Thunnus alalunga
- noun
- Specialized
:
atún blanco
- The long pectoral fins are a distinguishing feature of Thunnus alalunga.
- Thunnus alalunga (albacore)
Examples
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The majority of canned tuna is produced from Thunnus alalunga due to its mild flavor.
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Fishermen off the coast of California caught several large Thunnus alalunga this season.
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The Thunnus alalunga is often found in warm waters.
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Many restaurants serve dishes made with Thunnus alalunga.
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Fishermen off the coast of California caught several large Thunnus alalunga this season.
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The long pectoral fins are a distinguishing feature of Thunnus alalunga.
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The majority of canned tuna is produced from Thunnus alalunga due to its mild flavor.
Synonyms
4
7.5
A large tuna with long fins and white tender flesh often sold in cans
A large tuna with long side fins often sold as canned fish
Surface Forms
Morphology
Thunnus + alalunga
This is a Latin binomial (taxonomic) name composed of a genus label and a specific epithet rather than a compositional English phrase; the parts are proper names or non-lexical elements ("alalunga" is not a common English word), so the meaning 'albacore tuna' cannot be derived from the constituents. Although the same scientific name appears across languages, understanding it requires domain knowledge of taxonomy/Latin rather than ordinary vocabulary knowledge, making it unintelligible to a typical B1 learner who only knows the surface words.
Etymology
Thunnus alalunga may come from old words meaning 'long wing'. Thunnus means 'tuna' and alalunga refers to the fish's very long side fins that look like wings, so the name fits this species and helps explain why it is common in canned tuna.