Why Use Scientific Names
Using the Scientific Name of an Aquarium Species Avoids Confusion
May 15, 2008
All life can be organized and categorized from the general to the specific using taxonomy. While scientific names may at first seem intimidating to the new marine aquarist, he or she will quickly come to appreciate the specificity that comes with using scientific names instead of common names. The trouble with common names is that they are used inconsistently and, in some cases, can be quite misleading.
Common Names Can Be Misleading
The Scooter Blenny, for example, appears to be a blenny based on its common name. If you look at the Scooter Blenny’s scientific name, however, you see that it is from the genus Synchiropus, which is a subset of the family Callionymidae, otherwise known as dragonets, and the dragonets, unlike most blennies, are best left for the experienced marine aquarist. In short, a Scooter Blenny is not a blenny at all, even though the widely accepted common name suggests it is.
Understanding Binomial Nomenclature
When identifying a marine animal, it is common to use something called binomial nomenclature instead of simply using the animal’s common name. Binomial nomenclature is a fancy way of saying that the animal’s genus name is presented in combination with a unique label that identifies the species. In the case of the Scooter Blenny, its species name is Synchiropus ocellatus. It is useful to know this species name when buying an animal at the local fish store or online. Most good local fish stores and online retailers will provide you with the scientific name in the description on the tank or website.
Be Specific
Say you want to buy a clownfish, for example. You know which one you want—the one commonly called the “Common Clownfish” or “Clown Anemonefish.” Unfortunately, many individual clownfishes go by that name depending on where you are located and how knowledgeable the salesperson is. All clownfishes are members of the family of fishes called Pomacentridae, but so are many other fishes that are not clownfishes. As a result, it would be foolish to go to the local fish store and say “I’d like to buy a Pomacentridae”; it would be sort of like going to the lumber yard and saying “I’d like to buy a piece of wood.”
You therefore need to be more specific and use a more specific classification known as a genus. The “Common Clownfish” belongs to the genus Amphiprion (the genus is always written in italics), but guess what? There are roughly 30 different clownfishes in the genus Amphiprion. To identify the fish you want, you need to use the more specific species name. In the case of your common clownfish, the species name is Amphiprion ocellaris.
Avoid Confusion
Why not just go to the local fish store and point at the animal you want to buy and leave all these scientific names to the scientists? While you can certainly do that, many beginning aquarists are not knowledgeable enough at first to identify one species from a similar looking species. For example, you may point at that cool looking shrimp and say “I want that Peppermint Shrimp.” Unfortunately, what you wanted was a Lysmata wurdemanni, which is a reef compatible shrimp, but what you end up getting is the very similar looking Camel Shrimp (Rhynchocinetes durbanensis), which is sometimes sold as a Peppermint Shrimp and may well eat your soft corals.
Using the scientific name when purchasing marine animals for your aquarium will hopefully result in you getting the species you actually want. If you don’t, for some reason, get the species you want, you now have recourse because you were sold something that was not what it was advertised as being.
Additional Resources:
To find an animal's scientific name and it's taxonomic classification try these sites:
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
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