Ziphiidae
- noun
- /ˈzɪfɪˌeɪdə/
- Specialized
:
Ziphiidae
- The Ziphiidae are distinguished from other cetaceans by their elongated beaks and unique teeth.
Examples
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Unlike other whales, members of the Ziphiidae family are rarely seen at the ocean's surface.
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Recent studies have improved our understanding of how Ziphiidae species dive and forage at great depths.
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The Ziphiidae family includes some of the most elusive marine mammals.
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Many researchers study the Ziphiidae to understand their deep-diving behavior.
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Researchers have documented several species of Ziphiidae that can dive deeper than any other marine mammals.
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The Ziphiidae family is comprised of creatures that are masterful at foraging for food in dark ocean depths.
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The distinct shapes of the Ziphiidae beaks help scientists identify different species in the ocean.
Synonyms
1
7.4
A medium-sized whale with a long narrow snout that dives deep in oceans
A group of ocean mammals called beaked whales that dive very deep
Compounds
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ziphiidae = Ziphius (opaque) = ziphi + idae
The suffix '-idae' is a technical zoological family ending; this formation is domain-specific and not transparent to an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Ziphiidae comes from the genus Ziphius, which comes from an old Greek root meaning 'sword' and is the same idea you see in swordfish. A helpful way to remember the name is that these beaked whales have long, 'sword-like' beaks, so the word tells us about their pointed shape and deep-diving way of life.