The system most likely contains four stars with two other telescopic components of apparent magnitude 7.2 and 8.2 at angular separations of 0.8 and 6.4 arcseconds from the main pair.
[5] The closer (Zeta Phoenicis B) is an A-type main-sequence star[6] with an orbital period around the main pair of about 210 years, as well as an eccentricity of about 0.35.
The WGSN decided to attribute proper names to individual stars rather than entire multiple systems.
[4] In Chinese occasioned by adaptation of the European southern hemisphere constellations into the Chinese system, 水委 (Shuǐ Wěi), meaning Crooked Running Water, refers to an asterism consisting of Zeta Phoenicis, Alpha Eridani (Achernar) and Eta Phoenicis.
Consequently, Zeta Phoenicis itself is known as 水委二 (Shuǐ Wěi èr, English: the Second Star of Crooked Running Water).