Elops saurus

9.9

A small sea fish called ladyfish that fights hard when hooked

noun

Specialized

: Elops saurus

The Elops saurus is commonly found in coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Examples

Unlike the larger tarpon, the Elops saurus rarely exceeds a length of three feet.
Anglers often prize the Elops saurus for its energetic fight when hooked.
The Elops saurus is a popular catch among sport fishermen.
Many anglers seek the Elops saurus for its fighting spirit.
Anglers often prize the Elops saurus for its energetic fight when hooked.
The Elops saurus is commonly found in coastal waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.
The Elops saurus is a popular catch among sport fishermen.

Synonyms

ladyfish

vsElops saurus

1 8.9

A long, silvery fish that lives in warm coastal waters and is often caught for sport

is the scientific species name rather than the common name

tenpounder

vsElops saurus

9.9

A small fish often caught for sport in warm coastal waters

is the formal species name rather than a general common name

Surface Forms

Elops saurus singular

Elops sauri plural

Morphology

Elops + saurus

This is a Latin binomial (scientific) species name: knowing the parts ('Elops' as a genus and 'saurus' as a lexical element) does not allow a B1 learner to infer the meaning 'a species of fish' — the components are taxonomic labels rather than compositional English words. Scientific names are conventional and language-specific labels whose combined form is arbitrary for general learners, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Elops saurus comes from Greek words: Elops for a kind of fish and saurus meaning 'lizard', so picture a long, scaly fish that moves a bit like a small lizard. That image helps you remember that Elops saurus is a shiny, fast small game fish often called the 'ladyfish'.