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Glite Dictionary
Lates calcarifer

Lates calcarifer

9.6
A large fish like a perch that lives in sea and rivers and is eaten
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Lates calcarifer
  • Because Lates calcarifer thrives in both saltwater and freshwater, it is farmed in diverse environments.

Examples

  • Anglers travel to northern Australia to catch trophy-sized Lates calcarifer during the spawning season.

  • The chef prepared grilled Lates calcarifer with a lemon butter sauce for the guests.

  • The Lates calcarifer is often found in coastal waters.

  • Have you ever caught a Lates calcarifer before?

  • Anglers travel to northern Australia to catch trophy-sized Lates calcarifer during the spawning season.

  • The chef prepared grilled Lates calcarifer with a lemon butter sauce for the guests.

  • Because Lates calcarifer thrives in both saltwater and freshwater, it is farmed in diverse environments.

Synonyms

barramundi
vsLates calcarifer
  • Australian
4 8.8

A large Australian fish people eat for its firm white flesh

is the formal scientific name rather than a local Australian name
Asian seabass
vsLates calcarifer
  • Australian
6.1

A large perch-like fish that lives in the sea, coastal areas, and rivers in the Indo-Pacific

is the formal scientific name used broadly for that same species

Surface Forms

Lates calcarifer singular
Lates calcarifers plural

Morphology

Lates + calcarifer

This is a Latin binomial (genus + specific epithet). A learner who knows 'Lates' as a genus of large fishes would infer the phrase denotes a species of fish, but the specific epithet 'calcarifer' is not interpretable and the common-name sense ('barramundi' and its culinary/sporting connotations) cannot be derived from the parts. Because the construction partly signals a fish species but otherwise functions as an arbitrary taxonomic label, it is only partially transparent to learners.

Etymology

Lates calcarifer may come from old Latin words that describe the fish: Lates is the fish group and calcarifer means 'spur-bearing', pointing to a small spine or spur near the tail. So the name highlights a physical feature of the fish we now call 'barramundi'.