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Glite Dictionary
Ginglymostoma cirratum

Ginglymostoma cirratum

9.9
A small shark that lives on the sea floor in warm shallow water
  • noun
  • /ˌɡɪŋɡlɪˈmoʊstəˌmə sɪˈrætəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tiburón nodriza
  • The Ginglymostoma cirratum is known for its docile nature and distinctive whisker-like barbels near its mouth.
  • Ginglymostoma cirratum (nurse shark)
  • Ginglymostoma cirratum shark

Examples

  • Divers often encounter the Ginglymostoma cirratum resting motionless on sandy sea floors during the day.

  • Researchers tagged several Ginglymostoma cirratum individuals to study their migration patterns along the coast.

  • The Ginglymostoma cirratum is often seen resting on the ocean floor.

  • Have you ever spotted a Ginglymostoma cirratum while diving?

  • Divers often encounter the Ginglymostoma cirratum resting motionless on sandy sea floors during the day.

  • Researchers tagged several Ginglymostoma cirratum individuals to study their migration patterns along the coast.

  • The Ginglymostoma cirratum is known for its docile nature and distinctive whisker-like barbels near its mouth.

Synonyms

nurse shark
vsGinglymostoma cirratum
2 6.3

A slow shark that lives on warm shallow sea floors and has small whiskers near its mouth

is the scientific name for the same species rather than the common name

Surface Forms

Ginglymostoma cirratum singular
Ginglymostoma cirratums plural

Morphology

Ginglymostoma + cirratum

This is a Latin binomial scientific name rather than a compositional English phrase; one constituent is a taxonomic proper name and the other is not a common dictionary word, so their literal meanings do not signal 'nurse shark.' A B1 learner who knows the written constituents would not be able to derive the species meaning without prior biological or Latin knowledge, so the expression is not transparently interpretable.

Etymology

Ginglymostoma cirratum comes from old Greek and Latin words: Ginglymostoma means 'hinged mouth' and cirratum means 'with little curls'. That gives a picture of the nurse shark — a calm, bottom-dwelling shark with a strong, movable mouth and small whiskers near its mouth, so the name helps you remember this species.