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Lamna nasus

Lamna nasus

9.9
A large fast shark with a pointed snout found in the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans
  • noun
  • Specialized
: Lamna nasus
  • Researchers tagged a Lamna nasus to study its migratory patterns across the Atlantic.
  • Lamna nasus (porbeagle)

Examples

  • The Lamna nasus is known for its speed and agility.

  • The Lamna nasus is highly valued in commercial fisheries for its flesh and fins.

  • Conservationists have expressed concern about declining Lamna nasus populations due to overfishing.

  • Many divers are excited to see a Lamna nasus in the wild.

  • Conservationists have expressed concern about declining Lamna nasus populations due to overfishing.

  • Researchers tagged a Lamna nasus to study its migratory patterns across the Atlantic.

  • The Lamna nasus is highly valued in commercial fisheries for its flesh and fins.

Synonyms

porbeagle
vsLamna nasus
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A large shark with a pointed snout found in cold northern oceans

is the scientific Latin name used in taxonomy for the same species

Surface Forms

Lamna nasus singular
Lamna nasuses plural

Morphology

Lamna + nasus

The name is a Latin binomial so its parts are partly compositional: knowing 'Lamna' (a genus of mackerel sharks) and the root 'nasus' (nose/snout) allows a learner to infer this refers to a type of Lamna with a notable snout and thus a shark species. However, the specific common name 'porbeagle' and full species characteristics are taxonomic and culturally specific, so the exact meaning is not fully predictable from the constituents alone.

Etymology

Lamna nasus comes from old Latin and Greek words. Lamna was an old word for a large, fast shark and nasus means 'nose', so the name gives the image of a long-nosed shark and explains why it refers to the pointed-snouted porbeagle.