Species with Funny English Common Names

Auriscalpium vulgare, commonly known as the pinecone mushroom, the cone tooth, or the ear-pick fungus, is a species of mushroom in the family Auriscalpiaceae of the Russulales order. It was first described in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus, who included it as a member of the spine fungi genus Hydnum, but in 1821, British mycologist Samuel Frederick Gray recognized its uniqueness and made it the type species of the genus Auriscalpium that he created to contain it.... less ↑

Beewolves (genus Philanthus), also known as bee-hunters, burrowing wasps, or philanthuses, are solitary, predatory wasps, most of which prey on bees, hence their common name. The adult females dig tunnels in the ground for nesting, while the territorial males mark twigs and other objects with pheromones to claim the territory from competing males. less ↑

Anisotremus surinamensis, the Black margate, is a species of grunt native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil and throughout the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It can be found at depths of from 0 to 20 metres (0 to 66 ft), preferring steeply sloping rocky bottoms or reefs with nearby areas to shelter in. This species can reach a length of 76 centimetres (30 in) TL though most do not exceed 45... less ↑

Xylaria hypoxylon is an inedible species of fungus in the genus Xylaria. It is known by a variety of common names, such as the candlestick fungus, the candlesnuff fungus, carbon antlers, or the stag's horn fungus. The fruit bodies, characterized by erect, elongated black branches with whitened tips, typically grow in clusters on decaying hardwood. The fungus can cause a root rot in hawthorn and gooseberry plants. less ↑

Protoreaster nodosus is a species of sea star found in the warm, shallow waters of Indo-Pacific region. Also known as "horned" or "Chocolate Chip" sea stars, they possess rows of spines or "horns"; black conical points arranged in a single row, radially on the dorsal side, which may erode and becoming blunt.These dark protrusions are used to scare away possible predators, by looking frightening or dangerous. On the ventral side, tube feet, purple in color(or pale,... less ↑

The cookiecutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis), also called the cigar shark, is a species of small dogfish shark in the family Dalatiidae. This shark occurs in warm, oceanic waters worldwide, particularly near islands, and has been recorded from as deep as 3.7 km (2.3 mi). It migrates vertically up to 3 km (1.9 mi) every day, approaching the surface at dusk and descending with the dawn. Reaching only 42–56 cm (17–22 in) in length, the cookiecutter shark has a long, cylindrical... less ↑

The Pajama (Pyjama) cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) is a species of fish belonging to the Apogonidae family. It is a popular aquarium fish. It grows to a total length of about 2.5 inches (8.5 centimeters) and features distinctive red eyes and a broad dark vertical 'waistband' with scattered red spots toward the tail. It is considered to be of low vulnerability, and is distributed throughout much of the West Pacific, from Java to Fiji, and from the... less ↑

Sepia bandensis, commonly known as the stumpy-spined cuttlefish or dwarf cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish. Sepia baxteri and Sepia bartletti are possible synonyms. It reaches 7 centimeters in mantle length; males weigh about 40 grams, females 45 grams. The body is coloured light brown, or greenish yellow, with white spots on the head and short white bars on the dorsal mantle. The fins, of pale colour, have rows of small fluorescent blue spots. less ↑

Phacellophora camtschatica, known as the fried egg jellyfish or egg-yolk jellyfish, is a very large jellyfish, with a bell up to 60 cm (2 ft) in diameter and sixteen clusters of up to a few dozen tentacles, each up to 6 meters (20 ft) long. This cool-water species can be found in many parts of the world's oceans. It feeds mostly on smaller jellyfish and other gelatinous zooplankton, which become ensnared in the tentacles (Strand &... less ↑

Metasepia pfefferi, also known as Pfeffer's Flamboyant Cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish occurring in tropical Indo-Pacific waters off northern Australia, southern New Guinea, as well as numerous islands of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Mark Norman of Museum Victoria in Victoria, Australia, discovered that this unique species of cuttlefish is poisonous. less ↑

The Gang-gang Cockatoo, Callocephalon fimbriatum, is found in the cooler and wetter forests and woodlands of Australia, particularly alpine bushland. Mostly mild grey in colour with some lighter scalloping (more pronounced and buffish in females) the male has a red head and crest, while the female has a small fluffy grey crest. It ranges throughout south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. The Gang-gang Cockatoo is the faunal emblem of the Australian Capital Territory. It is easily identified by... less ↑

The pacarana (Dinomys branickii) is a rare and slow-moving nocturnal rodent found only in tropical forests of the western Amazon River basin and adjacent foothills of the Andes Mountains from northwestern Venezuela and Colombia to western Bolivia, including the yungas. One place that it is common is Cotapata National Park in Bolivia. It is known as the pacarama (false paca) by native Indians due to its superficial similarity to a different caviomorph rodent, the paca. less ↑

Palibythus magnificus, sometimes called the musical furry lobster, is a species of furry lobster found in Polynesia. It is generally included in the family Palinuridae, although it has also been separated from that family with the genus Palinurellus to form the family Synaxidae in the past. The species is known in Samoan as ula moana, a name which also covers the deep water shrimp Heterocarpus laevigatus. less ↑

The puddingwife wrasse (Halichoeres radiatus) is found in the southern reefs of the Gulf of Mexico. This fish is green with a pinkish top with many green lines along the face. The puddingwife is small and at most reaches three or four pounds. Due to its small size, it is not generally eaten. Fishing for a puddingwife often entails using spinning tackle with a small hook, and bits of shrimp as bait. Another common name for... less ↑

Uroplatus phantasticus, the Satanic Leaf Tailed Gecko, is a species of gecko endemic to the island of Madagascar. First described in 1888 by George Albert Boulenger, U. phantasticus is the smallest in body of the Uroplatus geckos, though there is an ongoing debate as to whether one of its cousins, U. ebenaui, is smaller because of its shorter tail. The satanic leaf tailed gecko is also commonly known as the eyelash leaf tailed gecko or fantastic... less ↑

The Screaming Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus) is a species of armadillo in the Dasypodidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Paraguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, temperate shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, temperate grassland, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, hot deserts, temperate desert, arable land, pastureland, and plantations. The adjective "screaming" derives from its habit of squealing when threatened. less ↑

Galinsoga quadriradiata is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family which is known by several common names, including shaggy soldier, hairy galinsoga, and fringed quickweed. It is found throughout most of the temperate world, but apparently its native home is Mexico. In Portuguese-speaking countries where it is widely naturalized - e.g. in Brazil - it is known as botão-de-ouro. less ↑

Waltheria indica is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that has a pantropical distribution. It is believed to have originated in the neotropics. Common names include Sleepy Morning, Basora Prieta, Hierba de Soldado, Guimauve, Mauve-gris, Moto-branco, Fulutafu, Kafaki, and ʻUhaloa (Hawaii). W. indica is a short-lived subshrub or shrub, reaching a height of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a stem diameter of 2 cm (0.79 in). It is most common in dry, disturbed or well-drained, moist... less ↑

The smalltooth sand tiger or bumpytail ragged-tooth (Odontaspis ferox) is a species of mackerel shark in the family Odontaspididae, with a patchy but worldwide distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters. They usually inhabit deepwater rocky habitats, though they are occasionally encountered in shallow water, and have been known to return to the same location year after year. This rare species is often mistaken for the much more common grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus), from which... less ↑

The Tomato Frog or Crapaud Rouge De Madagascar (Dyscophus antongilii) is a species of frog in the Microhylidae family. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, rivers, swamps, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marches, arable land, plantations , rural gardens, urban areas, heavily degraded former forest, ponds, and canals and ditches. It is threatened by habitat loss. less ↑