Fish names are stupid, not talking about the scientific name

Some of the fish names are just really really stupid names. I'm not talking about the scientific names or anything like that, i'm talking about names like tiger shovelnose catfish. Okay, first of all a tiger is its own animal. JUST BECAUSE IT HAS PATTERNS AND COLORS SIMILAR TO A TIGER DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO REFER TO IT AS A TIGER. Think about it, what if things were the other way around and tigers weren't as popular as one of these catfish or the catfish was discovered first. Would we start calling a tiger the catfish shovelnose tiger? Sounds stupid right, so why are we associating a fish with natural stripes that resemble those of a tiger, a tiger shovelnose catfish. Now to shovelnose. It doesn't even have a nose that looks like a shovel, where did this even come from. I would never look at one of these catfish and think "oh gee it's nose resembles that of a shovel". And this is just one example, there's so many. Another one is tiger barb. It's just a barb. It you want to better describe a fish or how the fish looks then why didn't people start giving the fish a specific number like the L series plecos. For example, L-437 Barb. Its just so much less idiotic and childish. The cichlid names are also even more idiotic. I won't even get into it. Not to mention the freshwater fish that are referred to as "sharks". Bala shark, columbian shark, red tail shark. They are not sharks. The bala is a carp, the columbian is a catfish, the red tail is a carp. They are carps and catfish, not sharks. Someone put an end to this nonsense. Its so childish.

 

Some fish names are pretty silly. Like why do we call everything a shark when literally none of them are sharks??

But also, calling fish by numbers would be confusing until you memorized them and super mega ultra unbelievabley boring. Like, wearing khakis and a polo every day and going to work at a 9-5 in an office cubicle sounds far more riveting than calling fish by numbers.

"Hey, I got some C-678's for my tank!"
"Does my A-1458 have ich?"
"Can I keep FL-78's with O-125's?"

Yeahhh... no thanks.

 

Some fish names are pretty silly. Like why do we call everything a shark when literally none of them are sharks??

But also, calling fish by numbers would be confusing until you memorized them and super mega ultra unbelievabley boring. Like, wearing khakis and a polo every day and going to work at a 9-5 in an office cubicle sounds far more riveting than calling fish by numbers.

"Hey, I got some C-678's for my tank!"
"Does my A-1458 have ich?"
"Can I keep FL-78's with O-125's?"

Yeahhh... no thanks.

I totally agree, I already hate that Plecos go by number

 

I totally agree, I already hate that Plecos go by number

The same goes for Corydoras.

 

I’ve never seen corries by number

 

I’ve never seen corries by number

They do have number. For example: C121.

 

And it's not just fish. Animals Named After Other Animals

 

They do have number. For example: C121.

Wow, were I live( Michigan, USA) I’ve never seen them numbered!

 

Many of the common names are the result of trade names...e.g. red tailed shark and tiger barb is better for business than red tailed carp and striped barb. Yes it's silly.

 

Some fish names are pretty silly. Like why do we call everything a shark when literally none of them are sharks??

But also, calling fish by numbers would be confusing until you memorized them and super mega ultra unbelievabley boring. Like, wearing khakis and a polo every day and going to work at a 9-5 in an office cubicle sounds far more riveting than calling fish by numbers.

"Hey, I got some C-678's for my tank!"
"Does my A-1458 have ich?"
"Can I keep FL-78's with O-125's?"

Yeahhh... no thanks.

Okay, I never said it had to be like that i'm just saying forget all these STUPID NAMES. I swear the most unintelligent people made up these names.

 

Barbs would be B-109 tho.

 

Okay, I never said it had to be like that i'm just saying forget all these STUPID NAMES. I swear the most unintelligent people made up these names.

Okay make a list of new ones that we can evaluate and decide which is better.

 

It’s all marketing. When a kid walks into a store, they’re going to say “(insert parent/guardian name), look at this Ranbow shark!” not this rainbow carp. Which, are called sharks because of the way they swim. They flick their tail and move their body with it, unlike most other fish. Same with the names. I agree, it shouldn’t be tiger this or tiger that, but striped or something. As for the shovel nose, I can imagine because of its long, slightly curved about, and maybe if it burrows using the nose. I don’t know if they do dig, though so someone correct me if I’m wrong.

 

Call it like ya see it. What's wrong with naming a thing after something that it looks like? Red tail sharks have a sleek, streamlined body, a pointed head, and fins that all resemble a shark, so a shark it is called. Seems reasonable to me, especially since "red tailed catfish" is already taken and is a completely different kind of beast.

Also, "tiger barb" is a better name than "striped barb." Fite me.

ON A SIMILAR NOTE if we can't name animals after similar animals then that means we gotta get rid of every name ending with "catfish" now. Every fish that falls under that category has less in common with cats than a tiger barb does with tigers, lol.

 

Barbs would be B-109 tho.

Yeah, something like that.

