Icthyology Scientific Names handy dandy memory tips

Ohio lamprey

Petromyzontiformes

Petromyzontidae

Icthyomyzon bdellium

Ameican Brook Lamprey

Petromyzontiformes

Petromyzontidae

Lethenteron appendix

Because it's the parasitic one it wants to eat your appendix

S. American Lungfish

Ceratodontiformes

Lepidosirenidae

Lepidosiren paradoxa

Lungs? Fish? that's a paradox!

Marbled lungfish

Ceratodontiformes

Protopteridae

Protopterus aethiopicus

"proto"=first "aethiopicus" reminds me of a dinousaur which were the first fish basically

Reedfish

Polypteriformes

Polypteridae

Erpetoichthys calabaricus

"erpe"=snake "ichthys"=fish

snake fish

calabaricus reminds me of salami

so salami snake fish

Grey bichir

Polypteriformes

Polypteridae

Polypterus senegalus

"poly"=many

"pteron" fins

many fins = lots of dorsals

Lake Sturgeon

Acipenseriformes

Acipenseridae

Acipenser fulvescens

everything is acipenser just add fulvescens

Shovelnose Sturgeon

Acipenseriformes

Acipenseridae

Scaphirhynchus platorynchus

rhymes

Paddlefish

Acipenseriformes

Polyodontidae

Polyodon spathula

many toothed spatula bc their nose looks like a spatula

Longnose Gar

Lepisosteiformes

Lepisosteidae

Lepisosteus osseus

the genus and species are almost the same

Spotted Gar

Lepisosteiformes

Lepisosteidae

Lepisosteus oculatus

a lot of spotted fishes are "punctatus" or soemthing similar but this one is an oddball

Shortnose Gar

Lepisosteiformes

Lepisosteidae

Lepisosteus platostomus

platostomus has a short bill/nose like a platypus

Eyespot bowfin

Amiiformes

Amiidae

Amia ocellicauda

the one that isn't amia calva

Ruddy bowfin

Amiiformes

Amiidae

Amia calva

amia calva is easy to remember

American eel

Anguiliformes

Anguillidae

Anguilla rostrata

remember anguilliformes from last unit

Goldeye

Hiodontiformes

Hiodontidae

Hiodon alosoides

james bond fish (goldeneye)

Bulldog

Osteoglossiformes

Mormyridae

Marcusenius ntemensis

my bulldog is named marcus

Arowana

Osteoglossiformes

Osteoglossidae

Osteoglossum spp.

everything is the same

Atlantic Menhaden

Clupeiformes

Alosidae

Brevoortia tyrannus

menhaden are the tyrants of commercial fisheries

Skipjack Shad

Clupeiformes

Alosidae

Alosa chrysochloris

Alewife

Clupeiformes

Alosidae

Alosa pseudoharengus

"pseudo" = false

"harengus" = herring

Blueback Herring

Clupeiformes

Alosidae

Alosa aestivalis

bluebacks go to the festival (sounds like aestivalis)

American Shad

Clupeiformes

Alosidae

Alosa sapidissima

Threadfin Shad

Clupeiformes

Dorosomatidae

Dorosoma petenense

Gizzzard shad

Clupeiformes

Dorosomatidae

Dorosoma cepedianum

Gizzards and threadfin are unique doromosatid shads

Goldfish

Cypriniformes

Cyprinidae

Carassius auratus

auratus = gold (gold is aurum on periodic table)

Common carp

Cypriniformes

Cyprinidae

Cyprinus carpio

carpio for the basic carp

Grass carp

Cypriniformes

Xenocyprididae

Ctenopharyngodon idella

why is it so complex? i know the family starts with X and genus starts with C

Golden Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Notemigonus chrysoleucas

complete outlier of a shad. i have a friend named lucas and he's golden

Creek chub

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Semotilus atromaculatus

Not atratulus which i always confuse it with

"sema"=banner (for dorsal fin

"tilus"=spotted

Fallfish

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Semotilus corporalis

the other Semotilus. it is the corporal of the fish army

Mountain Redbelly Dace

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Chrosomus oreas

"chrosomus"=colorful

they got a colorful belly

Tennessee Dace

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Chrosomus tennesseensis

the colorful dace from tennessee

Bluehead Chub

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Nocomis leptocephalus

leptocephalus sounds like leprosy. and if you have a blue head that probably means you have a disease

