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Glite Dictionary
Sirenidae

Sirenidae

9.9
A group of salamanders that look like eels and live in water mostly in North America
  • noun
  • /ˌsɪrəˈneɪdi/
  • Specialized
: Sirenidae
  • Members of Sirenidae are unique among amphibians for their eel-like appearance.

Examples

  • The Sirenidae family includes species with reduced limbs and external gills.

  • Researchers studied the habitat preferences of Sirenidae in southeastern wetlands.

  • The Sirenidae family includes unique aquatic salamanders.

  • Have you ever seen a Sirenidae in the wild?

  • The Sirenidae family is known for its distinctive characteristics, including an elongated body and external gills.

  • In North American wetlands, Sirenidae thrive in slow-moving waters where they hunt for small aquatic invertebrates.

  • The diverse species within Sirenidae exhibit fascinating behaviors, such as staying hidden in mud during dry spells.

Synonyms

family Sirenidae
vsSirenidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of water salamanders with long bodies, gills on the outside and no back legs

focuses on eel-like form and mainly North American occurrence

Compounds

family Sirenidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of water salamanders with long bodies, gills on the outside and no back legs

Surface Forms

Sirenidae singular
Sirenidaes plural

Morphology

Sirenidae = siren (opaque) = siren + idae

The suffix '-idae' is a specialized taxonomic marker indicating a biological family and is unlikely to be understood by average B1 learners, so the familial meaning is not transparently derivable from 'siren'.

Etymology

Sirenidae starts with siren, the same word as the English siren for the myth creature or the loud alarm, and ends with -idae, a part that means 'family' for animal groups. So Sirenidae simply means the 'siren family', which helps you remember it is the group of salamanders that live in water and look like eels.