 

It's all about patterns and makes it easy for the common people like us to pronounce the names

And it's not just fish... I've been into insects for a long time and it's the same there. Just look at the batman hoverfly, just because it has a symbol that resembles the batman logo on it's thorax...
There's also a tiger wasp, tiger spider, tiger beetles and so on. Tiger is a very popular animal in naming other animals.

 

Humans gave animals names for the most part of history without any idea what the actual animal is like. Even with scientific names.

Take the Giraffe: Giraffa camelopardalis. They called it that because it looks like a cross of a leopard (fur pattern) and a camel (vaguely the body shape) to the uneducated onlooker who sees one of those for the first time.

So this discussion should not be about how stupid the naming of animals is, but how inconsistant and inconsequential .

 

"False Julii" corydoras. My biggest annoyance. Give the poor species, who is way more common than the actual julii, its own label. Three stripe is its real english species name, though I prefer to use the scientific name trilineatus because it gives it its own identity.
But every store you see selling a "julii" corydoras is selling you "false julii". At the end of the dang day just call it a trilineatus.

And for the record, I would love to see a catfish tiger. Id bet it would be either adorable (cory looking tiger), funny looking (upside down catfish tiger), or downright terrifying (gulper catfish tiger)

 

Call it like ya see it. What's wrong with naming a thing after something that it looks like? Red tail sharks have a sleek, streamlined body, a pointed head, and fins that all resemble a shark, so a shark it is called. Seems reasonable to me, especially since "red tailed catfish" is already taken and is a completely different kind of beast.

Also, "tiger barb" is a better name than "striped barb." Fite me.

ON A SIMILAR NOTE if we can't name animals after similar animals then that means we gotta get rid of every name ending with "catfish" now. Every fish that falls under that category has less in common with cats than a tiger barb does with tigers, lol.

Totally agree with this, I can see 100% why they are called sharks, they look like them, swim like them, and are usually semi-aggressive. Just trying to talk to the OP, and answer their original questions/complaints.

 

I’ve never seen corries by number

Your cories are affordable.

aidanfish2002, the Lumpsucker agrees with you.

 

I just wanted to say that the Ghost Knife is really cool...

 

The day we start giving number assigments to fish is the day I quit lol. It already cost me my love of cars... Is that a Z3 or a Z4? Or is it a Q5? RSX? G3? 350 or 370Z? 328I or 330xi?
I have a bristlenose pleco... if someone tells me the number name for it a hundred times I'll still never remember it LOL. I also have a clown pleco (another popular naming tool for things with stripes) but it doesn't matter because he's invisible anyway.
I get the shark part of rainbow shark (which is actually a minnow), but I don't get the rainbow part?

 

Call it like ya see it.

ON A SIMILAR NOTE if we can't name animals after similar animals then that means we gotta get rid of every name ending with "catfish" now. Every fish that falls under that category has less in common with cats than a tiger barb does with tigers, lol.

They are likened to cats because of their long whiskers I learned about cat whiskers and how they use them to judge size (for fitting through/into) before I learned some fish have whiskers. So I think of cats first when I think of whiskers...

 

The only name for a fish that I have a problem with is the Jack Dempsey. Terrible name for a fish imo. I don't see a problem with naming them after tigers and such though.

 

When it comes to fish naming some fish are just unlucky. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/techn.../fish-incredibly-rude-name-scientists-6366030

 

I must say…I am glad that most fish have been given “common names”. Because when I am with my MN Aquarium society experts….they ONLY use scientific names and I am always completely lost!!

I agree that some of the names can be pretty silly. But I would rather they have a common name than not. Regardless how silly the name may be. They may be named after an animal (zebra whatevers) or a fruit (lemon pleco) or a human (jack Dempsey) or an object (twig catfish or knife fish) and I honestly appreciate those names over the scientific ones. Although…I am not a fan of jack Dempsey because it isn’t a descriptor of their appearance. It is a descriptor of their behavior and personality. And not all Jack Dempsey’s are aggressive like a boxer. I do like names that describe appearance though. But not names that describe their personality.

ALSO…I think it is actually quite necessary to use other animal names and such when dealing with a species that has many different phenotypes like angelfish. They have a few different phenotypes named after animals, Like a zebra and a leopard for instance. (though they are all one species….pterophyllum scalare). Using other animals with similar patterns as a way to describe the appearance of the fish can actually be a necessity. For instance, there are two different types of angels with stripes. A silver and a zebra. But they are very different genetically. So we can’t call them both “striped angelfish”. There are different angelfish phenotypes with spots. So we can’t call them spotted because again, they are genetically different phenotypes. Also…for the record…angelfish have an actual GENE named the zebra gene! Haha So they even have a gene named after another animal. haha

I don’t know. Just thinking out loud. OH and as far as the numbers for fish….in my opinion, that is no better than scientific names. Memorizing the different numbers can be a real challenge. I always have to google the number. NOT ONLY THAT….but the numbers can be inaccurate. EVERYONE calls blue eye lemon plecos L-144s. But if you do the research, you will discover that the TRUE L-144 no longer exists in the hobby and the one in the hobby now is considered a false L-144. Haha

Ok that got long. Sorry.

