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Glite Dictionary
Erignathus barbatus

Erignathus barbatus

9.9
A bearded seal from Arctic waters with thick whiskers on its face
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : foca barbuda
  • The thick whiskers of Erignathus barbatus help it sense prey on the ocean floor.

Examples

  • The Erignathus barbatus is well adapted to life in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean.

  • Researchers observed a group of Erignathus barbatus resting on drifting sea ice.

  • The Erignathus barbatus is known for its distinctive facial bristles.

  • Have you ever seen an Erignathus barbatus in the wild?

  • Researchers observed a group of Erignathus barbatus resting on drifting sea ice.

  • The Erignathus barbatus is well adapted to life in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean.

  • The thick whiskers of Erignathus barbatus help it sense prey on the ocean floor.

Synonyms

bearded seal
vsErignathus barbatus
  • US
1 6.8

A medium-sized Arctic animal that lives in the sea with long whiskers used to find food under ice

is the scientific species name commonly used for that animal
square flipper
vsErignathus barbatus
  • Archaic
9.9

A medium-sized Arctic seal with whiskers on each side of its nose, also called the bearded seal

is the scientific species name rather than an alternate common name

Surface Forms

Erignathus barbatus singular
Erignathus barbatus plural

Morphology

Erignathus + barbatus

This is a taxonomic Latin binomial: 'Erignathus' names a genus of seals and 'barbatus' is a descriptive epithet meaning 'bearded'. Because the name is compositional and descriptive rather than idiomatic, a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to the bearded seal.

Etymology

Erignathus barbatus is the scientific name that points to the seal's big whiskers. The parts Erignathus and barbatus come from words meaning 'jaw' and 'beard', because this seal has thick bristles along its mouth, so people call it the 'bearded seal' today.