Schlegelii

Schlegelii is a Latinized species epithet used in the scientific names of various organisms to honor the 19th-century German naturalist Hermann Schlegel. It does not designate a single taxon; rather, any species described by a taxonomist may receive this epithet. The form -ii indicates a masculine honoree and is common in zoological and botanical nomenclature.

The epithet appears across diverse groups, including fishes, mollusks, insects, amphibians, and plants. Each usage reflects the taxonomist’s choice to recognize Schlegel’s contributions to natural history, and the exact person honored is typically noted in the species’ formal description.

A well-known example is Potamotrygon schlegelii, the Schlegel’s stingray, a freshwater ray from the Amazon basin that is sometimes kept in aquaria. The epithet similarly appears in other genera, illustrating the broader practice of eponymous naming in taxonomy.

Because schlegelii is an epithet rather than a taxon, its occurrence does not imply any taxonomic relationship beyond the particular genus. The same epithet may be used in unrelated groups.

See also: Eponym in biology, Taxonomic nomenclature.