I hate "common" names!

[SDguy]

Gotcha covered

http://www.aquariumpassion.com/profiles/saltwater-fish/acanthuridae/acanthurus-sohal.html

People really like to call something "arabian" if it's from there... angel, butterfly, and apparently now even tang

My problem is, how do you know which fish you are talking about? More than one tang lives in the arabian sea. There is nothing distinguishing about the name, and no standardization.

 

[Ian]

Now to the subject in hand, I don't think keeping Bodianus speciosus in aquaria is a very good idea, unless you have a 1k gallon tank or something. These guys get HUGE, when I was in Cape Verde I saw some that were half a meter long (that is almost 2 feet for those that like imperial units), and I don't think they look very nice after they lose the juvenile coloration. I have some photos of them, will post later.

I thought it odd that Fishbase listed this fish to get 40-50 cm but I guess it wasn't a typo!

That's a HUGE fish!! :eek1:

 

[kirkaz]

People really like to call something "arabian" if it's from there... angel, butterfly, and apparently now even tang

My problem is, how do you know which fish you are talking about? More than one tang lives in the arabian sea. There is nothing distinguishing about the name, and no standardization.

Sohal was a bad example on my part, just trying to use fish I own....Redtooth Trigger, and King Angel would be the best 2 examples of fish I currently own.

Here is one for everyone though, Gymnothorax miliaris. Only by the common name can you tell which variant it is. The Banana which is all (or almost all) yellow version from way south vs the Goldentail version found in the Caribbean.

 

[small alien]

There's a reason to use both. It depends.

 

[michael_cb_125]

Boy, look what I started

~Michael

 

[xxtriggermanxx]

Boy, look what I started

~Michael

Not to be picky but......it's "cap'n crunch" get your names straight !

 

[LukFox]

Here is one for everyone though, Gymnothorax miliaris. Only by the common name can you tell which variant it is. The Banana which is all (or almost all) yellow version from way south vs the Goldentail version found in the Caribbean.

That's exactly why I use miliaris when talking about that eel. I've had people think my experience with a goldentail is irrelevant to their banana, and it gets a little annoying. It's the same fish, so I just use the name the morphs share now to avoid confusion.

 

[deladarkstep]

I think that in this hobby, latin names are more appropriate. I don't know about you, but I feel more like a scientist then a kid in a candystore when I maintain and test my tank. It's all about minimizing confusion imo.

 

[francis1123]

what the heck i'll add my worthless 2 cents. i agree that common names are useful in that they are easier to remember. but, if you are asking about a fish, or selling a fish, you should include the scientific name. if you google powder brown tang you get 2 different fish images(Acanthurus japonicus)(Acanthurus nigricans). but if you google the scientific name of the specific "powder brown" tang you are refering too, you get one.

 

[reefergeorge]

I have to copy and paste in the google bar every time someone use a scientific name, but at least there isn't confusion about what it is.

 

[tcmfish]

That is a good example! ^

Sohal was a bad example on my part, just trying to use fish I own....Redtooth Trigger, and King Angel would be the best 2 examples of fish I currently own.

Here is one for everyone though, Gymnothorax miliaris. Only by the common name can you tell which variant it is. The Banana which is all (or almost all) yellow version from way south vs the Goldentail version found in the Caribbean.

You still don't even use the most common names for your fish. Niger trigger and passer angel, if I am guessing right? Which if you look at their species name it is niger and passer... what a coincidence....

 

[michael_cb_125]

"I have to copy and paste in the google bar every time someone use a scientific name, but at least there isn't confusion about what it is."

Perfect example of how using scientific names alleviates confusion.

On a side note, I am not bad mouthing LA or Kevin. When they sell fish they do include both the common and scientific names.

~Michael

 

[screwtape]

I don't see how it's (usually) any easier to remember common names than scientific ones (except perhaps the reallllly long scientific names), they're both just a word. I think a lot of common names are at best generic, poorly descriptive, and difficult to remember. At worst are extremely misleading and dangerous, ie "scooter blenny".

 

[michael_cb_125]

Very Well said! ^

~Michael

 

[kirkaz]

Here is what I'm saying, most of the people that see my tanks are not fish keepers. I find in more useful (for lack of a better word) to say, "that is my Redtooth Trigger", oh yes, I see the red teeth. "That is my Emperor Angel and King Angel swimming together", sounds more appropriate to me, than "That is my Imperator Angel with the Passer Angel".

Yes, it is nice to know both. And yes when we get the "fish identity" threads I will use Latin, and yes google is very useful. In everyday life, I typically prefer common names when there is an OPTION.

 

[DFS]

Ill throw in my two cents as well. I have always been a proponent of only using scientific names for marine fishes, but customers and most marine aquarists have demanded that we list both the most common and valid scientific name for each fish.

If anyone has tried to order from overseas suppliers based on common names that differ by region for the same genus and species, its a lot to remember and you get frustrated over time to say the least.

The fish that I always use to give an example of why things can be complex and confusing with using common names to describe marine fishes is when looking at the Teardrop Angelfish, Melas Angelfish, Keyhole Angelfish and Tibicen Angelfish. Although this fish has four common names it only has one valid and true scientific name Centropyge tibicen.

Although Bodianus speciosus is ideally suited for public aquaria that have very large displays, if anyone here on RC is interested in this fascinating little fish please make sure you have a very large display aquarium to properly house the animal as Luiz is correct in that this species can grow very large over time.

Cheers!

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

If you know some basic latin, the species names often are easy to remember as they describe the species... "bimaculatus" = two spots, "multifasciatus" = many bars, etc I could go on (species named after people are a pet peeve - but that's another issue!). There are multiple common names for a fish (technically, there is only one correct one, but many in use), so it's easier to remember one universally used name.

 

[francis1123]

I don't see how it's (usually) any easier to remember common names than scientific ones (except perhaps the reallllly long scientific names), they're both just a word. I think a lot of common names are at best generic, poorly descriptive, and difficult to remember. At worst are extremely misleading and dangerous, ie "scooter blenny".

i agree it isn't "harder" if we were to use them regularly. it's a matter of taking the time to only address them by scientific names when talking about them to your friends.

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

We don't call other animals by their Latin names, why do have to call fish by them??

I guess thats because there aren't a dozen or more common names for a badger. Common names for fish can be very confusing and there is way too much crossover.

 

[saix88]

I can't remember scientific names because I don't know how to pronounce them! Now I can't stand "nick names" for corals.