Pacific spiny dogfish
- noun
- US
:
pez perro espinoso del Pacífico
- The Pacific spiny dogfish is recognized by the two spines on its back and its slender body.
Examples
-
Researchers tracked the migration paths of the Pacific spiny dogfish along the western coastline.
-
Fishermen often encounter Pacific spiny dogfish while trawling for other species.
-
The Pacific spiny dogfish is often found in shallow waters.
-
Many fishermen target the Pacific spiny dogfish for its meat.
-
Fishermen often encounter Pacific spiny dogfish while trawling for other species.
-
Researchers tracked the migration paths of the Pacific spiny dogfish along the western coastline.
-
The Pacific spiny dogfish is recognized by the two spines on its back and its slender body.
Synonyms
A small dogfish shark found off the Pacific coast of North America
A small shark with sharp spines in front of its top fins
A small spiny shark called the spiny dogfish that lives near coasts in the Atlantic and Pacific
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently built from its parts: 'Pacific' indicates the ocean/region, 'spiny' describes having sharp spines, and 'dogfish' names a small shark, so a learner who knows these words can infer it is a spiny dogfish found in the Pacific. This is a straightforward descriptive compound noun following common compounding patterns cross-linguistically, making it accessible to a B1 learner who knows the constituents.
Etymology
Pacific spiny dogfish gets its name from old fishermen who called small sharks dogfish because they seemed to 'hunt in packs' like dogs and nip at nets. Spiny points to the two 'sharp spines' on its back and Pacific shows where it lives, so the name means 'a small shark with spines found in the Pacific'.
