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Overview
This fascinating reference book delves into the origins of the vernacular and scientific names of sharks, rays, skates and chimeras. Each entry offers a concise biography, revealing the hidden stories and facts behind each species' name.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781907807930 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Pelagic Publishing |
| Publication date: | 07/07/2015 |
| Pages: | 170 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.86(w) x 9.91(h) x 0.73(d) |
About the Author
Richard Crombet-Beolens is known to all as Bo Beolens or as his online personae, the "Grumpy Old Birder" and the "Fatbirder". While much of his career was in community work and as the CEO of various charities, all his free time has been spent birding or otherwise pursuing his life-long interest in the natural world. Since the late 1990s he has had articles published in a variety of birding magazines in the UK and USA. He is co-author of five other Eponym Dictionaries and recently authored a book of anecdotes, The A–Z of Birds: A Birder’s Tales from Around the World. He has also written for several disability publications.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
A
Abbott
Least Brook Lamprey Lampetra aepyptera Abbott, 1860
Dr Charles Conrad Abbott (1843–1919) was an American physician, naturalist and, primarily, an archaeologist. He served as an army surgeon in the Union forces during the American Civil War before receiving his degree from the University of Pennsylvania (1865). He was Assistant Curator at the Peabody Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts (1876–1889).
Abe
Bareskin Dogfish Centroscyllium kamoharai Abe, 1966
Tokiharu Abe (1911–1996) was a Japanese ichthyologist working at the University of Tokyo. His reputation was established with his taxonomic study of the puffer fish, particularly the genus Takifugu which he described (1949). Consequently a number of fish taxa, such as Tetraodon abei, were named in his honour. He was an honorary member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. He wrote a great many articles, including Taxonomic Studies of the Puffers (Tetraodontidae, Teleostei) from Japan and Adjacent Regions (1952). He died of a cerebral haemorrhage.
Abernethy
Blackbelly Lanternshark Etmopterus abernethyi Garrick, 1957 NCR
[Junior Syn Etmopterus lucifer]
Fred Abernethy (d.1995) was chief engineer on board the 'Holmwood' when it was captured and sunk by German raiders operating around New Zealand and in the Pacific (late 1940). He was held captive on board one of the raiders until released on to Emirau Island (east of New Guinea). He wrote of his experiences in A Captive's Diary (1985). He later worked on the research vessel M.T. 'Thomas Currell' and contributed greatly to the collection of New Zealand elasmobranchs. He was on the New Zealand Chatham Islands Expedition (1954). Garrick named the fish when commercial fisherman Richard Baxter (q.v.) (1956) caught it.
Acero
Gorgona Guitarfish Rhinobatos prahli Acero & Franke, 1995
Hagfish sp. Eptatretus wayuu Mok, Saavedra-Diaz & Acero, 2001
Hagfish sp. Eptatretus ancon Mok, Saavedra-Diaz & Acero, 2001
[Syn. Quadratus ancon]
Dr Arturo Acero Pizarro (b.1954) is a marine biologist and ichthyologist from Santa Marta, Colombia. The Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano, Cartagena awarded his bachelor's degree (1977), the University of Miami, Coral Gables his master's (1983) and the University of Arizona, Tucson his doctorate (2004). He worked as a full-time instructor at the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano (1977–1978) and was employed as a marine biologist by the Instituto de Investigaciones de Punta de Betín (1981–1986). Since 1986 he has been an associate professor, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Caribbean Campus. He wrote On an Interesting Specimen of Cownose Ray (Pisces: Rhinopteridae) from the Colombian Caribbean (1982) and Primer Registro de Torpedo peruana Chirichigno (Elasmobranchii: Torpedinidae) para el Pacífico Colombiano (1999). He has described more than 20 species of bony fish from Colombian and Mexican waters.
