SHARKS

This fascinating reference book delves into the origins of the vernacular and scientific names of sharks rays skates and chimeras Each entry offers a concise biography revealing the hidden stories and facts behind each species name Full of interesting facts and humourous titbits the authors extensive research and detective work has made this book a comprehensive source of knowledge on everyone associated with the naming of a species A fascinating resource for anyone with an interest in sharks from curious naturalist to professional ichthyologist it is an essential addition to the library of anyone wishing to satisfy those tickling questions on the mysteries behind the names Sometimes a name refers not to a person but to a fictional character or mythological figure Eptatretus eos is named after the Greek goddess of the dawn in reference to the pink colouring of the hagfish The Chilean Roundray Urotrygon cimar named after Centro de Investigacion en Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia in honour of its 20th anniversary and the Angular Angelshark Squatina Guggenheim named after the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation are both named after institutions The Whiteleg Skate Amblyraja taaf is just a shorthand way of describing a toponym Territoire des Terres australes et antarctiques francaises There are also entries which are lighthearted such as the one for a lady who told us that decoration of her cakes have included roughtail skate Bathyraja trachura red abalone Haliotis rufescens and chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha Following the success of their previous Eponym Dictionaries the authors have joined forces to give the Elasmobranch group of fishes a similar treatment but they have also included the describers and authors of the original descriptions of the fishes involved in addition to those names that are or appear to be eponyms They have tracked down some 850 names of living as well as dead people Of these half are eponyms after people who have fish named a