, apparently, it is
Apristurus aphyodes Nakaya & Stehmann 1998 whitish, referring to pale gray coloration
Apristurus australis Sato, Nakaya & Yorozu 2008 southern, referring to distribution in the southern hemisphere around Australia
Apristurus breviventralis Kawauchi, Weigmann & Nakaya 2014 brevis, short; ventralis, of the belly, referring to very short abdomen
Apristurus brunneus (Gilbert 1892) brown, referring to “uniform warm brown” color above and below
Apristurus bucephalus White, Last & Pogonoski 2008 bu, large; cephalus, head, referring to large, broad head
Apristurus canutus Springer & Heemstra 1979 hoary, referring to dark gray coloration with minute white spots underneath denticles
Apristurus exsanguis Sato, Nakaya & Stewart 1999 bloodless or lifeless, referring to characteristic pale coloration and flaccid body
Apristurus fedorovi Dolganov 1983 in honor of Vladimir Vladimirovich Fedorov (1939-2011), Zoological Institute, St. Petersburg, authority on North Pacific fishes
Apristurus garricki Sato, Stewart & Nakaya 2013 in honor of J. A. F. (Jack) Garrick (1928-2018), “pioneer” New Zealand shark taxonomist and biologist, the first to recognize this genus from New Zealand waters; he also “generously” shared his notes on this species with the authors
Apristurus gibbosus Meng, Chu & Li 1985 humpbacked, referring to convex dorsal outline
Apristurus herklotsi (Fowler 1934) in honor of botanist and ornithologist G. A. C. Herklots (1902-1986), University of Hong Kong, “with many fond memories of the China Sea and Java”
Apristurus indicus (Brauer 1906) Indian, referring to type locality in Indian Ocean off Somalia and Gulf of Aden
Apristurus internatus Deng, Xiong & Zhan 1988 growing among or between, allusion not explained nor evident
Apristurus investigatoris (Misra 1962) –is, genitive singular of: HMS Investigator station in Adaman Sea, where type was collected
Apristurus japonicus Nakaya 1975 Japanese, known only from the northwest Pacific off Chiba Prefecture, Honshu, Japan
Apristurus kampae Taylor 1972 in honor of Elizabeth Kampa Boden (1922-1986), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, chief scientist aboard RV Argos, from which type was collected
Apristurus laurussonii (Saemundsson 1922) in honor of Saemundsson’s friend Gísli Lárusson (1865-1935), goldsmith, watchmaker, farmer and nature enthusiast, for his “long and invaluable support of the study of Icelandic fishes, and for carefully encouraging the skillful fishermen of Vestmannaeyjar Island [near type locality]” (translation)
Apristurus longicephalus Nakaya 1975 longus, long; cephalus, head, about ¼ of total length
Apristurus macrorhynchus (Tanaka 1909) macro-, long or large; rhynchus, snout, referring to long, acutely pointed snout
Apristurus macrostomus Chu, Meng & Li 1985 macro-, long or large; stoma, mouth, probably referring to large arched mouth, which extends to slightly in front of anterior end of eyes
Apristurus manis (Springer 1979) ghost or shade of the departed, referring to grayish-white color
Apristurus manocheriani Cordova & Ebert 2021 in honor of Greg Manocherian (b. 1967), American real estate developer, investor and philanthropist, for his “strong commitment to and passion for shark conservation and research”
Apristurus melanoasper Iglésias, Nakaya & Stehmann 2004 melanos, black; asper, rough, referring to black body color and rough skin
Apristurus microps (Gilchrist 1922) micro-, small; ops, eye, having what Gilchrist described as the smallest eyes in the genus
Apristurus micropterygeus Meng, Chu & Li 1986 micro-, small; pterygion, diminutive of pteryx, fin, referring to first dorsal fin being 1/9 size of second dorsal fin
Apristurus nakayai Iglésias 2013 in honor of Japanese Kazuhiro Nakaya (b. 1945), who has dedicated his research on Apristurus, describing eight new species and revising the genus in 2009
Apristurus nasutus de Buen 1959 large-nosed, referring to elongated snout
Apristurus parvipinnis Springer & Heemstra 1979 parvus, small; pinnis, fin, referring to first dorsal fin being 2-4 times smaller than second dorsal fin
Apristurus pinguis Deng, Xiong & Zhan 1983 fat, probably referring to stout body
Apristurus platyrhynchus (Tanaka 1909) platy, wide; rhynchus, snout, referring to its shorter, wider snout compared to A. macrorhynchus
Apristurus profundorum (Goode & Bean 1896) Latin for “out of the depths” (type captured at 1492 m)
Apristurus riveri Bigelow & Schroeder 1944 in honor of biologist-anthropologist Luis Hugo Howell-Rivero (1899-1986), for his contributions to Cuban ichthyology
Apristurus saldanha (Barnard 1925) referring to Saldanha Bay, South Africa, type locality
Apristurus sibogae (Weber 1913) of the ship Siboga and Indonesian expedition (1898-1899) of same name, during which type was collected
Apristurus sinensis Chu & Hu 1981 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sinica (China), referring to distribution in the South China Sea
Apristurus spongiceps (Gilbert 1905) spongia, sponge; –ceps, head, referring to soft and spongy snout
Apristurus stenseni (Springer 1979) in honor of Danish geologist and anatomist Niels Stensen (1638-1686, also known as Nicolas Steno), for for his “important studies of elasmobranch anatomy, which, because of their scientific accuracy, were influential in the beginnings of elasmobranch systematics in the pre-Linnaean period and later, even to the time of the appearance of Müller and Henle’s ‘Plagiostomia’ in 1841”
Apristurus yangi White, Mana & Naylor 2017 in honor of Lei Yang, College of Charleston (Charleston, South Carolina, USA), whose molecular phylogenetic work on sharks and rays has improved our understanding of their alpha taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships
Asymbolus Whitley 1939 etymology not explained, possibly a-, without; sym-, together or joined; bolus, lump or morsel, proposed as a subgenus of Scyliorhinus distinguished in part by labial fold of upper lip not hanging over lower-jaw symphysis of A. analis and A. vincenti
Asymbolus analis (Ogilby 1885) probably referring to anal fin, which is larger than second dorsal fin
Asymbolus funebris Compagno, Stevens & Last 1999 funereal, referring to somber appearance (i.e., duller color pattern) compared to other Asymbolus
Asymbolus galacticus Séret & Last 2008 milky, referring to striking color pattern with numerous milky white patches that resemble the Milky Way
Asymbolus occiduus Last, Gomon & Gledhill 1999 occidentalis, of the west, referring to western distribution in Australian seas
Asymbolus pallidus Last, Gomon & Gledhill 1999 pallid, referring to wan body color that is distinctively paler that other Asymbolus
Asymbolus parvus Compagno, Stevens & Last 1999 little, referring to small relative size within the genus
Asymbolus rubiginosus Last, Gomon & Gledhill 1999 rusty, referring to body coloration
Asymbolus submaculatus Compagno, Stevens & Last 1999 sub-, under; maculatus, spot or mark, referring to spots on undersurface in slightly more of half of the types
Asymbolus vincenti (Zietz 1908) etymology not explained, probably referring to Gulf St Vincent, where Kangaroo Island, type locality, is situated
Bythaelurus Compagno 1988 bythos, depths of the sea, referring to its deepwater habitat; ailouros, cat, probably an allusion to the vernacular “catshark,” so named for its cat-like eyes
Bythaelurus alcockii (Garman 1913) in honor of physician-naturalist Alfred William Alcock (1859-1933), who noted distinctiveness of this species in 1896
Bythaelurus bachi Weigmann, Ebert, Clerkin, Stehmann & Naylor 2016 in honor of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), a “musical genius and one of the greatest composers of all time” (so named because the senior author is an admirer of Bach and not for any Bach-like feature the shark might possess, Simon Weigmann, pers. comm.)