Achenbach
Freshwater Stingray sp. Potamotrygon labradori Castex, Maciel & Achenbach, 1963 [Junior Syn. Potamotrygon motoro]
Freshwater Stingray sp. Potamotrygon menchcai Achenbach, 1967
[Junior Syn. Potamotrygon falkneri]
Guillermo Martinez Achenbach (1911–1990) was an Argentine ichthyologist and Director of the Provincial Museum of Natural Sciences 'Florentino Ameghino' (1944–1978).
Ackley
Ackley's Ray Raja ackleyi Garman, 1881 [Alt. Ocellate Ray]
Lieutenant (later Rear Admiral) Seth Mitchell Ackley (1845–1908) was the officer commanding the Coast Survey steamer 'Blake' (1877). He joined the navy (1862), entering the US Naval Academy. After graduating (1866) he was commissioned as a second lieutenant. His first command (1876–1877) was the 'RS Wyoming'. He was stationed at Olongapo and Cavite and also served as a member of the Naval War College at Newport and the General Board of the US Navy.
Addison
Ornate Sleeper Ray Electrolux addisoni Compagno & Heemstra, 2007
Mark Ramsay Addison (b.1967) is the South African owner-operator of the underwater filming and expedition company 'Blue Wilderness' founded in 1997. He and his company filmed some of the most amazing sequences, such as the sardine run, in the BBC's 'Blue Planet', for which they won an Emmy. He originally intended to become a lawyer and studied at Rand Afrikaans University (1988–1990). His father, Brent Addison, was a marine scientist so he was exposed to the sea life off southern Africa from an early age. He collected the holotype. He has been described as part-man, part-shark, part-comedian. After graduating, Mark founded what became South Africa's largest dive charter boating company (1990–1996). He said of the naming, 'They just ran out of ideas and named it after me'. Interestingly, the first part of the binomial of the Ornate Sleeper Ray is named after the Electrolux™ company because of the ray's well-developed electrogenic properties and its vigorous sucking action when feeding.
Afuer
Peruvian Butterfly Ray Gymnura afuerae Hildebrand, 1946
Not an eponym but derived from the Spanish word for 'exterior'.
Agassiz
Sand Shark genus Odontaspis Agassiz, 1838
River Shark genus Glyphis Agassiz, 1843
Weasel Shark genus Hemipristis Agassiz, 1843 Rio Skate Rioraja agassizii Müller & Henle, 1841
Megatooth Shark Carcharodon megalodon Agassiz, 1843
Jean Louis Rudolphe Agassiz (1807–1873) was a Swiss-American geologist, glaciologist and zoologist whose speciality was ichthyology. He studied at Zurich, Heidelberg and Munich, where he qualified as a physician (1830), and in Paris under Cuvier (1831). While still a student he was tasked with working on the Spix and Martius Brazilian freshwater fish collection. He became Professor of Natural History at the Lyceum de Neuchâtel (1832). He was the first person to propose scientifically that the Earth had been subject to an ice age and to study ice as a subject, having lived in a special hut built on a glacier in the Alps (1837). He went to the USA (1846) to study American natural history and geology and to deliver a course of zoology lectures. He visited again (1848) and remained there for the rest of his life, becoming Professor of Zoology and Geology at Harvard, where he founded and directed the Museum of Comparative Zoology (1859–1873). Latterly he took up studies of Brazilian fishes again and led the Thayer expedition to Brazil (1865). He established the Marine Biological Laboratory (1873). Three reptiles are named after him.
Ahmad
Circle-blotch Pygmy Swellshark Cephaloscyllium circulopullum Yano, Ahmad & Gambang, 2005
Sarawak Pygmy Swellshark Cephaloscyllium sarawakensis Yano, Ahmad & Gambang, 2005
Dr Amiruddin Ahmad is an ichthyologist who teaches biology at the University of Malaysia. He received his bachelor's degree in botany (1995), an MSc in environmental science (2002) and his doctorate in ecology (2012). The primary goal of his research is to investigate the pattern of species diversity and analyse the community composition and assemblage structure of the fauna of Malaysia.
