Many killifish species are assigned with complicated names as compared to the other species of pet fish. Sometimes their names consist of two or three words and a number. If you are not an experienced fish-keeper and you visit a pet fish store, you will be confused with the long names and numbers. But remember, there is a logic behind their names.
Let us take an example of ‘Baira 98′. You may not be able to understand anything by reading this name. However if you just inquire with the pet shop staff, you will find the rationale behind it. Baira is the name of the village in Africa from which this fish was discovered and the number 98 represents the year in which it was found. So the fish was found in 1998 in that village.
Sometimes there is no number assigned. In that case, it indicates that the fish might have been found in many places in the world and no specific year can be attached to it. So if you find a name ‘Northobranchius rachovii’, it will mean that the fish does not have any specific place or year to relate.
However, things are not that easy all the time. Sometimes the species is known with different names. Let us take the name of Northobranchius andersonius. When the famous explorer Anderson visited Africa in 1915, he had seen the species and he gave this scientific name. However, some other explorer went to the same place in 1920 and when he found the same species, he named it as ‘Northobranchius victorii’. The reason behind such remaining was the memory of his wife Victoria. Now the same species is known with two different names!
"Nothobranchius rachovii male" by Andreas Wretström, 2003. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There is one more reason for the change of name. There is one system called taxonomy under which all species can be placed. As we explore new things, the mistakes in the previous names are revealed. The testing of DNA may suggest that the fish which was named Northobranchius is not belonging to those specific genera. However, it is belonging to some other genus from Africa. In that case, the name is changed but the old name will still remain on the records and it will continue. In fact it may continue for years unless someone takes it up as a campaign to change it to the correct genre.
For all these reasons, in the fish-keeping community, it is common to use the popular names or common names instead of scientific names. For example, Pseudepiplatys annulatus is called clown killifish and it is famous with the common name itself. In the same way, Aphyosemion cinnamomeum is called Cinnamon killifish and Aphyosemion austral is called Lyretail killifish.
Do not nervous by scientific names. Just ignore them and get familiar with the common names. Life will be easier that way!
| Chintamani Abhyankar is a goldfish enthusiast and has been raising and breeding goldfish for many years. He is an expert on their care and an advocate for raising healthy goldfish the natural way. Article Source: EzineArticles |
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