Bythaelurus canescens (Günther 1878) hoary gray, referring to its “uniform greyish” coloration (presumably in spirits since this shark is brown in life)
Bythaelurus clevai (Séret 1987) in honor of Régis Cléva, biologist, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (Paris), who collected type
Bythaelurus dawsoni (Springer 1971) in honor of Elliot W. Dawson (b. 1930), National Museum of New Zealand, who brought the first specimens to Springer’s attention
Bythaelurus giddingsi McCosker, Long & Baldwin 2012 in honor of Al Giddings, underwater filmmaker, naturalist, and friend
Bythaelurus hispidus (Alcock 1891) bristly, referring to its skin being covered with minute stony tricuspid spines
Bythaelurus immaculatus (Chu & Meng 1982) im-, not; maculatus, spotted, referring to its lack of markings
Bythaelurus incanus Last & Stevens 2008 quite gray, referring to body and fin coloration
Bythaelurus lutarius (Springer & D’Aubrey 1972) belonging to mud, referring to habitat on or just above muddy bottoms at 338-766 m depth
Bythaelurus naylori Ebert & Cherkin 2015 in honor of Gavin Naylor, College of Charleston (USA), for contributions and innovative molecular research into the higher classification of chondrichthyans and for his support of the junior author’s work in the Southwest Indian Ridge of the southwestern Indian Ocean
Bythaelurus stewarti Weigmann, Kaschner & Thiel 2018 in honor of the late Rob Stewart (1979-2017), Canadian filmmaker and shark conservationist, who “inspired the second author and stimulated her interest in sharks” (he died from hypoxia while diving off Islamorada, Florida, USA)
Bythaelurus tenuicephalus Kaschner, Weigmann & Thiel 2015 tenuis, slender; cephalus, head, referring to its “remarkably” narrow head and snout
Bythaelurus vivaldii Weigmann & Kaschner 2017 in honor of Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), a “genius composer” of the Baroque era, to express its relationship to B. bachi, named after “sublime genius” Johann Sebastian Bach
Cephalurus Bigelow & Schroeder 1941 cephalus, head, referring to its expanded, flattened and rounded head; ailouros, cat, probably an allusion to the vernacular “catshark,” so named for its cat-like eyes
Cephalurus cephalus (Gilbert 1892) head, referring to wider head compared to Parmaturus xaniurus
Figaro Whitley 1928 eponymous barber in various dramas (e.g., The Marriage of Figaro), allusion not explained nor evident
Figaro boardmani (Whitley 1928) in honor of Whitley’s friend and colleague William Boardman (1906-1963), Australian Museum, who collected type from a trawler
Figaro striatus Gledhill, Last & White 2008 striped, referring to its color pattern
Galeus Rafinesque 1810 Greek for weasel, an ancient name for sharks, perhaps alluding to what some may have perceived as a weasel-like body or pointed snout
Galeus antillensis Springer 1979 –ensis, suffix denoting place: the Antilles, or West Indies, referring to Leeward Islands, type locality
Galeus arae (Nichols 1927) named for William K. Vanderbilt’s yacht Ara, from which type was collected
Galeus atlanticus (Vaillant 1888) –icus, belonging to: referring to distribution in the eastern Atlantic
Galeus cadenati Springer 1966 in honor of French ichthyologist Jean Cadenat (1908-1992), Director, Marine Biological Section of the Institut Français d’Afrique Noire (Gorée, Senegal), who described the similar G. polli
Galeus corriganae White, Mana & Taylor 2016 in honor of Australian molecular geneticist Shannon Corrigan (b. 1982), “whose extensive molecular population and phylogenetic work on sharks has contributed toward an improved understanding of their alpha taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships” (she also captured some of the molecular data used in this description)
Galeus eastmani (Jordan & Snyder 1904) patronym not identified, possibly in honor of fish paleontologist Charles Rochester Eastman (1868-1918)
Galeus gracilis Compagno & Stevens 1993 slender, referring to its firm, slender body
Galeus longirostris Tachikawa & Taniuchi 1987 longus, long; rostrum, snout, referring to its long snout
Galeus melastomus Rafinesque 1810 melas, black; stomus, mouth, referring to color inside of mouth (common in congeners but quickly lost after preservation)
Galeus mincaronei Soto 2001 in honor of Michael Maia Mincarone (b. 1971), for his “extensive work and tireless dedication” as collections manager of the Museu Oceanográfico do Vale do Itajaí (Brazil)
Galeus murinus (Collett 1904) mouse-gray, possibly referring to its mouse-like “uniformly gray” color
Galeus nipponensis Nakaya 1975 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Nippon, or Japan (known only from Japanese waters)
Galeus piperatus Springer & Wagner 1966 peppered, referring to black dots all over body and tail
Galeus polli Cadenat 1959 in honor of Belgian ichthyologist Max Poll (1908-1991), who first brought attention to this species
Galeus priapus Séret & Last 2008 Priapos, Greek god of reproduction, referring to its long claspers
Galeus sauteri (Jordan & Richardson 1909) in honor of German businessman and entomologist Hans Sauter (1871-1943), who collected type from a fish market in Taiwan
Galeus schultzi Springer 1979 in honor of Leonard P. Schultz (1901-1986), Curator of Fishes at the U. S. National Museum (based on an unpublished name proposed by Henry W. Fowler)
Galeus springeri Konstantinou & Cozzi 1998 in honor of Stewart Springer (1906-1991), an “outstanding leader” in shark taxonomy, for his work with the family Scyliorhinidae
Halaelurus Gill 1862 halos, sea; ailouros, cat, probably an allusion to the vernacular “catshark,” so named for its cat-like eyes
Halaelurus boesemani Springer & D’Aubrey 1972 in honor of Marinus Boeseman (1916-2006), Leiden University, for his important contributions to ichthyology
Halaelurus buergeri (Müller & Henle 1838) in honor of physician-biologist Heinrich Bürger (ca. 1804-1858), who collected and illustrated Japanese flora and fauna and apparently collected type of this species
Halaelurus lineatus Bass, D’Aubrey & Kistnasamy 1975 striped, referring to its 13 or pairs of narrow dark brown stripes
Halaelurus maculosus White, Last & Stevens 2007 spotted, referring to speckling of small dark spots over dorsal and lateral surfaces of body
Halaelurus natalensis (Regan 1904) –ensis, suffix denoting place: the coast of Natal, type locality