Akaje
Whip Stingray Dasyatis akajei Müller & Henle, 1841 [Alt. Japanese Red Stingray]
The original description has no etymology. It is probable that it is an adaptation of a Japanese name for this species. Müller and Henle have adopted such names in other cases. (See Zuge)
Alastair
Australian Hagfish sp. Eptatretus alastairi Mincarone & Fernholm, 2010
Alastair Graham (see Graham, A) was honoured for help and hospitality offered to the second author.
Alava
Ridgeback Skate Dipturus amphispinus Last & Alava, 2013
Moonyeen Nida R. Alava (b.1964) is a Filipino marine biologist and independent marine consultant. Her bachelor's (1984) and master's (1993) degrees, in biology and marine biology respectively, were awarded by Silliman University. She has a post-graduate certificate in integrated ecosystem management (2002) from the Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University, and PhD units on marine sciences (2010) from the Marine Science Institute, University of the Philippines. She has done work for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Conservation International, Global Marine Species Assessment – Coral Triangle, Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, and Worldwide Fund for Nature, focusing on biodiversity research, conservation and management, in particular of marine threatened species. She was a co-author of the Checklist of Philippine Chondrichthyes (2005) and is lead author of A Field Guide to Sharks, Batoids and Chimaeras of the Philippines (in preparation).
Albert
Ratfish sp. Hydrolagus alberti Bigelow & Schroeder, 1951
Dr Albert Eide Parr (1890–1991) was an oceanographer and marine biologist born and raised in Norway where he took his first degree at the University of Oslo. He was in the Norwegian Merchant Marines and undertook postgraduate research at Bergen Museum. Yale awarded his doctorate. He worked at the New York Aquarium (1926), from where he was recruited to curate Harry Payne Bingham's fish collection, which he donated to Yale; Parr went with it. At Yale he became Director of the oceanographic laboratory (1930s) and rose through the academic ranks, becoming Professor of Oceanography (1938) and Director of the Peabody Museum (1938–1942). He became Director of the AMNH (1942–1959) and reorganised many departments. He was editor of the authors' Fishes of the Western North Atlantic monographs, and was honoured for his many contributions to ichthyology.
Alcock
Pale-spot Whipray Himantura alcockii Annandale, 1909
Arabian Catshark Bythaelurus alcockii Garman, 1913
Blind Ray genus Benthobatis Alcock, 1898
Ornate Dogfish Centroscyllium ornatum Alcock, 1889
Prickly Skate Fenestraja mamillidens Alcock, 1889
Bristly Catshark Bythaelurus hispidus Alcock, 1891
Dark Blind Ray Benthobatis moresbyi Alcock, 1898
Indian Ringed Skate Okamejei powelli Alcock, 1898
Quagga Catshark Halaelurus quagga Alcock, 1899
Travancore Skate Dipturus johannisdavisi Alcock, 1899
Major Dr Alfred William Alcock (1859–1933) joined the Indian Medical Service in 1885, having qualified as a physician at the University of Aberdeen. He was appointed Surgeon-Naturalist to the Indian Marine Service. As a naturalist he was mainly interested in fishes. He was based in Calcutta, dividing his time between the Indian Museum and the survey ship 'Investigator'. He published a number of papers on the ichthyology of the Bay of Bengal, after which he returned to England. He wrote A Naturalist in the Indian Seas (1902). The catshark was named after him because he was the first (1896) to note that it was a distinct species. Two reptiles are also named after him.
Alexandrine
Alexandrine Torpedo Torpedo alexandrinsis Mazhar, 1987
Named after the city of Alexandria in Egypt, not after a person.
Alfred
Reef Manta Ray Manta alfredi JLG Krefft, 1868 [Alt. Reef Manta Ray]
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (1844–1900) was a son of Queen Victoria who ruled as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1893) in the Prussian Empire. He previously served in the Royal Navy and commanded 'HMS Galatea' in a circumnavigation (1867–1868). During this voyage he visited Australia twice, surviving an assassination attempt (1868) when he was shot in the back (the would-be assassin was promptly arrested, tried and hanged). The 'Sydney Illustrated News' in which Krefft published his article, stated that Prince Alfred had been presented with photographs of the Manta Ray.
