In a previous article we discussed scientific names, those tongue twisting Latin/Greek constructions that are used to identify all described living things. However, no mention was made of the three letter abbreviations, such as AUS, GAR, etc., that occasionally show up in reference to various killifish.
Very simply, the three letter abbreviations are a technical shorthand for the identification of killifish, which facilitate accurate communication without having to spell out entire species names.
The concept, originally developed by Jorgen Sheel and first published in his Rivulins of the Old World (1975), covered only the old world killifishes. Since then a number of additional species have been identified, and the classification of some species has been changed.
The following list is undoubtedly incomplete and prone to error (many of the Roloffias, for example have been recently reclassified), but it still should provide at least a handy beginning reference for the aquarist.
A. – Aphyosemion
Aplo. – Aplochielus
C. – Cynolegias
E. – Epiplatys
F. – Fundulopanchax
N. – Nothobranchius
Riv. – Rivulus
R. – Roloffia
Code Species Names
AHL – A. ahli
AMI – A. amieti
ANN – E. annulatus
ARN – A. arnoldi
AUS – A. australe
BAR – E. barmoiensis
BAT – A. batesii
BER – R. bertholdi
BIF – E. bifasciatus
BIV – A. bivittatum
BLO – Aplo. blockii
BUA – A. bualanum
CAL – A. calliurum
CAM – A. cameronense
CHA – E. chaperi
CHE – E. chevalieri
CHR – A. christyi
CIN – A. cinnamomeum
DAG – E. dageti
DAY – Aplo. dayi
DOM – Aplo. panchax dorsomarginatus
DUB – Aphyoplatys duboisi
ELE – A. elegans
ESE – E. esekanus
ESI – A. exiguum
FAS – E. fasciolatus
FER – A. ferranti
FIL – A. filamentosum
FLA – A. flavipinnis
FUL – A. fulgens
GAM – Fundulosoma gambiense
GAR – F. gardneri
GEO – A. georgiae
GER – R. geryi
GRA – E. grahami
GUE – N. guentheri
GUI – R. guineensis
GUL – A. gulare
HOM – Pachypanchax homalonotus
LAB – A. labarrei
LAM – E. lamottei
LIB – R. liberiensis
LIN – Aplo. lineatus
LON – E. longiventralis
LOU – A. louessense
MAE – R. maeseni
MIL – N. microlepis
MON – E. dageti monroviae
MUF – E. multifasciatus
NIC – E. nigricans
OCC – R. occidentalis
OGO – A. ogoense
ORT – N. orthonotus
PAN – A. panchax
PET – R. petersii
PLA – P. playfairi
RAC – N. rachovii
ROL – R. roloffi
SEX – E. sexfasciatus
SIN – E. singa
SIO – A. schioetzi
SJO – A. sjoestedti
SPL – A. splendidum
STR – A. striatum
TAP – N. taeniopygus
THI – Fundulosoma thierryi
TOD – R. occidentalis toddi
WAL – A. walkeri
WER – A. werneri
WHI – C. whitei
XIP – Riv. xiphidius
List of Possibly Valid Names, or Synonyms
ACU – E. acuticaudatus (SPI)
AND – Aplo. andamanicus
ANS – E. ansorgei
BAU – E. baudoni
BEA – A. beauforti
BOU – E. boulengeri (MUF)
BRI – N. brieni
CAB – R. calabaricus (LIB)
CAS – A. castaneum (SCH)
COE – A. coeruleum (SJO)
COG – A. cognatum
DEC – A. decorsei
DEF – E. grahami decemfasciatus (SPI)
DOR – E. dorsalis (FAS)
ELB – A. elberti (BUA)
FAL – A. fallax
GUS – A. gustavi (BEA)
HOL – A. bivittatum hollyi (BIV)
INF – E. infrafasciatus (SEX)
JAC – A. jacobi (EXI)
JAU – A. jaundense (EXI)
KIY – Fundulosoma kiyawense
LEO – E. sexfasciatus leonensis (FAS)
LOB – A. loboanum (EXI)
LOE – A. loennbergii (BIV)
LOL – A. loloense (EXI)
LUJ – A. lujae
MAC – E. macrostigma
MAG – A. margaretae
MAR – E. marnoi (SPI)
MAT – E. matlocki (FAS)
MAY – N. mayeri
MEI – A. meinkeni
MEL – R. melanteron
MEP – N. melanospilus
MIC – A. microstomum (CAM)
MUC – A. multicolor (BIV)
NDE – E. ndelensis (BIF)
NEU – N. neumanni
NIG – A. nigerianum (GAR)
NIM – E. nigromarginatus
NUC – Pachypanchax nuchimaculatus (HOM)
OBS – A. obscurum
OGO – A. ogoensis
OLB – E. chaperi olbrechtsi
ORN – E. ornatus
PAL – N. palmquisti
PAP – A. pappenheimi (BIV)
PAR – Aplo. parvus (BLO)
PAT – N. patrizzi
POL – A. polychromum (AUS)
RIG – A. riggenbachi (BIV)
RUF – A. rubrifascium (BUA)
RUM – Aplo. rubrostigmus (LIN)
RUR – N. rubroreticulatus
RUS – A. rubrostictum (BIV)
SAN – E. sangmelinensis
SCH – A. schoutedeni
SEN – E. senegalensis (SPI)
SEY – N. seychellensis
SIA – Aplo. panchax siamensis
SPM – E. spillmanni (SHE)
SPP – A. splendopleure (BIV)
SPU – A. spurrelli (WAL)
SRE – A. schreineri(BEA)
STE – E. steindachneri (BIF)
TAE – E. taeniatus (BIF)
TES – A. tessmanni (BUA)
TRO – N. troemneri (ORT)
UNS – A. unistrigatum (BIV)
VEX – A. vexillifer (CAL)
ZIM – A. zimmeri
— GCKA Newsletter, November 1997