Sternoptyx

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, silvery deep-sea fish belonging to the hatchetfish family, known for light-producing organs along its body
2. Any tiny marine fish of the genus Sternoptyx, which lives in dark ocean depths and has luminous photophores
3. A hatchetfish found in the deep open waters of tropical and temperate oceans, notable for its bioluminescent body spots

Etymology: Sternoptyx is the name of a genus of small deep-sea fish, the hatchetfish, and its name is a coinage built entirely from Greek parts: "sternon" meaning "chest" or "breastbone," and "optyx," from "optikos" relating to sight or appearance. The fish's name points to its most distinctive feature: its body is a flattened, triangular shape, with a row of light-producing organs along its belly and sides that resemble a chest of tiny lamps. Taxonomists in the 19th century formed the name by combining these classical roots, the way they coined most animal genus names, so no ancient Greek writer ever used the word. The Greek elements describe a fish that a naturalist would have seen as strikingly breast-shaped and light-bearing. The word belongs to a large family of scientific names built from Greek roots, and its meaning is transparent once the parts are known.