Chrysaora quinquecirrha

9.9

A jellyfish called the Atlantic sea nettle that lives off the east coast and can sting

noun

Specialized

: Chrysaora quinquecirrha

The distinctive tentacles of Chrysaora quinquecirrha can deliver a painful sting.

Examples

Swimmers should be cautious in waters where Chrysaora quinquecirrha is known to inhabit.
Researchers collected several specimens of Chrysaora quinquecirrha for their jellyfish study.
The Chrysaora quinquecirrha is known for its long tentacles.
Many people are stung by Chrysaora quinquecirrha each summer.
Swimmers should be cautious in waters where Chrysaora quinquecirrha is known to inhabit.
Researchers collected several specimens of Chrysaora quinquecirrha for their jellyfish study.
The distinctive tentacles of Chrysaora quinquecirrha can deliver a painful sting.

Surface Forms

Chrysaora quinquecirrha singular

Chrysaora quinquecirrhas plural

Morphology

Chrysaora + quinquecirrha

This is a Latin binomial (scientific) name and functions as a proper taxonomic label rather than an English compositional phrase; its meaning ('Atlantic sea nettle') is not derivable from ordinary English words. Even if a learner knew 'Chrysaora' as a jellyfish, the species epithet 'quinquecirrha' is a technical/Latin element (not a common English word), so the overall sense is unpredictable to a B1 learner and behaves like an opaque lexical item.

Etymology

Chrysaora quinquecirrha comes from old Greek and Latin words that describe the jellyfish: Chrysa- means 'golden', quinque- means 'five', and -cirrha suggests 'curl' or 'tentacle'. So the name creates the image of a golden jellyfish with five long curling tentacles, which helps you remember it is the Atlantic sea nettle.