By Casey Curtiss

For those new to the hobby, confusion over how to pronounce many of the scientific fish names is a very common occurance. To help clear the confusion, Casey Curtiss presents us with a clear and concise list of pronunciations of the most common species we will hear referred to by their scientific names.

Altolamprologus (Alto-lamp-ro-low-gus) -calvus (cal-vis) -compressiceps (com-press-a-seps) -fasciatus (fa-see-a-tus) Asprotilapia (Az-pro-till-op-ee-ah) -leptura (lep-tur-ah) Aulonocranus (Awe-lawn-o-crain-us) -dewindti (da-win-ti) Bathybates (Bath-a-bait-ees) -fasciatus (fa-see-a-tus) -ferox (fair-ox) -graueri (gr-ow-er-i) -horni (horn-i) -leo (lee-o) -minor (mine-er) -vittatus (vie-taught-us) Benthochromis (Ben-tho-chrome-us) -melanoides (mel-anne-oye-dees) -tricoti (try-cot-ee) Boulengerochromis (Bo-len-ger-o-chrome-us) -microlepis (micro-lep-us) Callochromis (Cal-o-chrome-us) -macrops (mac-rops) -melanostigma (mel-anne-o-stig-ma) -pleurospilus (pler-o-spy-lus) -stappersii (stap-pers-ee-eye) Cardiopharynx (Card-ee-o-fair-inks) -schoutedeni (shout-uh-den-eye)   Chalinochromis (Sha-len-no-chrome-us) -brichardi (brish-ard-eye) -popelini (pop-a-len-eye) -sp. "ndobnoi" (n-dobe-no-eye) Ctenochromis (Teen-o-chrome-us) -benthicola (ben-tha-cola) -horei (hor-y-eye) Cyathopharynx (Sigh-ath-o-fair-inks) -foai (fo-eye) -furcifer (fur-suh-fer) Cyphotilapia (Sigh-fo-till-op-ee-ah) -frontosa (fron-toe-suh) Cyprichromis (Sip-rah-chrome-us) -leptosoma (lep-toe-so-mah) -sp. "leptosoma jumbo" (lep-toe-so-mah jum-bo) -microlepidotus (micro-lep-uh-dough-tus) -pavo (pah-vo) -sp. "zebra" (z-ruh) Ectodus (Eck-toe-dus) -descampsi (dess-camp-sigh) Enantiopus (Ee-nant-ee-o-pus) -melanogenys (mel-anno-jen-ees) -sp. "kilesa" (k-eye-lisa) Eretmodus (Ee-ret-moe-dus) -cyanostictus (sigh-anne-o-stick-tus)   Gnathochromis (Nath-o-chrome-us) -permaxillaris (per-max-a-lar-us) -pfefferi (fe-fer-eye) Haplotaxodon (Hap-lo-tax-o-don) -microlepis (micro-lep-us) Hemibates (Hem-a-bait-ees) -stenosoma (steen-o-so-mah) Julidochromis (Ju-lid-o-chrome-us) -dickfeldi (dick-fell-die) -marlieri (mar-lee-air-eye) -ornatus (or-nate-us) -regani (re-gan-eye) -transcriptus (tran-script-us) Lepidiolamprologus (Lep-ee-dio-lamp-ro-low-gus) -attenuatus (ah-ten-u-ah-tus) -boulengeri (bo-len-ger-eye) -elongatus (ee-long-ah-tus) -hecqui (heck-eye) -kendalli (ken-doll-eye) -lemairii (lem-air-ee-eye) -meeli (meal-eye) -nkambae (n-kahm-bay) -profundicola (pro-fun-duh-cole-ah) Limnochromis (Lem-no-chrome-us) -auritus (our-eye-tus) -dardennii (dar-den-ee-eye) Lobochilotes (Low-bo-chill-o-tees) -labiatus (law-bee-ah-tus) Neolamprologus (Knee-o-lamp-ro-low-gus) -bifasciatus (by-fah-c-ah-tus) -brichardi (brish-ard-eye) -buescheri (boo-sure-eye) -christyi (chris-tee-eye) -crassus (crass-us) -cunningtoni (cunning-tone-eye) -cylindricus (sill-end-rah-cuss) -falcicula (fall-sick-u-la) -furcifer (fur-suh-fer) -gracilis (grass-sill-us) -kungweensis (kung-ween-sis) -leleupi (lay-loop-eye) -marunguensis (mah-rune-gwen-sus) -modestus (moe-dest-us) -mondabu (mon-dah-boo) -mustax (must-axe) -niger (nigh-ger) -nigriventris (nig-rah-vent-tus) -obscurus (obscure-us) -pectoralis (pec-tor-al-us) -petricola (pet-rah-cole-ah) -prochilus (pro-kye-lus) -pulcher (pulch-er) -savoryi (say-vor-ee-eye) -sexfasciatus (sex-fosh-ee-ah-tus) -signatus (sig-not-us) -splendens (spleen-dens) -tetracanthus (tet-rah-canth-us) -toae (toe-eye) -tretocephalus (tret-o-seff-a-lus) -variostigma (vary-o-stig-mah) -ventralis (vin-trawl-us) Ophthalmotilapia (Op-thal-moe-till-op-ee-ah) -boops (boops) -heterodonta (het-er-o-don-tah) -nasuta (naw-suit-ah) -ventralis (vin-trawl-us) Oreochromis (Or-ee-o-chrome-us) -tanganicae (tan-gan-uh-say) Paracyprichromis (Pair-ah-sip-ro-chrome-us) -brieni (bren-eye) -nigripinnis (nig-rah-pin-us) Petrochromis (Pet-ro-chrome-us) -ephippium (F-ip-ee-um) -famula (fam-u-la) -fasciolatus (faws-ee-o-lot-us) -sp. "giant" (giant) -sp. "gold" (gold) -sp. "kasumbe" (ka-sume-bay) -sp. "kipili brown" (ki-peel-ee brown) -macrognathus (mac-rog-nath-us) -sp. "moshi yellow" (moe-she yellow) -orthognathus (or-thog-nath-us) -polyodon (pall-ee-o-don) -sp. "red" (red) -sp. "texas" (texas) -sp. "texas blue" (texas blue) -sp. "texas kipili" (texas ki-peel-ee) -sp. "texas red" (texas red) -trewavasae (trah-wah-vah-say) Pseudosimochromis (Sue-dough-sim-o-chrome-us) -curvifrons (curve-uh-frawns) Reganochromis (Reh-gone-o-chrome-us) -calliurus (cal-ee-ur-us) Simochromis (Sim-o-chrome-us) -babaulti (bah-ball-tie) -diagramma (die-ah-gram-ah) -margaretae (mar-gar-et-ay) -marginatus (marge-in-ah-tus) Spathodus (Spath-o-dus) -erythrodon (Eh-reth-ro-don) -marlieri (mar-lee-air-eye) Tanganicodus (Tan-gan-uh-code-us) -irsacae (ear-saw-say) Telmatochromis (Tell-mat-o-chrome-us) -bifrenatus (bi-fren-not-us) -brichardi (brish-ard-eye) -dhonti (don-tie) -temporalis (temp-or-al-us) -vittatus (vie-taught-us) Trematocara (Trem-mat-o-car-ah) Triglachromis (Trig-lah-chrome-us) -otostigma (otto-stig-mah) Tropheus (Trophy-us) -annectens (an-eck-tens) -sp. "black" (black) -brichardi (brish-ard-eye) -duboisi (due-bwah-sigh or due-boy-see) -sp. "ikola" (ee-cole-ah) -moorii (more-ee-eye) -sp. "mpimbwe" (m-pimb-way) -polli (poll-eye) -sp. "red" (red) Tylochromis (Tie-low-chrome-us) -polylepis (pall-ee-epp-us) Variabilichromis (Vary-ab-uh-luh-chrome-us) -moorii (more-ee-eye) Xenochromis (Z-no-chrome-us) -hecqui (heck-eye) Xenotilapia (Z-no-till-opp-ee-ah) -bathyphilus (bath-ee-fie-lus) -burtoni (bur-tone-eye) -flavipinnis (flav-uh-pin-us) -ochrogenys (ock-ro-gen-ees) -ornatipinnis (or-nat-uh-pin-us) -papilio (pah-peel-ee-o)

Remember, this is just a guide and that there are different pronunciations depending on your Country.