Eretmochelys imbricata
- noun
- Specialized
:
Eretmochelys imbricata
- The Eretmochelys imbricata, commonly known as the hawksbill turtle, is critically endangered due to illegal hunting for its shell.
Examples
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The Eretmochelys imbricata is critically endangered due to the high demand for its beautiful shell.
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Marine biologists study Eretmochelys imbricata to better understand threats to biodiversity in coral reefs.
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Illegal trafficking of Eretmochelys imbricata remains a serious issue for wildlife conservation organizations.
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The Eretmochelys imbricata is often found in coral reefs.
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Have you ever seen an Eretmochelys imbricata in the wild?
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As a tropical sea turtle, the Eretmochelys imbricata plays a crucial role in maintaining the health of coral reef ecosystems.
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Efforts to protect the Eretmochelys imbricata have led to increased awareness of marine conservation among local communities.
Synonyms
A sea turtle with a pointed, hawk-like beak and a beautiful patterned shell that is endangered
A tropical sea turtle with a hawk-like beak and a beautiful shell wanted by people
A tropical sea turtle with a hooked beak and a beautiful patterned shell valued for decoration and food
A tropical sea turtle with a hooked beak valued for its shell and meat
Surface Forms
Morphology
Eretmochelys + imbricata
This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) functioning as a scientific proper name rather than a compositional English phrase; the species epithet 'imbricata' is not lexically clear and is marked as not found. Even if a learner knows that Eretmochelys refers to a sea-turtle genus, they would not be able to derive the full common-language meaning (tropical hawksbill turtle, tortoiseshell, conservation status) from the parts, so the expression is not transparently compositional.
Etymology
The name Eretmochelys imbricata comes from old Greek and Latin words: eretmo ('oar') + chelys ('turtle') and imbricata ('overlapping'). So the name gives a picture of a turtle with oar-like flippers and a shell of overlapping plates, which helps you remember this sea turtle and its tiled shell.
