José Luis Castro Aguirre

José Luis Castro Aguirre (24 June 1943 – 20 January 2011) was a Mexican ichthyologist. He was a founding member of the Mexican Ichthyological Society and a member of the National System of Investigators who produced around 150 publications, focusing chiefly on the taxonomy, ecology, and biogeography of the fishes of Mexico.^[1] His 1978 book Catálogo sistemático de los peces marinos que penetran en aguas continentales de México, con aspectos zoogeográficos y ecológicos ("Systematic catalog of marine fish entering inland waters of Mexico, with zoogeographical and ecological aspects") was the first catalog of estuarine fishes of Mexico.^[2] Born in Mexico City, he attended the National School of Biological Sciences at the National Polytechnic Institute (ENCB-IPN) earning a master's degree in 1974 and a PhD in 1986. He worked at the National Fisheries Institute and the Food and Agriculture Organization in the 1960s, and later was professor and researcher at the ENCB-IPN, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM; 1979–1987), the Interdisciplinary Center of Marine Science (CICIMAR; 1976–1979, 1994–2011) and Northeast Center of Biological Research (CIBNOR; 1987–1994).^[1] He described around a dozen fish species, including several species of shark.^[1][3] A book of research papers in his honor was produced in 2012,.^[4]

Taxon described by him

• The Pacific spoon-nose eel, Echiophis brunneus.
• The Mexican hornshark Heterodontus mexicanus

Taxon named in his honor

• He was posthumously commemorated in the names of the fish species Hypoplectrus castroaguirrei (a hamlet)^[5] and Eugerres castroaguirrei (a mojarra).^[6]