Hydrochaeris Brunnich, 1772 . Zool. Fundamenta, p. 44.

TYPE SPECIES: Sus hydrochaeris Linnaeus, 1758 .

SYNONYMS: Capiguara, Xenohydrochoerus.

COMMENTS: Mones and Ojasti (1986:5) recommended retention of the original name Hydrochoerus; Husson (1978:456-457) discussed the spelling of the generic name and concluded that Hydrochoerus Brisson, 1762 is not valid because Brisson's (1762) work was not consistently binominal.