Halaelurus quagga (Alcock 1899) etymology not explained, possibly referring to shark’s narrow vertical bars, similar to those of the zebra, Equus quagga
Halaelurus sellus White, Last & Stevens 2007 saddle, referring to dark saddles on head and body
Haploblepharus Garman 1913 haplo-, single or simple; blepharon, eyelid, referring to simple structure of the lower eyelid, which closes against upper eyelid to protect the eye
Haploblepharus edwardsii (Schinz 1822) in honor of English naturalist George Edwards (1694-1773), who was the first to illustrate the species, in 1764
Haploblepharus fuscus Smith 1950 dusky, dark or swarthy, probably referring to overall drab-brown coloration
Haploblepharus kistnasamyi Human & Compagno 2006 in honor of Nat Kistnasamy (b. 1938), Oceanographic Research Institute, Durban, for outstanding efforts and pioneering work in the systematics and taxonomy of the chondrichthyan fauna of southern Africa
Haploblepharus pictus (Müller & Henle 1838) painted or colored, probably referring to its variegated color pattern
Holohalaelurus Fowler 1934 holo-, entire, i.e., being a form of Halaeurus without any labial folds or grooves in the mouth
Holohalaelurus favus Human 2006 honeycomb, referring to color pattern of fresh specimens
Holohalaelurus grennian Human 2006 from the old English grennian, grin, referring to wide, broadly arched mouth and relatively large dentition, which resembles an “ominous grin”
Holohalaelurus melanostigma (Norman 1939) melanos, black; stigma, mark or spot, probably referring to dark-colored spots on dorsal surface
Holohalaelurus punctatus (Gilchrist 1914) spotted, referring to dense covering of small brown spots on dorsal surface
Holohalaelurus regani (Gilchrist 1922) in honor of ichthyologist Charles Tate Regan (1878-1943), Natural History Museum (London), who described many South African fishes
Parmaturus Garman 1906 parma, small round shield or target; oura, tail, referring to caudal fin “armed” with scales
Parmaturus albimarginatus Séret & Last 2007 albus, white; marginatus, bordered, referring to broad, white, posterior fin margins
Parmaturus albipenis Séret & Last 2007 albus, white; penis, copulatory organ, referring to white claspers, which contrast strongly against dark brownish body coloration
Parmaturus angelae Soares, Carvalho, Schwingel & Gadig 2019 in honor of the fourth author’s granddaughter, Angela
Parmaturus bigus Séret & Last 2007 beige, referring to general plain and pale yellow-brown coloration
Parmaturus campechiensis Springer 1979 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Bay of Campeche, Gulf of Mexico, type locality
Parmaturus lanatus Séret & Last 2007 Latin for “soft like wool,” referring to velvety feel of its skin
Parmaturus macmillani Hardy 1985 in honor of ichthyologist Peter McMillan (b. 1955, note latinization of “Mc” to “Mac”), who collected type and “many examples of undescribed or poorly known marine fish and invertebrate species” from deep waters off New Zealand
Parmaturus melanobranchus (Chan 1966) melano-, black; branchos, gill, referring to blackish color on gill septa
Parmaturus nigripalatum Fahmi & Ebert 2018 nigri-, black or dark; palatum, palate, referring to distinctive blackish color of roof of mouth
Parmaturus pilosus Garman 1906 hair-like, perhaps referring to minute, velvety scales
Parmaturus xaniurus (Gilbert 1892) xanion, scraper; oura, tailed, referring to crest-like row of tooth-like projections along upper edge of caudal fin
Pentanchus Smith & Radcliffe 1912 penta-, five; –anchus, perhaps an abridgement of branchos, gill, referring to five pairs of branchial apertures (gill slits), unique among the group of sharks (hexanchoid) in which the authors erroneously believed this shark belonged
Pentanchus profundicolus Smith & Radcliffe 1912 profund, deep; –colus, dwelling in, referring to deepwater habitat (type taken at 585 fathoms)
Family SCYLIORHINIDAE Cat Sharks
7 genera • 50 species
Subfamily ATELOMYCTERINAE
Atelomycterus Garman 1913 ateles, imperfect, unfilled or exempt; myctero-, nostril, referring to lack of posterior nasal valve
Atelomycterus baliensis White, Last & Dharmadi 2005 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Bali, Indonesia, type locality and only known distribution
Atelomycterus erdmanni Fahmi & White 2015 in honor of marine biologist Mark V. Erdmann (b. 1968), who discovered and collected the type specimens
Atelomycterus fasciatus Compagno & Stevens 1993 banded, referring to slender, brown saddles on a white background
Atelomycterus macleayi Whitley 1939 presumably in honor of the Macleays, a prominent family of Australian natural history collectors, and/or to the eponymous natural history museum they founded
Atelomycterus marmoratus (Anonymous [Bennett] 1830) marbled, referring to white blotches over large black spots and bars
Atelomycterus marnkalha Jacobsen & Bennett 2007 indigenous Australian (Rrumburriya clan) dialect for regional catshark species in Yanyuwa country, where one of the first specimens was recorded
Aulohalaelurus Fowler 1934 aulon, groove, being a form of Halaelurus with conspicuous labial folds
Aulohalaelurus kanakorum Séret 1990 –orum, commemorative suffix, plural: dedicated to the Kanak, Melanesian people of New Caledonia, where it is endemic
Aulohalaelurus labiosus (Waite 1905) large-lipped, referring to prominent labial furrows
Subfamily SCHROEDERICHTHYINAE
Akheilos White, Fahmi & Weigmann 2019 named for the Greek mythological sea daemon Akheilos, who was a handsome boy transformed into a shark by the goddess Aphrodite as punishment for his boasting that he was more beautiful than she
Akheilos suwartanai White, Fahmi & Weigmann 2019 in honor of Atjep Suwartana, first director of the Research and Development Center of Oceanology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences in Ambon (where second author works)
Schroederichthys Springer 1966 in honor of William C. Schroeder (1895-1977), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, for his pioneering work (with Henry B. Bigelow) on cartilaginous fishes; ichthys, fish
Schroederichthys bivius (Müller & Henle 1838) bi-, two; via, way or passage, allusion not specified; possibly referring to double-valved nostrils, with incurrent and excurrent apertures
Schroederichthys chilensis (Guichenot 1848) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Chile, referring to type locality in eastern Pacific
