ocellatus

Ocellatus is a Latin adjective used as a species epithet in the scientific names of many organisms. Derived from ocellus, meaning a small eye, ocellatus roughly translates to “eye-spotted” or “having eye-like markings.” In zoological nomenclature, such epithets describe a morphological trait that helps distinguish a species, typically a pattern of spots or markings that resemble ocelli on the animal’s body. The term is also found in botanical naming, where similar forms of the epithet may be used to describe patterns or markings on plant parts, though its use is more common in animal taxa.

The epithet ocellatus appears across a wide range of groups, including reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, and invertebrates, as well as some flowering plants. Because genus and species names are independent across different lineages, ocellatus does not indicate close evolutionary relationship between all species that bear it; it often reflects convergent appearance rather than shared ancestry. Epithets such as ocellatus are governed by the relevant nomenclatural codes—the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature for animals and the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants for plants. The same epithet may recur in many genera and can vary in form (ocellatus, ocellata, ocellatum) to agree with the gender of the genus.

Notable usage in scientific literature typically highlights the presence of distinct eye-like spots or markings, which may serve functions in camouflage, signaling, or mate recognition. The term is sometimes encountered in historical or descriptive contexts and is often rendered in English as “ocellated” when describing patterning.