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Glite Dictionary
Zalophus californianus

Zalophus californianus

9.3
A sea lion from the west coast of North America often trained for shows
  • noun
  • /zəˈloʊfəs ˌkælɪfɔrˈneɪənəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : león marino de California
  • The Zalophus californianus is commonly seen performing tricks at marine parks.

Examples

  • Many aquariums feature Zalophus californianus in their shows.

  • Visitors to the beach might spot a Zalophus californianus basking in the sun on the rocks.

  • Researchers studied the migration patterns of Zalophus californianus along the Pacific coast.

  • Unlike other sea lions, Zalophus californianus is known for its intelligence and trainability.

  • The Zalophus californianus is known for its intelligence.

  • The Zalophus californianus often impresses audiences with its playful tricks during shows at the aquarium.

  • In marine parks, Zalophus californianus is frequently trained to perform various entertaining behaviors.

Synonyms

sea lion
vsZalophus californianus
  • US
19 1.4

A large seal with visible ears that lives in cold Pacific waters

is a single species within that broader group found on western coasts
California sea lion
vsZalophus californianus
  • US
1 3.4

A large brown sea animal with ear flaps often trained for shows

is the scientific name label for that same coastal species
Zalophus californicus
vsZalophus californianus
  • Specialized
9.9

A large brown sea animal like a seal that lives on the west coast of North America

is the standard scientific spelling for that coastal species

Surface Forms

Zalophus californianus singular
Zalophus californianuses plural

Morphology

Zalophus + californianus

This is a standard Latin binomial: 'Zalophus' names the genus (a group of sea lions) and 'californianus' is a Latin adjective meaning 'from California', so together they denote the California sea lion. Taxonomic name formation is compositional and cross-linguistically regular, so a learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the species meaning.

Etymology

Zalophus californianus is the Latin name for the California sea lion. 'californianus' means 'from California', and 'Zalophus' is the name scientists gave to this group of sea lions, so the whole name works like a Latin label showing this animal is the California sea lion.