Al-Hassan
Pita Skate Okamejei pita Fricke & Al-Hassan, 1995
Dr Laith Abdul Jalil Jawad Al-Hassan (b.1948) is an Iraqi-born New Zealand biologist and ichthyologist. He is a freelance fish biodiversity expert and consultant who has worked in Libya, Yemen and more recently Oman, as well as being a researcher in New Zealand. The University of Basrah, Iraq awarded his bachelor's degree (1971), the University of Bristol his master's (1980) and the University of Auckland his doctorate. He was an assistant professor, University of Basrah and an assistant professor, Zoology Department, University of Garyounis, Libya. Among over 220 scientific published articles and papers is the co-written A Bibliography of the Fishes of the Tigris-Euphrates Basin (1988).
Alia
Smalleye Pygmy Shark Squaliolus aliae Teng, 1959
Huang A-li is the name of Teng's wife. He named the shark, which was first caught in Taiwanese waters, after her '... for her continuous encouragement and assistance over the past 20-some years'.
Alis
Skate sp. Notoraja alisae Séret & Last, 2012
Alis is the name of a ship used by the Institut de Recherche pour la Développement to undertake research off the coast of New Caledonia. The ship is in turn named after a local wind.
Allen
Allen's Skate Pavoraja alleni McEachran & Fechhelm, 1982
Milne Epaulette Carpetshark Hemiscyllium michaeli Allen & Dudgeon, 2010
Walking Shark Hemiscyllium galei Allen & Erdmann, 2008
Bamboo Shark sp. Hemiscyllium henryi Allen & Erdmann, 2008
Dr Gerald R. Allen (b.1942) is an American-born Australian ichthyologist. The University of Hawaii awarded his PhD (1971), after which he began work (1972) as an ichthyologist at the Australian Museum, Sydney. He then moved to be Curator of Fishes at the Department of Ichthyology, Western Australian Museum, Perth (1974–1997). He worked (1997–2003) for Conservation International preparing distribution maps for all known reef fishes. He continues as a Research Associate of the Western Australian Museum. He has a particular interest in freshwater fish in New Guinea and Northern Australia. He has taken part in many collecting trips such as the Western Australian Museum expedition to the Kimberley Coast (1991) aboard 'North Star IV'. During these trips he has logged over 7,500 dives. Among 32 books and over 300 papers he co-wrote The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia: A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers (1988). In 2013 he won the Bleeker Award and published Reef Fishes of the East Indies (3 volumes). His other interests include underwater photography and pursuits outside the marine environment include bird watching, rock climbing, mountaineering and bicycle racing, for which he has been eight-time state veteran champion. He was President of the Australian Society for Fish Biology (1979–1981). To date he has described 13 new genera and 456 species and was honoured in the skate name having often sent fish species to the authors.
Almeida
Ghost Shark sp. Hydrolagus lusitanicus Moura, Figueiredo, Bordalo-Machado, Almeida & Gordo, 2005
Ana Cristina Almeida is a microbiologist who works at the Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e das Pescas, Lisbon.
Álvarez
Mexican Brook Lamprey Tetrapleurodon geminis Álvarez, 1964
Dr José Álvarez del Villar (1908–1988) collected the holotype (1962) when at the Hydrobiology Laboratory, National School of Biological Sciences, Mexico City, which awarded his doctorate. He wrote Claves para la Determinación de Especies en los Peces de las Aguas Continentales Mexicanas (1950).
Amanda
Freshwater Stingray sp. Potamotrygon amandae Loboda & Carvalho, 2013
Amanda Lucas Gimeno (1984–2006) was a Brazilian biologist who graduated (2005) from the University of São Paulo, where the senior author had been one of her undergraduate colleagues. She was killed when there was a collapse of an external awning of an amphitheatre at the State University of Londrina during the 26th Brazilian Congress of Zoology.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Sharks"
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Copyright © 2015 Michael Watkins and Bo Beolens.
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