Schroederichthys maculatus Springer 1966 spotted, referring to randomly distributed yellowish or white spots on dorsal surface
Schroederichthys saurisqualus Soto 2001 saurus, lizard; squalus, shark, from vernacular “lizard catshark,” apparently alluding to slender, lizard-like body and long tail
Schroederichthys tenuis Springer 1966 thin, referring to its slender body
Subfamily SCYLIORHININAE
Cephaloscyllium Gill 1862 cephalus, head, referring to its very broad and depressed head; skylion, Greek for dogfish or small shark, probably from skyllo, to tear or mangle
Cephaloscyllium albipinnum Last, Motomura & White 2008 albus, white; pinnum, fin, referring to distinctive white margins on fins
Cephaloscyllium cooki Last, Séret & White 2008 in honor of the late Sidney F. Cook (1953-1997), shark fisheries biologist, “whose energy, dedication and contribution to shark conservation is sadly missed”
Cephaloscyllium fasciatum Chan 1966 banded, referring to variegated color pattern of open saddles and circles with connecting dark lines
Cephaloscyllium formosanum Teng 1962 –anum, belonging to: Formosa, or Taiwan, referring to type locality off southwestern coast of Taiwan
Cephaloscyllium hiscosellum White & Ebert 2008 hisco, open; sella, saddle, referring to distinctive open-centered saddle-like markings that dominate its color pattern
Cephaloscyllium isabellum (Bonnaterre 1788) based on “l’Isabelle” of Broussonet (1780), who said the shark’s color inspired the name; probably derived from isabelline, a pale cream-brown parchment color, consistent with Broussonet’s description as “roux cendré” (i.e., fawn, tan or ashy brown)
Cephaloscyllium laticeps (Duméril 1853) latus, wide; ceps, head, referring to broad, parabola-shaped head
Cephaloscyllium pictum Last, Séret & White 2008 painted, referring to “somewhat painted” coloration
Cephaloscyllium sarawakense Yano, Ahmed, Gambang, Idris, Solahuddin & Azan 2005 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sarawak, Malaysia, type locality
Cephaloscyllium signourum Last, Séret & White 2008 signa, flag; oura, tailed, referring to distinctive flag-like dark marking on terminal lobe of caudal fin
Cephaloscyllium silasi (Talwar 1974) in honor of Eric Godwin Silas (1928-2018), Director, Central Marine Fisheries Institute (India), “whose excellent publications on the ichthyofauna of the continental shelf of the south-west coast of India have added much to our knowledge of the fauna of this region”
Cephaloscyllium speccum Last, Séret & White 2008 speckled, referring to dark brown spots and blotches that dominate its color pattern
Cephaloscyllium stevensi Clark & Randall 2011 in honor of John Stevens (b. 1947), whose 1994 work (with Peter Last) on Australian sharks was the “foundation for research that led to the descriptions of 37 new chondrichthyan fishes, including 11 species of Cephaloscyllium”
Cephaloscyllium sufflans (Regan 1921) puffing, referring to its inflatable stomach
Cephaloscyllium umbratile Jordan & Fowler 1903 shaded, “marbled above with shades of dark and deep brown”
Cephaloscyllium variegatum Last & White 2008 various, referring to strong intraspecific and ontogenetic variability in color pattern and morphology amongst the specimens examined
Cephaloscyllium ventriosum (Garman 1880) venter, belly; –osum, full of, referring to its inflatable stomach
Cephaloscyllium zebrum Last & White 2008 referring to zebra-like narrow bars on dorsal and lateral surfaces of head and body
Poroderma Smith 1838 poro, hole or passage; derma, skin or hide, allusion unknown (Smith did not supply a description), perhaps referring to their rather tough hides
Poroderma africanum (Gmelin 1789) African, described from the African seas
Poroderma pantherinum (Müller & Henle 1838) leopard-like, referring to variable leopard-like spots, stripes and blotches
Scyliorhinus Blainville 1816 skylion, Greek for dogfish or small shark, probably from skyllo, to tear or mangle; rhine, rasp, an ancient name for sharks alluding to their rasp-like skin
Scyliorhinus boa Goode & Bean 1896 presumably referring to its reticulated brownish markings, similar to those of a boa constrictor
Scyliorhinus cabofriensis Soares, Gomes & Carvalho 2016 –ensis, suffix denoting place: off Cabo Frio, northeastern Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, only known area of occurrence
Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus 1758) diminutive of canis, dog, ancient name for small dogfish or shark
Scyliorhinus capensis (Müller & Henle 1838) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Cape of Good Hope, type locality
Scyliorhinus cervigoni Maurin & Bonnet 1970 in honor of Venezuelan ichthyologist Fernando Cervigón Marcos (1930-2017), who recognized this shark as a distinct species in 1960
Scyliorhinus comoroensis Compagno 1988 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Comoro Islands, where it appears to be endemic
Scyliorhinus duhamelii (Garman 1913) in honor of Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau (1700-1782), French physician, naval engineer and botanist, who first noted the differences between this species and S. canicula in 1777
Scyliorhinus garmani (Fowler 1934) in honor of Harvard ichthyologist Samuel Garman (1843-1927), for his “excellent” work on shark and rays
Scyliorhinus haeckelii (Miranda Ribeiro 1907) in honor of Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919), eminent biologist, philosopher and professor
Scyliorhinus hesperius Springer 1966 western, probably referring to occurrence in either the western Atlantic, the western Caribbean, or off the coast of western Panama
Scyliorhinus meadi Springer 1966 in honor of Harvard ichthyologist Giles W. Mead (1928-2003), who brought this species to Springer’s attention
Scyliorhinus retifer (Garman 1881) rete, diminutive of reticulum, a net; fero, to bear, referring to mesh- or chain-like patterning
Scyliorhinus stellaris (Linnaeus 1758) of the stars, referring to many large and small black and white spots on body
Scyliorhinus torazame (Tanaka 1908) Japanese vernacular for this species, meaning “tiger shark,” referring to its markings
Scyliorhinus torrei Howell Rivero 1936 in honor of Cuban zoologist Carlos de la Torre (1858-1950), who recognized this species as new and granted Howell Rivero permission to study and describe it
Scyliorhinus ugoi Soares, Gadig & Gomes 2015 in honor of Ugo de Luna Gomes, son of third author
