THE NOMENCLATUKE OF THE FISHES OF THE CHAEACIN- 

 OID CtE:NUS TETRAGONOPTERUS. 



Bj^ Theodore Gill, LI.. D. 



The pkincipal genus of Characiuids has been generally ascribed 

 to Artedi, with the name Tetragonoptenis. The history is a remarka- 

 ble one and worth}^ of detail. 



1. 



In 1814 Cuvier, in his '' Memoire sur la Composition de la Machoire 

 superieure des Poissons," called attention to the diversities among- the 

 ''Characins," and outlined the characteristics of Tetragonopterus in the 

 following terms: 



,Ie retaljlis le genre U'tracionoptcre de 8oba, tlout ou a iiial a propos coui'oudu 

 I'espt're avec le sahito himaculatus ; il a la nieme structure de machoirea que le 

 serrasalme, mais il porte deux rangs de deuts a la superieure, et sou ventre u'est 

 point treneliaut ui dentele. 



Ill 1817 Cuvier, in his Eegne Animal,' gave the Latin name Tctra- 

 ijonopterus, and attributed it to Artedi.^ 



In 1818 Cuvier, in his memoir "Sur les poissons du sous-genre 

 Myletes"' remarked as follows: 



Mon deuxienie sous-genre * ^^ * a et6 parfaitement dccrit et represent('> i)ar 

 Artedi dans ses Species, pag. 44, sous le nora de Coregonus amboinensis, et daus le 

 cabinet de S6ba, tome III, pi. xxxiv, 6g. 3, sous le nom g6u6rique de tetrarionoptcnis 

 que je lui conserve. Cependent Artedi le lui avoit doune par erreur, croyant que ce 

 poipson pouvoit se rapporter aux tetragon ojit^res do Klein, lesquels ue sont que des 

 cha^todous. 



Ill 1861 Giiiither attributed the genus Tetragonoptenis to Cuv'ier* 

 and gave the following note : 



Klein formed the name Tetragonoptrus for Hsbes of the Linnoean genus Teirodoii, 

 giving at the same time an etymological explanation of the word. Artedi after- 

 wards referred a South American characinoid to the Kleinian genus, preserving the 

 original and correct spelling. Cuvier, taking Artedi's species as the type of the 

 genus, adopted the name erroneously used by Artedi, but, misunderstanding the 

 derivation of the Avord, wrote TetragonopttrHH. 



■Vol. Ill, p. 166. 



"Les Tctragonoptcres. {Tetragonopterus, Artedi.) 



3 Mem. Mus., IV, p. 455. 



^"Mem. Mus., 1818, IV, p. 455". 



Proceedings of the T'nited States National Musenni, Vol. XVIII— Nn. nwi. 



Proc. X. M 95 15. 



