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SPECIES NAMES PAGE 'P' 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
P

pachynema	Pachy= thick, nema= thread.
*pacifici*	Name refers to its endemic distribution in the coastal rivers draining the western slope of the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia; noun in apposition (Cruciglanis pacifici).
paleatus	With dappled markings.
pallidimaculatus	Referring to the bright spots on the body (Paralithoxus pallidimaculatus).
*pallidus*	Named for its very pale colouration (Zaireichthys pallidus).
palmeri	In honour of Palmer.
panamense/is	From Panama.
*panara*	The specific name, panara, (Harttia panara) is a patronym that honours the Panará Indians, also called Krenakore, Kreen-Akore or Krenhakore. They call themselves Panará, which means human being or “gente” or “seres humanos” in Portuguese. In the beginning of the 20th century, they were considered extinct. In 1950, however, during the Villas Boas Brothers expedition to the Serra do Cachimbo region, the Panarás were spotted again. Only in 1969 was a tentative contact of the Panarás initiated and, in 1972, Orlando and Claudio Villas Boas established the first contact with them in the region of Serra do Cachimbo. In 1973, when the Cuiabá-Santarém highway (BR- 163) began to be built, crossing through their territory, they were removed to the Parque Indígena do Xingu. Finally, in 1995 they recovered the right to live in part of their original territory in Southern Pará State. A noun in apposition.
panda	'Panda' alludes to the colour pattern of this Corydoras which resembles the Giant Panda of China.
paratus	Latin for prepared or equipped, apparently a key word in the family motto of T. G. Fraser (Natal Parks, Game and Fish Preservation Board), “whose enthusiastic efforts have brought in much useful material” (Chiloglanis paratus).
pantanalensis	From the Pantanal, a water system in Brazil and Bolivia where the species was found.
pantherinus	panther-like, referring to spotted body and fins (often dark spots on a white, pink or yellow body), (Parauchenoglanis pantherinus).
pankimpuju	This loricariid is named after the white colour of the type specimens, from ‘pankim’ meaning beautiful and ‘puju’ meaning white in the language of the Aguaruna people indigenous to northern Peru.
papillatus	From the Latin papillatus, with buds, in reference to the numerous short, papillae like mental barbels.
papillosa	Name from Latin word 'papillosa'” referring to numerous elongated papillae on the lower lip of specimens examined (Cheilonimata papillosa).
papuensis	Named for the Papua Province and Papua New Guinea where the species is located.
paragua	Named after the Río Paragua, a River in Bolivia where the species was found.
paraguayensis	Coming from Paraguay.
parahybae	From the Rio Parahyba, Brazil.
parallelus	This Corydoras species was named because of the major colour feature - the parallel horizontal stripes on the sides.
parananus	Originating from the Rio Paraná, Brazil.
*paranensis*	The specific name, paranensis, is an adjective in reference to the occurrence of the species in the upper Rio Paraná basin.
*pardalis*	Like a leopard, referring to reticulated or spotted pattern on head and back (Ageneiosus pardalis).
parkeri	In honour of Traill’s friend Charles Stewart Parker (1800-1868), British merchant who “favoured” the author with a drawing of the catfish and its skin (Sciades parkeri).
parva	Small.
parvipinnis	Small fins.
pastazensis	From the Rio Pastaza.
*patiae*	Of Río Patia, Pacific slope of southwestern Colombia, elevation 915 m, the type locality (Chaetostoma patiae).
patrator	Latin for achiever or accomplisher, referring to how the discovery of this species closed a “significant gap” in the geographic distribution of the genus (Akysis patrator).
*patronus*	Named for good fathers. Patronus is Latin for protector or defender and is derived from pater for father.
paucerna	Named for the river this Corydoras comes from, the Rio Paucerna.
paucimaculatus	Few spots.
pauciradiatus	With few (fin) rays (6 rays in dorsal).
*paucus*	From the latin for few or less, in reference to its fewer gill rakers and smaller eye as compared to Neoarias midgleyi.
