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  Original name  
  Check ECoF  
  Current accepted name  
Yes
  Status  
Accepted name
  Status details  
senior synonym, new combination
  Status ref.  
  Etymology of generic noun  
  from ETYFish
Etymology not explained nor evident. A few online sources suggest Dalatias is derived from dalos (Gr.), torch or firebrand, but nothing in Rafinesque’s description supports this interpretation. Interestingly, D. licha is bioluminescent, a fact that was discovered and resported only recently and was certainly unknown to Rafinesque and other early naturalists. See: Mallefet J., D. W. Stevens, and L. Duchatelet. 2021. Bioluminescence of the largest luminous vertebrate, the kitefin shark, Dalatias licha: first insights and comparative aspects. Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (article 633582): 1-13. (See ETYFish)
  Etymology of specific epithet  
  from ETYFish
Latinization of “La Liche” as reported by Broussonet (1780), an old French word for this shark, possibly from from the Occitan lecha or lec, meaning “glutton”. (See ETYFish)
  Link to references  
References using the name as accepted
  Link to other databases  

Note: ETYFish and FishBase started a collaboration to complete the etymology for all valid names of fishes. For the current update, the following groups were completed: hagfishes (Myxini), lampreys (Petromyzonti), chimaeras (Holocephali), and sharks (Squalomorphi). It is a work in progress, so the two websites may not be synchronized.

Scharpf, C. The ETYFish Project, Fish Name Etymology Database. https://www.etyfish.org
Please, report here on etymology issues.