Florida Waterways
“Funny Fish Names”
By Kevin McCarthy

CAPTIONS: 
Clownfish 
Slimehead 
Oyster toadfish 
Slippery dick fish 
Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa or trigger fish 
Cookiecutter shark 

As a linguist interested in languages, including onomastics (naming), I’ve been intrigued by the use of unusual names for fish. I became aware of this recently when, in reading a biography of Japanese Emperor Akihito, an ichthyologist especially interested in gobies, I learned that a species of goby was named “Exyrias akihito” in the emperor’s honor. That induced me to study other names, including what I call “funny names” for our finny friends.

With over 25,000 species of fish, the naming of newly “discovered” species has to be difficult, but some of the names here were maybe begun in jest. Here in my opinion, are fish with “fun,” silly names. First, Clownfish, which look as if they have been painted, are what Disney chose for the characters Marlin and his son, Nemo, in the animated film “Finding Nemo” and its sequel, “Finding Dory.”

“Slimehead,” a name maybe directed at one’s antagonist in the playground, applies to a species with the Latin name “Hoplostethus atlanticus.” Restaurateurs or those who own/manage restaurants, realized how difficult it would be for diners to be attracted to “slimeheads” and renamed the fish “orange roughy.” The new name worked out too well, and led to the depletion of the deep-sea creature.

Then, there is the “oyster toadfish” (“opsanus tau”) with a name that mentions two other animals. The fish likes muddy oyster beds and murky waters, where they lie still on the bottom before attacking their prey.

Maybe the worst name, and a nightmare for a public relations firm trying to make it appealing, is “slippery dick” (Halichoeres bivittatus) for a wrasse fish found in the Atlantic Ocean. The “slippery” part of its name refers to its ability to sneak away from a predator as well as its knack for changing into a male after beginning life as a female. No reason given for the second part of the fish name.

The fish with the longest name may be the “Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa” (“Rhinecanthus rectangulus”), a Hawaiian fish that’s also called the triggerfish. The fish name, is supposedly the longest word in the Hawaiian language, and could, in fact, be longer than the fish itself. When you’re in Hawaii, ask a local for the name of the state fish, and you may get the other person to pronounce that name.

While the idea of a cookiecutter may conjure up happy memories of delicious delight, those who make the acquaintance with a cookiecutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) won’t have a similar impression, but the name isn’t a misnomer.  The cookiecutter shark is a small dogfish who gets its name from its propensity to stealthily attack larger animals, gouge a plug of flesh out of their side, and flee.  The wound looks eerily similar to a cookie cutter punch…without the sugar and sprinkles.

These are just a few of the many strange names for our finny brethren.

Kevin McCarthy, the author of North Florida Waterways 2013 – (available at amazon.com), can be reached at ceyhankevin@gmail.com.