Enhydra lutris

9.9

A large sea mammal with very thick dark brown fur that lives along the northern Pacific coast

noun
/ɛnˈhaɪdrə ˈluːtrɪs/

Specialized

: nutria marina

Researchers observed Enhydra lutris using rocks to crack open shellfish.

Examples

Conservationists are working to protect Enhydra lutris from oil spills and habitat loss.
The population of Enhydra lutris has made a remarkable recovery along certain stretches of the Pacific coast.
The Enhydra lutris is known for its dense fur.
Have you ever seen an Enhydra lutris in the wild?
Conservationists are working to protect Enhydra lutris from oil spills and habitat loss.
Researchers observed Enhydra lutris using rocks to crack open shellfish.
The population of Enhydra lutris has made a remarkable recovery along certain stretches of the Pacific coast.

Synonyms

sea otter

vsEnhydra lutris

7 2.3

A large brown sea animal that lives near Pacific coasts and uses rocks to open shellfish

is the formal scientific name used by scientists rather than the everyday label

Surface Forms

Enhydra lutris singular

Enhydra lutrises plural

Morphology

Enhydra + lutris

This is a Latin binomial (taxonomic) name: knowing 'Enhydra' as a genus of otters gives a clear clue that the phrase refers to an otter species, but the species epithet 'lutris' and the specific sense 'sea otter' are not derived via ordinary English composition. Scientific names function as proper nouns under taxonomic conventions rather than as compositional English phrases, so the meaning is only partially recoverable by learners familiar with genus/species naming and not fully predictable for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

The name Enhydra lutris comes from Greek and Latin: Enhydra means 'in the water' and lutris means 'otter'. So the name shows an otter that lives in the sea, which helps you remember it is the scientific name for the sea otter.