Phocoena phocoena
- noun
- Specialized
:
Phocoena phocoena
- The Phocoena phocoena is sometimes called the harbour porpoise because it frequents coastal waters.
Examples
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Researchers observed a pod of Phocoena phocoena near the coast during their marine survey.
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Despite conservation efforts, populations of Phocoena phocoena have declined in some regions due to fishing nets and pollution.
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The Phocoena phocoena is often seen near the coast.
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Many researchers study the Phocoena phocoena in their natural habitat.
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Researchers observed a pod of Phocoena phocoena near the coast during their marine survey.
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Despite conservation efforts, populations of Phocoena phocoena have declined in some regions due to fishing nets and pollution.
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The Phocoena phocoena is sometimes called the harbour porpoise because it frequents coastal waters.
Synonyms
A small sea animal like a dolphin that lives near coasts in the northern Atlantic and Pacific
A small sea animal like a dolphin that lives near coasts and eats fish
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is a Latin binomial (genus + species) where each constituent labels the porpoise genus; a learner who knows 'Phocoena' can infer the phrase denotes a porpoise species but will not reliably derive the specific common-name meaning 'common porpoise' without knowledge of taxonomic naming conventions. Because part of the meaning (that it refers to a porpoise species) is recoverable from the constituents but the exact referent requires extra domain knowledge, the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Phocoena phocoena may come from an old Greek word for 'seal' because early sailors and scientists thought this small porpoise looked like a little seal, with a short body and rounded head. So the scientific name points to the animal's small, seal-like shape.
