northern snakehead
- noun
- /ˈnɔrðərn ˈsneɪkˌhɛd/
- Specialized
:
cabeza de serpiente del norte
- In Crofton, Maryland, residents were alarmed to discover northern snakehead fish in their local pond, as these predators disrupt local ecosystems.
- northern snakehead fish
Examples
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Fishermen are concerned about the spread of the northern snakehead in local rivers.
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The northern snakehead is considered a major threat to native fish species in North America.
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Because the northern snakehead can survive out of water, it's difficult to control its population.
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The northern snakehead is a dangerous invasive species.
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Many fishermen have caught northern snakeheads in local lakes.
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Maryland officials applied chemicals to three ponds to eliminate the invasive northern snakehead, a fish from China known for its aggressive hunting behavior.
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The northern snakehead can breathe air and survive out of water, which helps it thrive in various freshwater habitats.
Surface Forms
Morphology
northern + snakehead
The adjective 'northern' straightforwardly indicates a geographic or regional variety and 'snakehead' names a type of fish (a compound referring to a fish with a snake-like head), so the combined meaning — the northern variety/occurrence of the snakehead fish — is directly derivable from the parts. This adjectival + species-noun composition is cross-linguistically common and therefore immediately comprehensible to learners who know both constituents.
Etymology
Northern snakehead: The name northern snakehead comes from the fish's look: its flat head covered in scales looks like a snakehead, and the word northern shows this type is found farther north. That picture helps people remember it is a tough freshwater fish that can breathe air and even survive out of water, which is why it is seen as an 'invasive' threat.
