Misleading Animal Names

[Sphenisciologist]

There are many misleading animal names out there that non-animal nerds would be confused about. What are yours?

Here’s mine: before I knew about them, I though Jerboas were snakes, because their name has “Boa” in it. Similar to the snake. But of course, they’re small rodents.

 

[TinoPup]

Old/Obscure Taxonomically Incorrect names for Animals

 

[Fallax]

I thought elephants were ants, because their name has "ant" in it. Similar to the insect. But of course, they're large proboscids.

 

[Sphenisciologist]

Old/Obscure Taxonomically Incorrect names for Animals

oh, thanks. Didn’t see that.

 

[DaLilFishie]

So many fish species have misleading names it's not even funny. For example:
Barramundi Cod (actually a grouper)
Rock Cod/Beardie Cod (actually a morid)
Sleepy Cod (actually a sleeper goby)
Blue Cod (a sandperch)
Coral Trout (a grouper)
Eastern and Western Blue Gropers (both wrasses)
Bala, Redtail and Rainbow Sharks (all cyprinids)
Iridescent Shark (a catfish)
Members of Synbranchiformes, the spiny eels, are often called eels but are not related.
Groupers and notothens are sometimes called rockcods.
Threadfin Salmon (actually a member of Polynemidae)
many sleeper gobies are called gudgeons.
the Pink Maomao and Blue Maomao are not in any way related. The Pink Maomao is an anthias and the Blue Maomao is a sea sweep.
Sunrise Perch (actually a serranid)
Jungle Perch (actually a flagtail)
Jade Perch (actually a grunter)

 

[Sphenisciologist]

I thought elephants were ants, because their name has "ant" in it. Similar to the insect. But of course, they're large proboscids.

haha!

 

[DaLilFishie]

King crabs, hermit crabs, porcelain crabs and the Coconut Crab are not crabs.

 

[TinoPup]

King crabs, hermit crabs, porcelain crabs and the Coconut Crab are not crabs.

Nor are horseshoe crabs

 

[birdsandbats]

 

[vogelcommando]

In the Netherlands the European stag beetle is known as 'vliegend hert' ( = flying deer ), but as we all know they are not realy ungulates ( and also Monty Pythons Flying sheeps are not real ! ).

 

[turkeyfox]

Mountain chicken has to take the cake on this one.

(It's a frog.)

 

[TheChukaulorian]

The musk ox, actually a relative of sheep and goats.

Also the Spanish language has a lot of this:

The name for bats, murciélago, derives from an earlier root that means "blind mouse".

Tinamous being locally known as perdices (partridges).

In the Netherlands the European stag beetle is known as 'vliegend hert' ( = flying deer ), but as we all know they are not realy ungulates ( and also Monty Pythons Flying sheeps are not real ! ).

Also the case in Spanish, they're known as ciervos volantes.

Also there's one that's always bugged me despite how normalized it is: referring to the Coypu (Myocastor coypus) as nutria. Which is the Spanish name for otter. Imo it always leads to unnecessary confusion since one is a rodent and the other a carnivoran, and I've seen many poorly-researched Spanish media and works which mix up coypus and otters due to mistranslating the "nutria" vernacular name.