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Glite Dictionary
Blennius pholis

Blennius pholis

9.9
A small fish without scales that lives on European coasts called the shanny
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Blennius pholis
  • The Blennius pholis is commonly found in tide pools along the western coasts of Europe.

Examples

  • Unlike many other fish, the Blennius pholis does not have scales covering its body.

  • Marine biologists study the Blennius pholis to learn more about coastal fish habitats.

  • The Blennius pholis is commonly found in tide pools.

  • Have you ever seen a Blennius pholis in the wild?

  • Marine biologists study the Blennius pholis to learn more about coastal fish habitats.

  • The Blennius pholis is commonly found in tide pools along the western coasts of Europe.

  • Unlike many other fish, the Blennius pholis does not have scales covering its body.

Synonyms

shanny
vsBlennius pholis
  • UK
9.9

A small fish without scales that lives among rocks on European coasts

is the formal scientific name used for that same species

Surface Forms

Blennius pholis singular
Blennius pholises plural

Morphology

Blennius + Pholis

The lexical parts are Latin taxonomic names: knowing that Blennius is a genus of blennies and recognizing binomial naming lets a learner infer this is a scientific name for a fish species. However, the specific sense 'a scaleless blenny (the shanny)' is not directly predictable from the two genus labels without some domain knowledge, so the relation is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Blennius pholis may come from old Greek words: Blennius links to a word for 'mucus' because these fish feel a bit slimy, and pholis may refer to fish that live on rocky shores. So the name gives a picture of a small, slightly slimy fish that lives in tide pools and rocky coasts.