Family PROSCYLLIIDAE Finback Cat Sharks
3 genera • 7 species
Ctenacis Compagno 1973 ktenos, comb; akis, point, referring to its comb-like posterior teeth
Ctenacis fehlmanni (Springer 1968) in honor of ichthyologist-herpetologist Herman Adair Fehlmann (1917-2005), Smithsonian Oceanographic Sorting Center, for “setting high standards for field treatment of shark specimens collected for study”
Eridacnis Smith 1913 etymology not explained, possibly eri-, very; acnisos, without fat, meager or spare, referring to small size of E. radcliffei and its slender shape, or dacnis, to bite, possibly referring to wide, angular mouth
Eridacnis barbouri (Bigelow & Schroeder 1944) in honor of Harvard herpetologist (and wealthy patron of science) Thomas Barbour (1884-1946), for the “constant assistance” he gave the authors in their studies of western North Atlantic sharks
Eridacnis radcliffei Smith 1913 in honor of ichthyologist-malacologist Lewis Radcliffe (1880-1950), member of Bureau of Fisheries team that collected type from the steamer Albatross
Eridacnis sinuans (Smith 1957) sinuous, probably referring to slender body and/or long, ribbon-like caudal fin
Proscyllium Hilgendorf 1904 pro-, in front of, likely referring to far forward placement of dorsal fin compared to Scyllium (=Scyliorhinus) species
Proscyllium habereri Hilgendorf 1904 in honor of German physician, anthropologist and natural history collector Karl Albert Haberer (1864-1941), who collected type
Proscyllium magnificum Last & Vongpanich 2004 noble or splendid, referring to strikingly beautiful color pattern
Proscyllium venustum Tanaka 1912 beautiful, probably referring to spotted color pattern, as reflected in the local name Hyozame, meaning Leopard Shark [treated as a junior synonym of P. habereri by some workers]
Family PSEUDOTRIAKIDAE False Cat Sharks
3 genera • 5 species
Gollum Compagno 1973 named for antihero of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, “to whom [G. attenuatus] bears some resemblance in form and habits”
Gollum attenuatus (Garrick 1954) referring to “attenuate, almost anguilliform as though emaciated” shape
Gollum suluensis Last & Guadiano 2011 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Sulu Sea, Philippines, type locality
Planonasus Weigmann, Stehmann & Thiel 2013 planus, flat; nasus, nose, referring to soft, flat snout
Planonasus indicus Ebert, Akhilesh & Weigmann 2018 Indian, referring to type locality off India in northern Indian Ocean
Planonasus parini Weigmann, Stehmann & Thiel 2013 in honor of the late Nikolai Vasil’evich Parin (1932-2012), Russian Academy of Sciences, ichthyologist and chief scientist of the “memorable” cruise 17 of RV Vityaz in 1988/89, when type was collected
Pseudotriakis de Brito Capello 1868 pseudo, false, i.e., although this genus may superficially resemble Triakis (Triakidae), such an appearance is false
Pseudotriakis microdon de Brito Capello 1868 micro, small; odontos, tooth, referring to numerous small teeth (>200 rows in each jaw)
Family LEPTOCHARIIDAE Barbled Hound Shark
Leptocharias Smith 1838 etymology not explained, perhaps leptos, small or slender, i.e., a small and slender shark “very nearly related to Carcharias”
Leptocharias smithii (Müller & Henle 1839) in honor of Andrew Smith (1797-1872), Scottish military physician, explorer, ethnologist and zoologist, who collected many South African sharks and who coined many of the shark names later formally described by Müller and Henle
Family TRIAKIDAE Hound Sharks
9 genera • 47 species/subspecies
Subfamily TRIAKINAE Hound Sharks
Mustelus Linck 1790 Latin for weasel, an ancient name for sharks, perhaps alluding to what some may have perceived as a weasel-like body or pointed snout
Mustelus albipinnis Castro-Aguirre, Atuna-Mendiola, Gonzáz-Acosta & de la Cruz-Agüero 2005 albus, white; pinnis, fins, referring to white margin around dorsal, pectoral, pelvic and anal fins
Mustelus andamanensis White, Arunrugstichai & Naylor 2021 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Andaman Sea, Thailand, only known area of occurrence
Mustelus antarcticus Günther 1870 southern, referring to distribution in the southern Pacific around Australia
Mustelus asterias Cloquet 1821 starry, referring to many small white spots
Mustelus californicus Gill 1864 Californian, referring to its common occurrence along the California coast
Mustelus canis canis (Mitchill 1815) dog (sharks were known as “sea dogs” among mariners until the late 16th century, because of their ferocious pack-like feeding behavior)
Mustelus canis insularis Heemstra 1997 of islands, referring to occurrence at several Caribbean islands (Cuba, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, Nevis Island, Sint Eustatius, the Bahamas and Bermuda), where it appears to be the only species of Mustelus
Mustelus dorsalis Gill 1864 of the back, referring to “projection of the posterior angle of the first dorsal fin to the vertical of the origin of the ventrals”
Mustelus fasciatus (Garman 1913) banded, referring to vertical dark bars on body (at least in young)
Mustelus griseus Pietschmann 1908 gray, referring to gray or gray-brown color
Mustelus henlei (Gill 1863) in honor of Friedrich Gustav Jacob Henle (1807-1885), German physician, pathologist and anatomist, who, along with Johann Müller, produced first authoritative work on sharks (1839-1841)
Mustelus higmani Springer & Lowe 1963 in honor of James B. Higman (1922-2009), U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for his “initial interest in the species and his care in the preparation of excellent notes on its natural history” while serving as an observer on the vessel from which it was collected
Mustelus lenticulatus Phillipps 1932 freckled, referring to peppering of white spots on upper sides
Mustelus lunulatus Jordan & Gilbert 1882 somewhat moon-shaped, referring to concave margins of fins
Mustelus manazo Bleeker 1855 Japanese vernacular for this shark
Mustelus mento Cope 1877 etymology not explained, perhaps from the Latin mentum, chin, referring to its “long muzzle”
Mustelus minicanis Heemstra 1997 mini, small; canis, dog, being a dwarf version of M. canis
Mustelus mosis Hemprich & Ehrenberg 1899 etymology not explained (no written description); since mosis is the Latin spelling of Moses, might this be an allusion to the shark’s type locality in the Red Sea?
