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Glite Dictionary
family Haemulidae

family Haemulidae

9.5
A group of fish that make grunting sounds and live in warm seas often on reefs
  • noun
  • /ˈhæm.jʊ.lɪˌdeɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia Haemulidae
  • Fishes belonging to the family Haemulidae are often recognized by the grunting sounds they produce.

Examples

  • The family Haemulidae includes many reef-dwelling fish found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

  • Researchers discovered three new species within the family Haemulidae during the expedition.

  • The family Haemulidae includes many species of fish.

  • Did you know the family Haemulidae can produce grunting sounds?

  • Fishes belonging to the family Haemulidae are often recognized by the grunting sounds they produce.

  • Researchers discovered three new species within the family Haemulidae during the expedition.

  • The family Haemulidae includes many reef-dwelling fish found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Synonyms

Haemulidae
vsfamily Haemulidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of fish that live in warm seas and make a grunting sound

is the same group but explicitly labeled as a taxonomic family

Surface Forms

family Haemulidae singular
families Haemulidae plural

Morphology

family + Haemulidae

This is a straightforward taxonomic noun phrase: combining the common noun 'family' with the scientific name 'Haemulidae' yields the meaning 'the biological family called Haemulidae (a group of fishes)'. The composition follows regular naming patterns in biology (and parallels cross-linguistic conventions), so a learner who knows both constituents can derive the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Family Haemulidae may come from the sounds these fish make. One popular story says fishermen at sea heard low 'grunting' from their nets and began to call the group Haemulidae for those noises, so the name now means a family of fish known for 'grunting sounds'.