genus Clupea
- noun
- /ˈdʒɛnəs ˈkluːpiə/
- Specialized
- The Atlantic herring belongs to the genus Clupea within the family Clupeidae.
Examples
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Species of the genus Clupea are widely used in commercial fisheries.
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In the genus Clupea, fish are known for their schooling behavior.
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Morphological studies of the genus Clupea have provided important insights into fish evolution.
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The genus Clupea includes several species of herring.
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The Atlantic herring belongs to the genus Clupea within the family Clupeidae.
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Species of the genus Clupea are widely used in commercial fisheries.
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Morphological studies of the genus Clupea have provided important insights into fish evolution.
Synonyms
A group of fish like herrings that people eat in many countries
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'genus Clupea' is a straightforward taxonomic noun phrase whose meaning is the genus named Clupea (a grouping of related species of herring); this is directly compositional from 'genus' (a biological rank) and 'Clupea' (the taxon name). Taxonomic noun+noun or noun+name constructions are cross-linguistically common and follow standard naming patterns, so a learner who knows both constituents will be able to infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Genus Clupea comes from the Latin word Clupea, an old name for 'herring' that may come from Latin clupeus, meaning 'small round shield'. Because herrings are round and shiny like little shields, the name now refers to the group of typical herrings.