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family Pristidae

family Pristidae

9.9
A group of large rays with long, saw-like snouts
  • noun
  • Specialized
: familia Pristidae
  • Members of the family Pristidae are easily recognized by their elongated, toothed snouts.

Examples

  • The family Pristidae includes several species of sawfishes found in tropical and subtropical waters.

  • The family Pristidae includes several species of sawfish.

  • Conservation efforts are underway to protect endangered species within the family Pristidae.

  • Many scientists study the family Pristidae for their unique adaptations.

  • Members of the family Pristidae are easily recognized by their elongated, toothed snouts.

  • Conservation efforts are underway to protect endangered species within the family Pristidae.

  • The family Pristidae includes several species of sawfishes found in tropical and subtropical waters.

Synonyms

Pristidae
vsfamily Pristidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of large fish with long saw-like snouts called sawfishes

is the same concept but written as a phrase including the rank term

Surface Forms

Morphology

family + Pristidae

This is a straightforward taxonomic construction: 'family' signals a scientific grouping and 'Pristidae' names the group (sawfishes), so a learner who knows both constituents will understand it means the family of those rays. Taxonomic phrases are compositional and cross-linguistically similar, making the meaning directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Family Pristidae comes from an old word that means 'saw'. These rays have a long, flat nose with teeth that looks like a saw, so the name is used for the group of fish we call sawfishes.