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Glite Dictionary
Selene vomer

Selene vomer

9.9
A silvery sea fish with a very flat body and eyes high on its forehead
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Selene vomer
  • The Selene vomer is easily recognized by its almost transparent silvery body.

Examples

  • Aquariums often display Selene vomer due to its distinctive appearance and graceful swimming.

  • Researchers studied the feeding behavior of Selene vomer in coastal waters.

  • The Selene vomer is known for its unique appearance.

  • Many aquarists love keeping Selene vomers in their tanks.

  • The Selene vomer is a popular choice in aquariums because of its striking silvery coloration.

  • In the shallow waters, schools of Selene vomer can often be seen swimming gracefully together.

  • The distinctive shape of the Selene vomer makes it stand out among other marine fish.

Synonyms

lookdown
vsSelene vomer
  • Specialized
9.9

A shiny silver sea fish with a flat, deep body and eyes set high on its head

is the scientific species name rather than the everyday common name
lookdown fish
vsSelene vomer
  • Specialized
9.1

A sea fish with a flat shiny silver body and eyes high on its head

is the exact species identification rather than a general resembling description

Surface Forms

Selene vomer singular
Selene vomers plural

Morphology

Selene + vomer

This is a Latin binomial taxonomic name (genus + species epithet) functioning as a proper noun rather than a compositional English phrase, so its referent 'lookdown' cannot be derived from the parts. The second element 'vomer' is not a common English word (and even if it has a Latin root, that does not make the fish meaning predictable), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would not be able to infer the species meaning.

Etymology

The name Selene vomer may come from old words: Selene meaning 'moon' and vomer meaning 'flat blade'. The fish's shiny, silvery body and very flat shape make it look like a moon and a thin blade, so the name fits this lookdown fish.