Mustelus mustelus (Linnaeus 1758) as for genus
Mustelus norrisi Springer 1939 in honor of anatomist Harry Waldo Norris (1862-1946) of Grinnell College (Iowa), who studied the cranial nerves of the Spiny Dogfish, Squalus acanthias
Mustelus palumbes Smith 1957 wood-pigeon or ring-dove, referring to dove-gray coloration
Mustelus punctulatus Risso 1827 diminutive of punctum, spot, i.e., having tiny spots
Mustelus ravidus White & Last 2006 grayish, referring to pale gray dorsal coloration
Mustelus schmitti Springer 1939 in honor of Waldo L. Schmitt (1887–1977), curator of marine invertebrates at the U. S. National Museum, who collected type
Mustelus sinusmexicanus Heemstra 1997 –icus, belonging to: sinus, bay, referring to Gulf of Mexico, where it appears to be endemic
Mustelus stevensi White & Last 2008 in honor of John Stevens (b. 1947), who has “dedicated a lifetime to researching sharks around the world, and who has contributed greatly to our knowledge of sharks and rays in Australia”
Mustelus whitneyi Chirichigno F. 1973 in honor of fisheries biologist Richard R. Whitney (1927-2011) for teachings and guidance in the study of sharks
Mustelus widodoi White & Last 2006 in honor of Johannes Widodo (b. 1944), Research Institute of Marine Fisheries (Jakarta, Indonesia), “whose research on the shark and ray fisheries of Indonesia has provided important baseline data for this important faunal region”
Scylliogaleus Boulenger 1902 etymology not explained, presumably a combination of Scyllium and galeus, i.e., a “galeid” shark with “nostrils as in Scyllium” (=Scyliorhinus)
Scylliogaleus quecketti Boulenger 1902 in honor of John Frederick Whitlie Queckett (1849-?), Curator, Durban Museum (South Africa), who provided type
Triakis Müller & Henle 1838 tri, three; akis, point, referring to each tooth consisting of one large central cusp flanked on by both sides by a small cusplet
Triakis acutipinna Kato 1968 acutus, sharp; pinna, fin, referring to its sharp-tipped fins
Triakis maculata Kner & Steindachner 1867 spotted, referring to many small black spots (although some are unspotted)
Triakis megalopterus (Smith 1839) mega-, large; pterus, fin, referring to broad, large fins
Triakis scyllium Müller & Henle 1839 skylion, Greek for dogfish or small shark, probably from skyllo, to tear or mangle
Triakis semifasciata Girard 1855 semi-, half; fasciatus, banded, referring to striking black saddle marks that cover only dorsal half of body
Subfamily GALEORHININAE School Sharks
Furgaleus Whitley 1951 fur, Latin for a “shark” or villain; galeus, Greek for weasel, an ancient name for sharks perhaps alluding to what some may have perceived as a weasel-like body or pointed snout [replacement name for Fur Whitley 1943, preoccupied by Fur Jones 1940 in Diptera]
Furgaleus macki (Whitley 1951) in honor of George Mack (1899-1963), ornithologist and ichthyologist of the National Museum, Melbourne
Galeorhinus Blainville 1816 galeus, Greek for weasel, an ancient name for sharks perhaps alluding to what some may have perceived as a weasel-like body or pointed snout; rhine, rasp, an ancient name for sharks alluding to their rasp-like skin
Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus 1758) Greek for weasel (as for genus)
Gogolia Compagno 1973 –ia, belonging to: Gogol River, near Madang, Northern New Guinea, type locality
Gogolia filewoodi Compagno 1973 in honor of Lionel Winston Filewood (b. 1936), Biologist-In-Charge of the Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries, Konedobu, Papua-New Guinea, for his work on the poorly known elasmobranch fauna of New Guinea
Hemitriakis Herre 1923 hemi-, partial, being a genus which Herre believed was “most closely related” to Triakis
Hemitriakis abdita Compagno & Stevens 1993 hidden, referring to close external similarity to H. falcata
Hemitriakis complicofasciata Takahashi & Nakaya 2004 complico, complicated; fasciata, striped, referring to complex body color pattern when young
Hemitriakis falcata Compagno & Stevens 1993 sickle-shaped, referring to strongly falcate dorsal, pectoral and anal fins in adults
Hemitriakis indroyonoi White, Compagno & Dharmadi 2009 in honor of Indroyono Soesilo (b. 1955), geologist, engineer and Chairman, Marine and Fisheries Research Agency (Jakarta, Indonesia), “who has provided a great deal of support for shark research in Indonesia and was a strong advocate for the production of the field guide to sharks and rays of Indonesia”
Hemitriakis japanica (Müller & Henle 1839) Japanese, referring to type locality (also occurs off China, Korea, Taiwan and New Caledonia)
Hemitriakis leucoperiptera Herre 1923 leukos, white; peri-, around; pteron, wing, referring to white margin around fins
Hypogaleus Smith 1957 hypo-, less than, under or beneath, perhaps alluding to original position as a subgenus (later a full genus) of Galeorhinus
Hypogaleus hyugaensis (Miyosi 1939) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Hyuga Nada, Japan, type locality
Iago Compagno & Springer 1971 name of villain in Shakespeare’s Othello, “a troublemaker for systematists and hence a kind of villain”
Iago garricki Fourmanoir & Rivaton 1979 patronym not identified but clearly in honor of J. A. F. (Jack) Garrick (1928-2018), shark and ray biologist from New Zealand
Iago mangalorensis (Cubelio, Remya R & Kurup 2011) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Mangalore, South India, type locality
Iago omanensis (Norman 1939) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Gulf of Oman, type locality
Family HEMIGALEIDAE Weasel Sharks
4 genera • 8 species
Chaenogaleus Gill 1862 chaeno-, gape, referring to “rictus as long as wide”; galeus, Greek for weasel, an ancient name for sharks, perhaps alluding to what some may have perceived as a weasel-like body or pointed snout
Chaenogaleus macrostoma (Bleeker 1852) macro-, long; stoma, mouth, referring to long, greatly arched mouth compared to Hemigaleus microstoma
Hemigaleus Bleeker 1852 hemi-, partial, referring to similarity and/or close affinity to Galeus
Hemigaleus australiensis White, Last & Compagno 2005 –ensis, suffix denoting place: Australia, referring to known geographic range off of tropical Australia
Hemigaleus microstoma Bleeker 1852 micro-, small; stoma, mouth, referring to very short arched mouth compared to Chaenogaleus macrostoma
Hemipristis Agassiz 1843 hemi-, partial; pristis, saw, possibly referring to how marginal serrations of teeth of H. serra (a fossil species) do not extend over the entire length of each tooth
Hemipristis elongata (Klunzinger 1871) prolonged, referring to long and slim body
Paragaleus Budker 1935 para, near, referring to how dentition is intermediate between Hemigaleus and the triakid Eugaleus (=Galeorhinus)
Paragaleus leucolomatus Compagno & Smale 1985 leuco-, white; lomatus, border, referring to prominent white tips and margins of most fins
Paragaleus pectoralis (Garman 1906) etymology not explained, probably referring to characteristic falciform pectoral fins
Paragaleus randalli Compagno, Krupp & Carpenter 1996 in honor of ichthyologist John E. Randall (1924-2020), Bishop Museum (Honolulu), who collected this shark from the Arabian (Persian) Gulf (but who reported it as Hypogaleus hyugaensis in his 1986 book Sharks of Arabia)
