I hate "common" names!

[Luiz Rocha]

Haha, interesting that nobody has caught this before, but the "official" English common name (if there is such a thing) of Bodianus speciosus is Blackbar Hogfish, and not Booberry Hogfish

The worst thing about common names is that so far, the only nation trying to standardize them is the US (and maybe very few European countries for fisheries species). The American Fisheries Society publishes an official list of common names of fishes from North America, but even with that you still find variation within the US. If you go anywhere else, every fishing village has a different common name for several species, and most species that are not fished have no common name at all.

Oh, you may notice that I am capitalizing all starting letters in the common names. That is the newest recommendation of the AFS common names committee.

 

[Cantonesefish]

Hey Luiz, so glad you are following the latest recommendations from the AFS common names committee, unlike some others on this site who I will not name

Kahuna Tuna hit the nail on the head with too much crossover! I have one book which lists the Purple Tang, Z. xanthurus, as a "Sailfin Tang" and the Yellow Tang as a "Yellow Sailfin Tang," while Z. veliferum is listed as the "Pacific Sailfin Tang." My favorite of course, is Acanthurus nigricans and A. japonicus, which each have only one common name "Powder Brown Tang."

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Hey guys, check out my blue tang!!!!!

In fact, how many different common names does that last fish have? Hippo, Palette, Blue, and even (ackk.....) "Dory". Nonsense.

 

[saix88]

Powder Blue
Atlantic Blue
Pacific Blue

How do you like those shades of blue?

Fish distributors *that sell only to businesses* should really use scientific instead of a common of even their own name/short hand. There are countless times I've heard "I saw this fish on the list I've never heard of so I ordered it" Then it turns out to be a common fish they tricked them on.

 

[Beaun]

This is why I like birding, birds have standardized common names. A Northern Cardinal is a Northern Cardinal no matter where you go, which is why they are capitalized. Yes the scientific name is Cardinalis cardinalis, but it dosnt really matter for most people, because no one can be confused either way. It's much easier to say Osprey rather than Pandion haliaetus, everyone knows what an Osprey is.

Usually if I discuss a fish online, I will give the more accepted common and scientific. This way people cant be confused and dont have to look it up if they know the common name.

 

[saix88]

Why isn't there a standard?

I also hate when people abbreviate common names as if it's really THAT easy to know what those 3-5 letters mean.

 

[wfournier]

I feel common names are useful, but unfortunately they have become so convoluted they are almost meaningless. I was looking for some Banggai cardinals (or Bangai depending on who spells it) and the only thing the guy I was talking to could find on their list was "hifin cardinals" which are Banggai, but it took some research on my part to figure that out. Now LA calls them "Kaudern's cardinals" which I suppose may be more correct as the latin name is P. kauderni. All in all though it just seems like a mess. Is C. argi a "pygmy angel" or a kind of pygmy angel?

 

[Beaun]

I always say pygmy 'cherub' angel when talking about C. argi. I have also heard it called caribbean angel, which is odd since there are several angels in the trade form the caribbean. It is defintly an interesting discussion and possibly a sticky thread of its own for common names with scientific names, instead of a new primer.

 

[SDguy]

In fact, how many different common names does that last fish have? Hippo, Palette, Blue, and even (ackk.....) "Dory". Nonsense.

I always called it a regal tang

 

[username in use]

I always called it "that blue fish in that tank over there" or, "That bluiiius fishiius in that tankerii over thereii"

 

[Ev's Reef]

I use common names for most fish, and scientific names for corals, but I probably should learn the scientific names for both.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Powder Blue
Atlantic Blue
Pacific Blue

How do you like those shades of blue?

Fish distributors *that sell only to businesses* should really use scientific instead of a common of even their own name/short hand. There are countless times I've heard "I saw this fish on the list I've never heard of so I ordered it" Then it turns out to be a common fish they tricked them on.

So, if you see a thread with a "blue tang" for sale, which is it?

 

[username in use]

So, if you see a thread with a "blue tang" for sale, which is it?

Its probably a yellow tailed damsel.

 

[Wolverine]

Michael, unfortunately for every one of us that hate common names there are one thousand that hate the scientific name... :fun4:

That's definitely the biggest problem.

 

[joetbs]

you guys try coming up with good common names for uncommon fish

 

[Wolverine]

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

King Angel
Arabian Angel
Arabian Tang aka Red Sea Clown Tang
Redtooth Trigger

These sound so much better to me....Latin names are for Scientists, sorry.

The problem is that common names get reused. I've seen 4 different triggers labeled as "huma", 3 different trigger species labeled as "red-tailed trigger", as two quick examples off the top of my head. Many of the names are regionally used, so if you're ordering something from another part of the country, you may not get what you think you're getting.
You also have multiple common names for the same fish; in this area, I never see someone call Odonus niger a "red-tooth" as you did; it's always listed as a "niger trigger".

 

[tcmfish]

And really? Red Sea Clown Tang? What happened to Sohal tang? Arabian and Red Sea Clown Tang its like you were trying for off the wall common names, although I've heard these before they definitely aren't common common names.

 

[kirkaz]

I never see someone call Odonus niger a "red-tooth" as you did; it's always listed as a "niger trigger".

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M Fenner....Pages 315 and 316

 

[kirkaz]

And really? Red Sea Clown Tang? What happened to Sohal tang? Arabian and Red Sea Clown Tang its like you were trying for off the wall common names, although I've heard these before they definitely aren't common common names.

Tim, I've already covered that, it was a bad example on my part, can we move on???

I have one, I call it a Sohal Tang.....Happy?:rolleye1:

 

[michael_cb_125]

This is a good thread! I think that both sides have valid points, but will always lean toward using scientific names as it is less confusing (for me personally).


~Michael