River Chub

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Nocomis micropogon

NOT semotilus just remember that

Central Stoneroller

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Campostoma anomalum

"campe" = curved

"stoma" = mouth

c shaped mouth

Longnose Dace

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Rhinichthys cataractae

rhinichthys is nose fish

Blacknose Dace

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Rhinichthys atratulus

what i always get confused with creek chub

Rosyside Dace

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Clinostoma funduloides

"cline" = incline

"stoma" = mouth

inclined mouth, name has nothing to do with color

Tongue tied minnow

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Exoglossum laurae

Laura gets her tongue tied

"exoglossum" = weird mouth, so anything with mouth or lip in the name has a weird mouth

Cutlips Minnow

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Exoglossum maxillingua

one of the weird mouths

Silverjaw minnow

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Ericymba buccatta

"buccatta" = cheek

cheek is jaw bascially

Whitetail Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Cyprinella galactura

tail is so cool it's galactic

SpotFIN Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Cyprinella spilloptera

NOT Spottail shiner which is Notropis Hudsonius

Eastern Silvery Minnow

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Hybognathus regius

Not ericymba buccatta because it doesn't have jaw in its name

Kanawha Minnow

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Phenacobius teretulus

The "kanwaha" fish that doesn't have kanawha in its name

Bigeye Chub

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Hybopsis amblops

NOT Rhinichthys cataractae (cataracts make me think of eyes)

amblops sounds like cyclops which has a big eye

Streamline Chub

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Erimystax dissimilis

it's "dissimilar" (unique) to the other chubs

Bluntnose Minnow

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Pimephales notatus

(from Fishbase):

Pimephales: Greek, pimeles, -es = fat + Greek, phales = whale; if the root is Greek, phales, -etos = penis

this is just hilarious not sure how it helps but i know now that pimephales is penis fish

Crescent Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Luxillus cerasinus

cerasinus gives crescent energy

White Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Luxillus albeolus

Albeolus like albino

"alb" = white

Rosefin Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Lythrurus ardens

There's a lot of "red" or "rosy" fish, this one is just different

Redlip Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Notropis chiliticus

He's got red lips like a chili pepper

Silver Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Notropis photogenis

so silvery, so shiny, so photogenic

Roseyface Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Notropis rubellus

"rubellus" = red

Telescope Shiner

Cypriniformes

Leucisidae

Notropis telescopus

duh

Highfin Carpsucker

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Carpiodes vellifer

carpsuckers = carpiodes NOT cyprinus

White Sucker

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Catostomus commersoni

White suckers are common

Creek Chubsucker

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Erimyzon oblongus

Northern Hog Sucker

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Hypentelium nigricans

I was HYPE when we saw those big ass hog suckers

Roanoke Hog Sucker

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Hypentlium roanokense

the hog sucker found in Roanoke

Blacktip Jumprock

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Moxostoma cervinum

redhorses are moxostoma

it "serves 'em (cervinum)" well to jump from rock to rock

Black Redhorse

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Moxostoma duquesnei

it's pronounced doo-cane-eye but I say doo-kezz-knee and Ned gets mad

Torrent Sucker

Cypriniformes

Catostomidae

Thoburnia rhotothoeca

I constantly forget this one tbh

White Catfish

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Ameiurus catus

catus is a catfish obviously

Black Bullhead

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Ameiurus melas

Brown Bullhead

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Ameiurus nebulosus

Nebulous: hazy, unclear, cloudy

Yellow Bullhead

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Ameiurus natalis

yellow bullhead is the most common so it's natural

Channel Catfish

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Ictalurus punctatus

Punctatus because it has spots

Blue Catfish

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Ictalurus furcatus

Furcatus relating to the forked shape of the tail fin

Margined Madtom

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Noturus insignis

The oddball catfish

Flathead Catfish

Siluriformes

Ictaluridae

Pylodictus olivaris

pile o dicks

Electric Eel

Gymnotiformes

Gymnotidae

Electrophorus spp.

