Buzz
The scientific nomenclature of plants and animals often draws inspiration from diverse origins. Explore 11 of the most intriguing Latin names inspired by fictional characters from timeless novels, theatrical works, and comic books.
1. Oedipina complex // Gamboa Worm Salamander
This species of neotropical salamander derives its name from Sophocles’s tragic play Oedipus Rex and Sigmund Freud’s renowned psychoanalytic theory inspired by it.
2. Iago garricki // Longnose Houndshark
A fish whose genus pays homage to the infamous antagonist from Shakespeare’s Othello.
3. Bagheera kiplingi // Jumping Spider
This Central American jumping spider takes its name from Bagheera, the wise panther who guides Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. Identified in 2009, it stands out as the first spider species known to primarily follow a vegetarian diet.
4. Han solo // Trilobite
The genus name, Han, honors the Han nationality, the predominant ethnic group in China. When naming this ancient trilobite found in what is now China, paleontologist Samuel Turvey drew inspiration from George Lucas’s iconic nerf herder.
5. Geragnostus waldorfstatleri // Trilobite
Turvey didn’t stop at Han solo for trilobite names. He found this fossil’s head reminiscent of The Muppet Show’s famous hecklers, Statler and Waldorf, leading to its playful designation.
6. Gojirasaurus quayi // Dinosaur
Gojira, the Japanese name for Godzilla, fittingly labels this 220-million-year-old predator. Measuring nearly 18 feet, it holds the distinction of being the earliest-known large carnivorous dinosaur.
7. Gollum suluensis // Sulu Gollumshark
This New Zealand shark derives its name from Gollum, the iconic character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Its species name, however, references the Sulu Sea in the Philippines, not George Takei’s character Hikaru Sulu from the original Star Trek series.
8. Spongiforma squarepantsii // Fungus
Despite its name, Spongiforma squarepantsii isn’t a sponge but a mushroom discovered in 2010, paying tribute to the beloved cartoon character Spongebob Squarepants.
9. Sauroniops pachytholus // Dinosaur
With only the upper skull of this carnivorous dinosaur discovered—featuring a single eye socket—it earned its name from another infamous Lord of the Rings antagonist: the menacing eye of Sauron.
10. Otocinclus batmani // Catfish
The distinctive tail spot on this South American armored catfish species inspired ichthyologist Pablo Lehmann to name it after Gotham City’s caped crusader.
11. Tetragnatha quasimodo // Spider
This Hawaiian spider species takes its name from the protagonist of Victor Hugo’s classic novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
