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Glite Dictionary
family Sirenidae

family Sirenidae

9.9
A group of water salamanders with long bodies, gills on the outside and no back legs
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˌsɪrəˈneɪdi/
  • Specialized
: familia Sirenidae
  • Unlike most salamanders, members of the family Sirenidae retain their external gills throughout life.

Examples

  • The family Sirenidae includes salamanders that inhabit slow-moving or stagnant waters in North America.

  • Scientists recently discovered a new species within the family Sirenidae in a remote wetland.

  • The family Sirenidae includes unique aquatic salamanders.

  • Many species within the family Sirenidae have external gills.

  • The family Sirenidae consists of aquatic salamanders that are known for their long bodies and external gills.

  • Members of the family Sirenidae are often found in the tranquil waters of swamps and marshes.

  • Researchers are studying the family Sirenidae to learn more about their adaptations to aquatic life.

Synonyms

Sirenidae
vsfamily Sirenidae
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of salamanders that look like eels and live in water mostly in North America

focuses on specific body traits like external gills and no hind limbs

Surface Forms

family Sirenidae singular
families Sirenidae plural

Morphology

family + Sirenidae

The phrase combines 'family' (a taxonomic grouping) with the taxon name 'Sirenidae' (eel-like salamanders), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it denotes the biological family containing sirens. Taxonomic noun-phrase composition is a common, cross-linguistic pattern and thus directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Family Sirenidae may come from the word Siren, the 'singing sea-woman' of old stories; early scientists thought these long, eel-like salamanders with external gills looked like strange water creatures and so gave them that name. That's why the family name links to 'siren' and helps us picture these unusual amphibians.