Ictalurus punctatus
- noun
- /ˌɪktəˈlʊrəs ˈpʌŋktətəs/
- Specialized
:
Ictalurus punctatus
- Farm-raised Ictalurus punctatus are a key product in the American aquaculture industry.
Examples
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You can often find Ictalurus punctatus on the menu in southern American restaurants.
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The Ictalurus punctatus is a popular choice among anglers in the Mississippi River.
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The Ictalurus punctatus is popular among anglers in the Midwest.
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Many restaurants serve dishes made from Ictalurus punctatus.
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Farm-raised Ictalurus punctatus are a key product in the American aquaculture industry.
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You can often find Ictalurus punctatus on the menu in southern American restaurants.
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Many restaurants serve dishes made from Ictalurus punctatus.
Synonyms
1
3.5
A freshwater fish with whisker-like feelers common in North America and often eaten
A common North American freshwater catfish often caught for food
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ictalurus + punctatus
This is a Latin binomial (genus + species epithet) used as a scientific name rather than a compositional English phrase. A B1 learner who knows the given constituents would not reliably derive the common meaning (‘channel catfish’) because the species epithet is Latin/unknown here and understanding requires taxonomic convention or specialist knowledge rather than ordinary word composition. Therefore the meaning is not transparently built from everyday English constituent meanings.
Etymology
Ictalurus punctatus may come from old words: the part Ictalurus suggests 'fish' and 'cat' because the fish has whisker-like feelers, and the Latin word punctatus means 'spotted' for the small spots on young fish. So the name describes the channel catfish you find in rivers and often eat as food.