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Glite Dictionary
Cancer irroratus

Cancer irroratus

9.9
A crab that lives on rocky coasts of eastern North America and is often caught for food
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : cangrejo de roca
  • The Cancer irroratus is also known as the Atlantic rock crab.

Examples

  • The Cancer irroratus is commonly found in the rocky coastal waters of New England.

  • Commercial fisheries often target Cancer irroratus for its meat.

  • Marine biologists study the lifecycle of Cancer irroratus to monitor ecosystem health.

  • Have you ever seen a Cancer irroratus in the wild?

  • Commercial fisheries often target Cancer irroratus for its meat.

  • Marine biologists study the lifecycle of Cancer irroratus to monitor ecosystem health.

  • The Cancer irroratus is commonly found in the rocky coastal waters of New England.

Synonyms

rock crab
vsCancer irroratus
  • US
1 4.5

A small sea animal with a hard shell that lives on rocky shores

is the scientific species label used in formal classification and naming

Surface Forms

Cancer irroratus singular
Cancer irrorati plural

Morphology

Cancer + irroratus

This is a Latin binomial (scientific) name: knowing 'Cancer' as a genus might allow a learner to infer it refers to a crab, but the second element 'irroratus' is a Latin epithet not found in the dictionary and gives no obvious meaning to a B1 learner. The specific common name 'Atlantic rock crab' and the species identity cannot be derived from the constituents, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Cancer irroratus comes from Latin: Cancer means 'crab' and irroratus means 'sprinkled' or 'speckled'. So the name makes a clear picture of a crab with a spotted shell, which is why it is used for the 'Atlantic rock crab' found along the eastern coast of North America.