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Glite Dictionary
family Ostraciidae

family Ostraciidae

9.6
A group of small sea fish with a hard, box-like body
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˌɒstrəˈsiːəˌdaɪ/
  • Specialized
: familia Ostraciidae
  • The family Ostraciidae is notable for its bony carapace and distinctive boxy shape.

Examples

  • The family Ostraciidae includes species that have a unique, box-like structure.

  • Researchers discovered a new member of the family Ostraciidae along the coral reefs.

  • Many aquarists are fascinated by the colorful patterns of fishes in the family Ostraciidae.

  • The family Ostraciidae includes many colorful species.

  • Did you know that the family Ostraciidae is known for its unique shape?

  • Aquarists often admire the vibrant colors of fish in the family Ostraciidae.

  • Scientists have identified several new species within the family Ostraciidae in recent years.

Synonyms

Ostraciidae
vsfamily Ostraciidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small tropical sea fish with box-shaped bodies and hard bony shells

is the same family term but not limited to tropical areas
family Ostraciontidae
vsfamily Ostraciidae
  • Specialized
9.9

Sea fish with a hard bony plate covering most of their body that makes them box-shaped

is the same idea but emphasizes smaller size

Surface Forms

family Ostraciidae singular
families Ostraciidae plural

Morphology

family + Ostraciidae

The noun phrase combines 'family' (a taxonomic grouping) with the proper taxon name 'Ostraciidae', so the meaning — the taxonomic family of box-shaped marine fishes — is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents. This is a regular scientific noun-phrase pattern found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both words will understand the expression.

Etymology

Family Ostraciidae may come from an old word for a 'shell' or 'box', because the fish in Ostraciidae have a hard, box-like body that makes them look like small boxes in the sea, so the name now means the group of box-shaped sea fishes.