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Glite Dictionary
Hexanchus griseus

Hexanchus griseus

9.9
A large deep sea shark with six gill slits and a blunt nose
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Hexanchus griseus
  • The Hexanchus griseus is known to inhabit deep waters around the world.

Examples

  • The Hexanchus griseus is known for its distinctive six gills.

  • Marine biologists were excited to observe a live Hexanchus griseus near the continental shelf.

  • Despite its size, the Hexanchus griseus is not considered a major threat to humans.

  • Have you ever seen a Hexanchus griseus in the wild?

  • Marine biologists were excited to observe a live Hexanchus griseus near the continental shelf.

  • Despite its size, the Hexanchus griseus is not considered a major threat to humans.

  • The Hexanchus griseus is known to inhabit deep waters around the world.

Synonyms

six-gilled shark
vsHexanchus griseus
9.3

A large shark with six gill slits that lives in warm seas

is the formal Latin binomial used in scientific classification

Surface Forms

Hexanchus griseus singular
Hexanchus griseuses plural

Morphology

Hexanchus + griseus

This is a Latin binomial (genus + specific epithet) used as a scientific name; the parts are not common English words (and 'griseus' is not a standard dictionary word), so a B1 learner knowing the surface constituents would not be able to infer the meaning. Recognizing the referent requires specialist biological/Latin knowledge rather than ordinary compositional understanding, so the expression is opaque to typical learners.

Etymology

Hexanchus griseus is a scientific name from old Greek and Latin: Hexanchus points to 'six gills' and griseus means 'grey', so the name describes the shark's six gill slits and its grey colour.