Hoplosternum littorale common name

[Kara]

The common name for Hoplosternum littorale is Brown Hoplo. They have no common name listed on their Cat-eLog page.

[Jools]

Has anyone else seen this common name in usage perhaps in the USA? The reason I ask is that most Hoplo's are brown and it's not a common name I've seen used in the UK.

I don't have a problem adding it, just wanted to do a bit of research first.

Jools

[Daragh]

I have seen soon LFS use the common name Brown Hoplo, but it always relates to Hoplosternum thoracatum not H. littorale. H. littorale is more greyish than H. thoracatum.

[Marc van Arc]

H. littorale is more greyish than H. thoracatum.

That's a fair observation.
The best common name for this one would be V-tail Hoplo (or something like that), for that is the feature that sets this one apart from the other Hoplos.

[Jools]

So, fork-tailed hoplo?

Jools

[Marc van Arc]

So, fork-tailed hoplo?

Fine with me.

[Kara]

So, fork-tailed hoplo?

Jools

I completely agree that these fish are in fact gray and not brown. Here in Florida, they refer to these fish as brown hoplos. That is why I believed that to be their common name.

[MatsP]

Googling for "Brown Hoplo" gives these two links as the first hits:
http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/hoploster ... torale.htm
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factshee ... ciesID=338 (also linking to H. littorale)

I think the Smithsonian and U.S. Geological Survey would be authorities enough to accept this name...

--
Mats

[Jools]

The "standard" is probably the OFI name which is, rather uselessly, also brown hoplo.

Jools

[MatsP]

Resolved, added "Brown Hoplo" as another common name.

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Mats