*paulensis*	–ensis, Latin suffix denoting place: São Paulo, Brazil, type locality (Pseudostegophilus paulensis).
*pavanelliae*	Corydoras pavanelliae is named in honour of Carla Simone Pavanelli, advisor of the first author and dear friend, for her extensive contributions to the knowledge of the ecology and taxonomy of the Neotropical fishes. A genitive.
paynei	Mochokiella paynei was named after its discoverer, Dr. Payne, in a rain forest creek in Sierra Leone.
*pectegenitor*	Derived from the Latin pecten (quill) and genitor (father), in reference to the hypertrophied odontodes of the snout, pectoral spine and evertible cheek plates, and the fact that one presumably adult male was collected while caring large brood of young.
*pectinata*	Specific name from the Latin pectinata, meaning arranged as a comb, in reference to the comb-like appearance of the anteriorly-directed serrae on the anterior edge of the pectoral spine.
pectinifrons	With a comb on the forehead, (probably refers to the toothed dorsal fin spine).
pectoralis	Referring to the long pectoral fins in adult fish.
pellegrini	In honour of the French ichthyologist Dr. Jacques Pellegrin, born 1873.
pellucidia	Transparent.
peloichthys	pelos, mud, “living in very muddy bottoms with much vegetable debris”; ichthys, fish (Trachelyopterus peloichthys).
pemon	The species name, pemon, is in reference to the Pemon, an Amerindian tribe whose traditional territories included the area of the type locality (Cetopsidium pemon).
peruanus	Belonging to Peru.
perugiae	Named after Albert Perugia, an Ichthyologist from Triest.
pestai	Dedicated to Dr.Otto Pesta.
petenensis	From Lake Peten, in Guatemala.
petracinii	Dedicated to Roberto Petracini; Argentine fishkeeper, who for decades has been contributing to the development, knowledge and diffusion of Argentinean and South (and Central) American fishkeeping hobby.
petricola	A dweller among rocks.
phaiosoma	Dark or dusky body.
*phlyzakion*	Species name from the Greek phlyzakion, meaning blister (Jaeger, 1950), alluding to the abundant pores on the ventral surface of body. A noun in apposition.
phoxocephala	phoxos, tapered; cephala, head, referring to its long, pointed head (Rineloricaria phoxocephala).
phreatophila	Meaning attracted to or living in a well. This refers to the specimen's place of residence, which is either a cave or a natural well (aquifer).
phrygiatus	Embroidered, referring to the latero-sensory canals, “which form a sort of embroidery pleasant to the eye” (translation), (Notarius phrygiatus).
pictus	Painted.
pijao	Dedicated the native aborigine in the department of Tólima, who would rather die than to submit to the Spanish monarchy.
*pilosus*	Rhinotocinclus pilosus from the Latin pilosus, meaning hairy, in allusion to the dense cover of hyperthrophied odontodes typical of the species. An adjective.
pinheiroi	Dedicated to Mr.Mario Pinheiro.
pinnimaculatus	pinnis, fin; maculatus, spotted, referring to oval blackish spot on anal, ventral and caudal fins (Bagre pinnimaculatus).
pintado	The Spanish word pintado means spotted or with points. People living in the area of Paso de Averías, on the Cebollatí River, use the name pintado as the common name for the species. Hence, we apply this name as a noun in apposition.
*piperata*	piper (lat.) - pepper, because of the fine pigmentation of the body.
*pirarara*	Refers to the species' reddish fins (this is also the Brazilian common name the red tail catfish, Phractocephalus hemioliopterus); "Assacu" is a common name for the Amazon tree Hura crepitans, which has bark covered with conical spines.
piresi	In honour of Miranda Ribeiro’s good friend Antenor Pires, taxidermist on expedition that collected type (Tocantinsia piresi).
*piribebuy*	After the river of the same name, a tributary to the Rio Manduvira, Rio Paraguay basin.
planiceps	Flat head.
platana/um	–ana, belonging to: referring to Río de la Plata, Argentina, type locality (Bergiaria platana, Megalonema platanum).
platicirris	platys, flat; cirrus, curl or tendril, referring to flattened (not round) maxillary barbels (Pimelodus platicirris).
*platynema/um*	Flat-threaded, from platýs, flat;, thread or yarn, referring to flattened, band-like maxillary and mental barbels (Brachyplatystoma platynema).