Paragaleus tengi Chen 1963 in honor of Teng Huo-Tu (1911-1978), Director, Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute and authority on Taiwanese elasmobranch fishes
Family CARCHARHINIDAE Requiem Sharks
12 genera • 60 species
Carcharhinus Blainville 1816 karcharos, sharp or jagged; rhine, rasp, an ancient name for shark derived from the Greek word for rasp, both words alluding to a shark’s jagged, rasp-like skin
Carcharhinus acarenatus Moreno & Hoyos 1983 a-, not; carenatus, keeled or carinate, lacking a dermal fold (dorsal ridge) between the dorsal fins [treated as a junior synonym of C. brachyurus by some workers; provisionally included here]
Carcharhinus acronotus (Poey 1860) acre, pointed; notus, back, referring to what Poey perceived as a “raised or humped” back
Carcharhinus albimarginatus (Rüppell 1837) albus, white; marginatus, bordered, referring to white fin tips
Carcharhinus altimus (Springer 1950) altus, deep, allusion not explained, perhaps referring to occurrence in deeper waters off continental shelf
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides (Whitley 1934) –oides, having the form of, referring to similarity to C. amblyrhynchos, to which it had previously been identified
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker 1856) amblys, blunt; rhynchos, snout, referring to long, broadly rounded snout
Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller & Henle 1839) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Ambon Island, Moluccas Islands, Indonesia, type locality
Carcharhinus borneensis (Bleeker 1858) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Borneo, referring to type locality in Singkawang
Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther 1870) brachys, short; oura, tailed, a probable misnomer since caudal fin is not short (¼ total length) and type specimens were described from mounted skins and embryos (some sources indicate name means “short-bodied”)
Carcharhinus brevipinna (Müller & Henle 1839) brevis, short; pinna, fin, referring to small pectoral and first dorsal fins
Carcharhinus coatesi (Whitley 1939) in honor of angler, artist and illustrator George Coates (d. 1980), who captured many elasmobranchs in North Queensland, Australia, including type of this one
Carcharhinus cautus (Whitley 1945) nervous or wary; shark is reportedly skittish and timid when accosted by people
Carcharhinus cerdale Gilbert 1898 wary, crafty or fox-like, allusion not explained (but see etymology for C. cautus and Alopias [Alopiidae])
Carcharhinus dussumieri (Valenciennes) in honor of Jean-Jacques Dussumier (1792-1883), French voyager and merchant, who collected some of the type material in Bombay (authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Valenciennes’ description)
Carcharhinus falciformis (Bibron 1839) falx, scythe or sickle; forma, form, referring to sickle-like shape of pectoral fins (authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Bibron’s description)
Carcharhinus fitzroyensis (Whitley 1943) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Fitzroy River, Queensland, type locality
Carcharhinus galapagensis (Snodgrass & Heller 1905) –ensis, suffix denoting place: Galapagos Islands, type locality
Carcharhinus hemiodon (Müller & Henle 1839) hemi-, half or partial; odon, tooth, possibly referring to how teeth on upper jaw are serrated basally and smooth distally
Carcharhinus humani White & Weigmann 2014 in honor of the late Brett Human, for “important contributions to shark taxonomy in South Africa and Oman in the western Indian Ocean region, and who is sorely missed by his colleagues”
Carcharhinus isodon (Valenciennes 1839) iso-, equal; odon, tooth, presumably referring to teeth being similar in shape and size in both jaws (authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Valenciennes’ description)
Carcharhinus leiodon Garrick 1985 leios, smooth; odon, tooth, referring to smooth-edged upper teeth
Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes 1839) white, referring to body color, usually grayish with white underside (authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Valenciennes’ description)
Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes 1839) edged or bordered, referring to black-edged fins (authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Valenciennes’ description)
Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey 1861) longus, long; manus, hand, referring to long paddle-like pectoral fins
Carcharhinus macloti (Müller & Henle 1839) in honor of German naturalist Heinrich Christian Macklot (1799–1832, Latinized as Maclot), who collected type in New Guinea
Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard 1824) melanos, black; pteron, fin, referring to black-tipped fins
Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur 1818) dark, likely referring to darkish blue-gray body coloration
Carcharhinus obsoletus White, Kyne & Harris 2019 extinct, referring to fact that it has not been recorded since 1934 [originally spelled obsolerus, a misspelling based on incorrect optical character recognition results at several online English-Latin translation sites]
Carcharhinus perezii (Poey 1876) in honor of Poey’s companion and friend Laureano Perez Arcas (1824-1894), University of Madrid, whose textbook Elementos de Zoología Poey used at the University of Havana
Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo 1827) lead-colored, referring to gray-brown coloration above
Carcharhinus porosus (Ranzani 1839) pored, probably referring to large and conspicuous pores behind eye
Carcharhinus sealei (Pietschmann 1913) in honor of ichthyologist Alvin Seale (1871-1958), Stanford University, who described this shark in 1910 but used a preoccupied name (C. borneensis)
Carcharhinus signatus (Poey 1868) marked, probably referring to indentation on outer margins of upper teeth (species was described from jaws only)
Carcharhinus sorrah (Valenciennes 1839) Tamil (Indian subcontinent) word for shark (authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Valenciennes’ description)
Carcharhinus tilstoni (Whitley 1950) in honor of Richard Tilston, naturalist-surgeon at Port Essignton, Northern Territory, near where type was collected in the 1840s
Carcharhinus tjutjot (Bleeker 1852) Indonesian word for shark (pronounced choo-choot)
Carcharhinus wheeleri Garrick 1982 in honor of J. F. G. Wheeler, former Director of the East African Marine Fisheries Research Organization, whose 1953 account of it, as C. amblyrhynchos, is the first definitive record of this species treated as a junior synonym of C. amblyrhynchos by some workers; provisionally included here]
Galeocerdo Müller & Henle 1837 galeus, Greek for weasel, an ancient name for sharks, perhaps alluding to what some may have perceived as a weasel-like body or pointed snout; kerdos, fox, thief or wily one, allusion unknown but perhaps referring to an ability to steal bait from the line (see Alopias [Alopiidae])
Galeocerdo cuvier (Péron & Lesueur 1822) in honor of Georges Cuvier (1769-1832), now considered the father of comparative anatomy and vertebrate paleontology
Glyphis Agassiz 1843 tautonymous with Carcharias glyphis; knife, alluding to how anterior lower teeth are serrated and flare outward, arrowhead-like, before coming to a sharp point
Glyphis gangeticus (Müller & Henle 1839) –icus, belonging to: Ganges River of India, where Müller and Henle mistakenly thought it occurred