not an anguillid it's a fake eel

electrophorus is easy because it's electric (boogie woogie woogie)

Mountain Whitefish

Salmoniformes

Salmonidae

Prosopium williamsoni

I am also pro-opium

Rainbow Trout

Salmoniformes

Salmonidae

Oncorhynchus mykiss

My kiss

Cutthroat Trout

Salmoniformes

Salmonidae

Oncorhynchus clarkii

my cousin's fiance is Clark and I want to cut his throat

Brown Trout

Salmoniformes

Salmonidae

Salmo trutta

Trout trout

Brook Trout

Salmoniformes

Salmonidae

Salvelinus fontinalis

The oddball trout

Northern Pike

Salmoniformes

Esocidae

Esox lucius

Lucius malfoy wants Dumbledore's head on a pike

Musky

Salmoniformes

Esocidae

Esox masquinongy

Masquinongy is obviously referring to Musky

Chain Pickerel

Salmoniformes

Esocidae

Esox niger

niger for the STRAIGHT black bar under his eye

Redfin Pickerel

Salmoniformes

Esocidae

Esox americanus

Red fins, white eyes, blue blood, AMERICA

Eastern Mudminnow

Salmoniformes

Esocidae

Umbra pygmaea

Since it's a minnow it's pygmy

Rainbow Smelt

Osmeriformes

Osmeridae

Osmerus mordax

more dicks

Trout Perch

Percopsiformes

Percopsidae

Percopsis omiscomaycus

It's all percopsi- with a random ass species name

Pirate Perch

Percopsiformes

Aphredoderidae

Apredoderus sayanus

Pirates are apredoder (a predator) of the seas

Swampfish

Percopsiformes

Amblyopsidae

Chologaster cornuta

This is where shit starts to get rough for the next few.

Swampfish is the corny one

Spring Cavefish

Percopsiformes

Amblyopsidae

Forbesichthyes agassizii

Forbes-fish

agassizii sounds exotic idk

Inland Silverside

Atheriniformes

Atherinopsidae

Menidia beryllina

Menidia beryllina ounds like an Italian brainrot character. Inland silverside is brainrot

Northern Studfish

Atheriniformes

Fundulidae

Fundulus catenatus

It's very fun and catty

Banded Killifish

Atheriniformes

Fundulidae

Fundulus diaphanous

I will die a fan (diaphanous) of the banded killifish!

Mummichog

Atheriniformes

Fundulidae

Fundulus heteroclitous

Mummichog sounds funny and heteroclitous sounds funny idk

Eastern Mosquitofish

Atheriniformes

Poeciliidae

Gambusia holbrooki

Just a weird oddball

Rio Grande Cichlid

Blenniiformes

Cichlidae

Herichthys cyanoguttatus

"cyano" = blue

"guttatus" = spotted

Northern Snakehead

Synbranchiformes

Channidae

Channa argus

Only synbranchiformes

Threespine Stickleback

Perciformes

Gasterosteidae

Gasterosteus aculeatus

"aculeatus" = spined

Mottled Sculpin

Perciformes

Cottidae

Cottus bairdii

my old gym teacher was named Mr. Baird, maybe he discovered the mottled sculpin

Potomac Sculpin

Perciformes

Cottidae

Cottus girardi

Kanawha Sculpin

Perciformes

Cottidae

Cottus kanawhae

it's kanawha just with an e

Yellow Perch

Perciformes

Percidae

Perca flavescens