Atlantic spiny dogfish
- noun
- /əˈtlæntɪk ˈspaɪni ˈdɔɡfɪʃ/
- UK
:
pez perro espinoso atlántico
- The Atlantic spiny dogfish is often dissected in biology classes due to its distinctive anatomy.
Examples
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Populations of the Atlantic spiny dogfish have declined in some areas due to overfishing.
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Fishermen off the coast of New England sometimes catch Atlantic spiny dogfish in their nets.
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The Atlantic spiny dogfish is often used in marine biology classes.
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Have you ever seen an Atlantic spiny dogfish in the ocean?
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Fishermen off the coast of New England sometimes catch Atlantic spiny dogfish in their nets.
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The Atlantic spiny dogfish is often dissected in biology classes due to its distinctive anatomy.
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Populations of the Atlantic spiny dogfish have declined in some areas due to overfishing.
Synonyms
A small shark with sharp spines in front of its top fins
A small spiny shark called the spiny dogfish that lives near coasts in the Atlantic and Pacific
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'Atlantic' specifies location, 'spiny' describes having sharp spines, and 'dogfish' names a small shark. This straightforward adjective + noun structure follows normal English composition, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the overall meaning.
Etymology
Atlantic spiny dogfish got its name from a clear picture: fishermen called these small sharks dogfish because they hunt in groups like dogs, spiny because they have sharp spines in front of their back fins, and Atlantic because they live in the Atlantic Ocean. So the name tells you it is a 'small shark' from the Atlantic with 'sharp spines'.