Glyphis garricki Compagno, White & Last 2008 in honor of J.A.F. (Jack) Garrick (1928-2018), for his revisions of the requiem shark family, and “who discovered this species in the form of two newborn males from Papua New Guinea and supplied radiographs, morphometrics, drawings and other details of these specimens (since lost) to the senior author”
Glyphis glyphis (Müller & Henle 1839) knife, alluding to how anterior lower teeth are serrated and flare outward, arrowhead-like, before coming to a sharp point
Isogomphodon Gill 1862 iso-, equal; gomphos, wedge-shaped nail; odon, tooth, referring to how teeth are equally fastened, i.e., claviform and straight in both jaws
Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus (Müller & Henle 1839) oxys, sharp; rhynchus, snout, referring to elongated, pointed and narrow snout
Lamiopsis Gill 1862 etymology not explained nor evident; perhaps Gill thought L. temminckii resembled (-opsis, appearance) those in the family Lamnidae (Lamia=Lamna)
Lamiopsis temminckii (Müller & Henle 1839) in honor of Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1778-1858), director of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie (Leiden, Netherlands), who shared the museum’s treasures with Henle and Müller during an 1837 visit
Lamiopsis tephrodes (Fowler 1905) tephritis, an ash-colored precious stone; –odes, like, referring to “more or less uniform gray” coloration in alcohol
Loxodon Müller & Henle 1838 loxos, slanting; odon, tooth, probably referring to oblique teeth cusps
Loxodon macrorhinus Müller & Henle 1839 macro-, long; rhinos, nose, probably referring to long, narrow snout
Nasolamia Compagno & Garrick 1983 nasus, nose, referring to large, traverse nostrils and narrow conical snout; lamia, Greek for shark-like fish, from Lamia (see Lamna [Lamnidae])
Nasolamia velox (Gilbert 1898) swift, referring to its slender form
Negaprion Whitley 1940 negatus, deny; prion, saw, referring to lack of saw-like serrations on teeth cusps
Negaprion acutidens (Rüppell 1837) acutus, sharp or pointed; dens, tooth, probably referring to pyramid-like teeth (“dünnen spitzen Pyramiden”)
Negaprion brevirostris (Poey 1868) brevis, short; rostrum, snout, referring to short, flat and broadly rounded snout
Negaprion fronto (Jordan & Gilbert 1882) having a wide forehead, referring to very broad, depressed head [treated as a junior synonym of N. brevirostris by some workers; provisionally included here]
Prionace Cantor 1849 prion, saw; akis, point, referring to serrated (saw-like) cusps on teeth of upper jaw
Prionace glauca (Linnaeus 1758) grayish blue, referring to its color (blue above, whitish below)
Rhizoprionodon Whitley 1929 rhiza, root; prion, saw; odon, tooth, referring to teeth with serrated (saw-like) bases, or roots [replacement name for Rhizoprion Ogilby 1915, preoccupied by Rhizoprion Jourdan 1861 in mammals]
Rhizoprionodon acutus (Rüppell 1837) sharp or pointed, probably referring to narrow, pointed snout
Rhizoprionodon lalandii (Valenciennes 1839) in honor of naturalist and explorer Pierre Antoine Delalande (1787-1823), who collected type (authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Valenciennes’ description)
Rhizoprionodon longurio (Jordan & Gilbert 1882) a slender youth or stripling, presumably referring to “rather slender and elongate” body
Rhizoprionodon oligolinx Springer 1964 oligo-, short; linx, furrow, referring to short upper labial furrow
Rhizoprionodon porosus (Poey 1861) pored, referring to enlarged hyomandibular pores on both sides of head
Rhizoprionodon taylori (Ogilby 1915) in honor of entomologist Frank Henry Taylor (1886-1945), Institute of Tropical Medicine, Townsville, N.Q., who collected type
Rhizoprionodon terraenovae (Richardson 1836) terra, land; novus, new, i.e., Newfoundland, where Richardson erroneously thought it occurred
Scoliodon Müller & Henle 1837 scolio-, oblique; odon, tooth, referring to oblique teeth pointing towards sides of mouth
Scoliodon laticaudus Müller & Henle 1838 latus, broad; cauda, tail (although tail does not seem especially broad compared to other carcharhinids)
Scoliodon macrorhynchos (Bleeker 1852) macro, long; rhynchos, snout, referring to long and extremely flattened snout
Triaenodon Müller & Henle 1837 triaeno, trident (having three points); odon, tooth, referring to each having a cusp and two cusplets
Triaenodon obesus (Rüppell 1837) fat or stout, its blunt head giving the shark a plump appearance
Family SPHYRNIDAE Hammerhead Sharks
4 genera/subgenera • 11species
Eusphyra Gill 1862 eu-, very; sphyra, hammer, referring to immense hammer-shaped head
Eusphyra blochii (Cuvier 1816) in honor of physician-naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799), author of a 12-volume encyclopedia of fishes, Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische (1782-1795)
Eusphyra laticeps (Cantor 1837) latus, wide; ceps, head, referring to wider head compared with other hammerheads known to Cantor [treated as a junior synonym of E. blochii by some workers; provisionally included here]
Sphyrna Rafinesque 1810 probable misspelling of sphyra, hammer, referring to their hammer-shaped heads
Subgenus Sphyrna
Sphyrna gilberti Quattro, Driggers, Grady, Ulrich & Roberts 2013 in honor of ichthyologist Carter R. Gilbert (b. 1930), Florida State Museum of Natural History, who first reported (1967) an anomalous specimen of S. lewini that is likely the first recorded individual of this species
Sphyrna lewini (Griffith & Smith 1834) patronym not identified, perhaps in honor of John Lewin (1770-1819), who illustrated early volumes of Australian natural history (shark was described from Australia) and may be the “Mr. Lewin” who illustrated the plates in Griffith and Smith’s book [José I. Castro in The Sharks of North America (2011) suggests shark was named after Danish military surgeon and anatomist Ludwig Lewin Jacobson (1783-1843), but cites no supporting evidence]
Sphyrna mokarran (Rüppell 1837) Arabic vernacular for this shark, described from the Red Sea, possibly from mogharn, horned, referring to head shape
Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus 1758) zygaina, ancient Greek name for hammerhead sharks, derived from zygon, yoke, alluding to yoke-like shape of cephalofoil
Subgenus Mesozygaena Compagno 1988 mesos, middle; zygaina, ancient Greek name for hammerhead sharks (see entry for S. zygaena), referring to intermediate position between subgenera Platysqualus and Sphyrna
Sphyrna corona Springer 1940 crown or halo, probably referring to irregularly oval oculonarial expanse
Sphyrna media Springer 1940 middle, probably referring to its oculonarial expanse being roughly intermediate in shape between that of hammerheads and shovelheads
Sphyrna tudes (Valenciennes 1822) Latin for hammer, an obvious reference to the hammer-shaped head
Subgenus Platysqualus Swainson 1839 platy, flat or broad, referring to flattened and laterally extended hammer-shaped head; squalus, Latin for shark
Sphyrna tiburo (Linnaeus 1758) tiburon, Spanish for shark, a name given by 16th- and 17th-century navigators to one or more large species of shark
Sphyrna vespertina Springer 1940 western, an Eastern Pacific relative of the Western Atlantic S. tiburo [treated as a junior synonym of S. tiburo by some workers; provisionally included here]