*platystomus*	platys, wide; stomus, mouth, width of gape of mouth 4/7 length of head (Plicofollis platystoma).
platycephalus	Flat (broad or wide) head.
platychir	platy, flat or broad; cheiros, hand, referring to broad, fan-like pectoral-fin rays (Amphilius platychir).
platymetopon	platys, broad; metopon, forehead, referring to the broad interorbital area (Loricariichthys platymetopon).
platypogonoides	With the appearance of a flat beard.
platyrhynchos	Flat snout.
platyura	platy, flat or broad; oura, tail, allusion not explained nor evident; upper plates of tail are described as “truncate behind” (translation), (Rineloricaria platyura).
plecostomus	Plaited mouth (folded mouth).
pleurotaenia	With stripes on the sides.
pluriradiatus	pluri-, more; radiatus, rayed, having more dorsal-fin rays than other species of Macrones (a catch-all genus of Indian bagrids, now a synonym of Sperata) known at the time (Hemibagrus pluriradiatus).
poeciloptera/us	With mottled or variegated fins.
poecilus	From the Greek, poikilos = variecoloured, pied, mottled, spotted.
polli	In honour of Dr.Max Poll, ichthyologist.
polyodon	Many teeth.
polystictus/um	From the Greek poly = 'many' and stiktos = 'spotted', alluding to the small spots on this species.
polystigma	Many spots.
*populi*	The species name populi, genitive of the Latin noun populus = people, honours the invaluable contributions made by interested members of the public in the southern Indian state of Kerala, helping to document the biodiversity of subterranean and groundwater systems, including the discovery of this new species (Horaglanis populi).
portellus	From the Latin portella, the diminitive form of porta, meaning door. The name is used as a noun and alludes to the relatively small mouth of this species (Akysis portellus).
potaroense	From Potario a river in Guyana.
pradai	In honour of Saul Prada Pedreros, president of the Colombian Association of Ichthyologists (ACICTIOS), which has greatly contributed to the knowledge of Colombian ichthyology (Astroblepus pradai).
praestigiosa	Latin for “full of deceitful tricks,” referring to confusion surrounding its identity (previously identified under three different names), (Olyra praestigiosa).
prashadi	Named after the Indian ichthyologist, Dr. B. Prashad.
prateri	In honour of Stanley Henry Prater (1890-1960), curator, Bombay Natural History Society, for helping Hora procure fresh material of Indian fishes for his studies (Clupisoma prateri).
pratti	In honour of naturalist Antwerp Edgar Pratt (1852-1924), who collected type (Tachysurus pratti).
*pretoriae*	A reference to Pretoria in South Africa.
prionotos	From the Greek prionotos = 'jagged' or 'serrated', alluding to the medial border of the pectoral fin spine.
proops	pro-, before; ops, eye, referring to the eye nearer to snout than to preopercle, compared to Bagrus mesops (= S. herzbergii), on which eye is midway between snout and preopercle (Sciades proops).
*proximus*	Near, referring to its “outward resemblance” to Arius australis (=Neoarius graeffei), (Pararius proximus).
*psamathos*	The specific epithet “psamathos” refers to Psamathos Psamathides, the oldest wizard among the Psamathists, the sand sorcerers, a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien in his book Roverandom. The name derives from the Greek psammos, which means sand. The name alludes to the sand-dwelling behavior of the new species. A noun in apposition.
*psammatides*	Named after "Psammatos psammatides", the sand sorcerer, a characer of the J.R.R. Tolkien's book "Roverandom", from the Greek psammos, meaning sand, and ides, meaning son of. In allusion to the sand-dwelling behavior of the species.
pulcher	From the Latin pulcher ='beautiful', alluding to the attractive colour pattern.
punctatus/um	From the Latin punctatus = 'spotted'.
punctifer	Carrying small dots.
*pusillus*	Very small, presumably referring to size.
*putumayoensis*	The epithet specific putumayoensis, is a tribute from the author to the Department of Putumayo.
pygmaes	From the Latin pygmaeus = 'dwarf', alluding to its small size.

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SCOTCAT.COM

your internet guide to all things catfish

SPECIES NAMES PAGE 'P'

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

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