10 Most Bizarre Species Names

Published on 6/9/2008 under Names - 88,916 views

Slippery dick

Slippery dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) is a species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Labridae. This species originates mostly from the Western Atlantic: North Carolina and Bermuda to Brazil. It swims as if it's dragging its tail. Adults may grow to a length of 8 inches.

Colon Rectum

A leiodid beetle (from the Colon genus), named by Melville Harrison Hatch in 1933.

Agra vation

The Agra Vation, it's actually a very non-aggravating beetle, just one of over 40,000 species found in the family Carabidae. With a bright metallic green back and rufous-coloured head it cuts a very fine figure. The carabid family also includes the bombadier beetle, famous for being able to shoot hot, poisonous chemicals from its backside when annoyed. It is found in the Peruvian Amazon, not far from the borders with Brazil and Colombia.

Aha ha

Aha ha (from the Aha genus) is a species of Australian wasp. It was named by the entomologist Arnold Menke in 1977: when he received the package from a colleague containing the insect specimens, he exclaimed "Aha!".

GoldenPalace.com Monkey

The GoldenPalace.com Monkey (Callicebus aureipalatii, "aureipalatii" meaning "of the Golden Palace") is a titi, a kind of New World monkey, discovered in western Bolivia's Madidi National Park in 2004. Rather than choosing a name themselves, the discoverers auctioned off the naming rights to raise funds for FUNDESNAP, the nonprofit organization that maintains Madidi National Park. GoldenPalace.com, one of over a dozen bidders, paid US$ 650,000 to have the species named after them.

Calponia Harrisonfordi

Several spiders bear the names of entertainers such as the Calponia harrisonfordi, and the Pachygnatha zappa who clearly have taxonomists as fans. Sting, the musician, has his own tree frog as well: Hyla stingi. America's president, vice president and defence secretary each got a beetle (Agathidium bushi, A. cheneyi, A. rumsfeldi) courtesy of two Republican coleopterists. Admittedly, the beetles in question eat slime mould, which caused a few titters among taxonomists of a Democrat persuasion, but it is clearly an act of gross speciesism to criticise the dining habits of other organisms, so the titters were sotto voce.

Carmenelectra shechisme

Pronounced "Carmen Electra She Kiss Me", is actually a name for a fossil mythicmyiid (that's another word for moth) from Dominican amber.

Oedipus complex

The Oedipus Complex is a type of salamander that doesn't have any lungs, only gills. As if to make up for their lung-lack, they perform very elaborate courtship dances. They're also called Gamboa worm salamanders. Found on South and Central America, it's relatively common in Colombia and Panama.

Parastratiosphecomyia stratiosphecomyioides

At 42 characters, it's the longest accepted scientific name. It is a fly, and is only found in India. Whilst this beast has the longest accepted name, B. Dybowski, in 1927, proposed the following 50-letter name for a Lake Baikal amphipod: Gammaracanthuskytodermogammarus loricatobaicalensis, which was not accepted.

Pieza kake

This one is easy, an absolute piece of cake. It's a small furry fly. The name Pieza is derived from the Greek “piezos” meaning to squeeze, referring to the peculiar shape of the female's sperm pump.

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