WAIT one more thing…I do agree that using other aquatic creatures in a name is not ideal. Like all the sharks out there. Balas, red tails, rainbows etc. That is too misleading. They are not sharks. Everyone knows a zebra fish is not an actual zebra. Haha. But not everyone knows that the fish sold as sharks are not actual sharks.

 

Personally I am fine with the L-numbers and common names of the trade.

L numbers make sense, they are for fish not fully described yet. The L-number is retired after the fish gets a name.
L-number - Wikipedia
Also, some common names aren't entirely stupid. LeopoldI angelfish (Pterophyllum leopoldi) get their common name after the person that sponsored the expidition to collect them, King Leopold the 3rd of Belgium.

 

Also, some common names aren't entirely stupid. LeopoldI angelfish (Pterophyllum leopoldi) get their common name after the person that sponsored the expidition to collect them, King Leopold the 3rd of Belgium.

Technically that's their scientific name. Not their common name.

And because the pterophyllum leopoldI only have one phenotype as far as I'm aware, there is not need for separate common names to describe the different phenotypes within the pterophyllum leopoldI species.

Unlike the pterophyllum scalare that have seemingly endless phenotypes.

 

Your cories are affordable.

aidanfish2002, the Lumpsucker agrees with you.

Can we remember that this is supposed to be a family friendly site?

 

Common names are a blessing and a curse I am a horticulturist and back in the day I studied we were not allowed to use the common names at college we also had to identify and spell all names in Latin and it was a B Grade pass (pass mark 75%) you got 2 marks for each part of the name and if you made 2 mistakes you lost your whole mark some plants may be worth upto 8 marks. This was pre google so you couldn’t search for names.
Common names are easier but different areas have different common names which makes things confusing. At least in the fish trade one fish general doesn’t have more than one common name.
This was one of my favourite ones from first year.

FABACEAE subfamily. Caesalpinioideae cassia artemisioides so much fun.

 

Technically that's their scientific name. Not their common name.

And because the pterophyllum leopoldI only have one phenotype as far as I'm aware, there is not need for separate common names to describe the different phenotypes within the pterophyllum leopoldI species.

Unlike the pterophyllum scalare that have seemingly endless phenotypes.

Anyone care for some more trivia: Pterophyllum translates to "finned leaf". BAM!

 

Ptero- is "feather" or "wing", not "finned". Phyllum (misspelled in original description, should be phylum, but original description stands) is "group". They are the "winged group", no idea where you got "finned leaf", but the two roots are from ancient Greek rather than Latin. Many scientific names use Greek as well as Latin.

Oh , yeah. BAM!!

 

It a fish name rebellion!!!! I think tiger barb is a perfectly fitting name. Have you ever seen their frenzy when you dump some bloodworms in the tank.

 

Ptero- is "feather" or "wing", not "finned". Phyllum (misspelled in original description, should be phylum, but original description stands) is "group". They are the "winged group", no idea where you got "finned leaf", but the two roots are from ancient Greek rather than Latin. Many scientific names use Greek as well as Latin.

Oh , yeah. BAM!!

Another case of "It was on the internet so it must be true," I'm sure.
In his defense, I read a similar description (from a supposedly reputable source) saying that it meant "winged leaf". I'm sure you are correct...you usually are. Pterodactyl - wing fingers... Pteronodon - wings and no teeth... etc..
I'd actually be better with scientific names for everything than number. They are harder to remember but it's not so bad when the common name comes from the scientific name, like Apistogramma, kribensis, and even our beloved little rams. Coral, for instance, are much better identified by their scientific names which are often shortened. e.g. "MontI Cap" is montipora capricornus.
But the arbitrary naming is worse because the domesticated propagation is newer. I always hated "designer" names. Oooooh look he's got a Jason Fox Alien Eye Chalice!! Even though 90% of the time the only difference is that Jason Fox fed it the right nutrients and blasted it with blue light to make it brighter... and then you get it home and a month later it's just a chalice again. At least a designer fish doesn't revert to wild coloration when you take it home lol.
Tangent...sorry.

 

Ptero- is "feather" or "wing", not "finned". Phyllum (misspelled in original description, should be phylum, but original description stands) is "group". They are the "winged group", no idea where you got "finned leaf", but the two roots are from ancient Greek rather than Latin. Many scientific names use Greek as well as Latin.

Oh , yeah. BAM!!

Touché!

I got that from the trusty Brill's Etymological Dictionary of Greek that is in the shelf next to my favourite working station at the institute library with the Lewis&Short for Latin and some other etymological dictionaries. I picked one of the many possible meanings they give there for ptero-, which also include "sail" and "oar" for some reason. Phyllum stands as "leaf" as I was not aware this name is based on a typo.

But true: I'm not firm in Greek as much as in Latin. I work with Latin texts at least 5 days a week, but Greek is... well... I had 2 semesters and I didn't even take the exam at the end.

Edit: Dangit... I just used my 1000th post for this. NOOOOO!!!!

 

Should I tell my aunt Molly that her name is stupid?