Tetronarce

Taxonavigation: Torpediniformes
Superregnum: Eukaryota Cladus: Unikonta Cladus: Opisthokonta Cladus: Holozoa Regnum: Animalia Subregnum: Eumetazoa Cladus: Bilateria Cladus: Nephrozoa Superphylum: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Classis: Chondrichthyes Subclassis: Elasmobranchii Superordo: Rajomorphii Ordo: Torpediniformes

Familia: Torpedinidae
Genus: Tetronarce
Species: T. californica – T. cowleyi – T. fairchildi – T. formosa – T. macneilli – T. nobiliana – T. peruana – T. puelcha – T. tokionis – T. tremens

Name

Tetronarce Gill, 1862

• Type species: Torpedo occidentalis Storer, 1843

Etymology: tetra- (= four), referring, according to Gill (1895), to “four-sided form” of T. occidentalis (= nobiliana), perhaps an allusion to how the ray’s disc (two pectoral fins) and two pelvic fins appear as four sides (or lobes) when seen from above (Marcelo R. de Carvalho, pers. comm.); narce, from narke (= numbness), an ancient Greek word used for any electric fish, based on their ability to cause a numbing sensation [Gill attempted to change spelling to Tetranarke in 1895, saying Tetronarke was “purely a printer’s blunder,” but original spelling is retained]. From The ETYFish Project.

References

• Gill, T.N. 1862. Analytical synopsis of the order of Squali; and revision of the nomenclature of the genera. Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York 7(32): 367*–370*, 371-408. [Pp. 367–370 duplicated in preceding article. Read 16 Dec. 1861, probably published early 1862. Genera date to this article, also treated on pp.409–413. Both articles combined as separate, pp. 1–47p] From Catalog of Fishes. BHL DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1862.tb00166.x Reference page.