Oncorhynchus
- noun
- /ˌɒŋkəˈrɪŋkəs/
- Specialized
- Many anglers seek to catch Oncorhynchus salmon during the spawning season.
Examples
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The Oncorhynchus genus includes popular species such as the sockeye and chinook salmon.
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The Oncorhynchus species are known for their incredible migratory patterns in the Pacific Ocean.
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Oncorhynchus tshawytscha are well established as anadromous and landlocked runs in New Zealand.
Academic text (1994)
Compounds
- Specialized
A large Pacific salmon with small dark spots on its back that people eat
- Specialized
A small salmon with red flesh from northern Pacific rivers, often eaten and dying after laying eggs
- Specialized
A large Pacific salmon called king salmon that people eat and that lays eggs and then dies
Surface Forms
Etymology
Oncorhynchus comes from Greek parts onkos meaning 'hook' and rhynchus meaning 'snout'. It was chosen because adult Pacific salmon and trout often grow a hooked mouth when they return to rivers to lay eggs, so the name fits this group of fish.