Raja radiata
- noun
- Specialized
- The Raja radiata is frequently studied by marine biologists due to its unique spiny back.
Examples
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The diet of Raja radiata consists mainly of small fish and crustaceans.
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Fishermen sometimes catch the Raja radiata by accident while trawling for other species.
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The Raja radiata is a unique species of fish.
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Have you ever seen a Raja radiata up close?
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Fishermen sometimes catch the Raja radiata by accident while trawling for other species.
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The Raja radiata is frequently studied by marine biologists due to its unique spiny back.
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The diet of the Raja radiata consists mainly of small fish and crustaceans.
Synonyms
A flat fish with spines on its back that lives on cold ocean floors
Surface Forms
Morphology
Raja + radiata
Raja radiata is a Latin binomial scientific name functioning as a fixed taxonomic label rather than a compositional English phrase; one constituent ('radiata') is not a common English word here, and knowing 'Raja' as a genus does not let a B1 learner infer the specific meaning 'thorny skate'. Species names are language-neutral labels and their semantic content (appearance, habitat) is not transparently derived from the parts for typical learners, so the expression is not predictable from its constituents.
Etymology
Raja radiata comes from old Latin words used for rays. The part Raja means a skate or 'ray' and radiata suggests 'spreading out' lines or spines on the body. So the name helps you remember the 'thorny skate' with spines on its back.