Trachypterids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Deep-sea fishes with long, compressed, ribbon-like bodies that belong to the family Trachipteridae
2. Long, flattened, silvery marine fishes of the dealfish family that live in the deep ocean
3. Slender, ribbon-shaped bony fishes found in deep waters, classified within the family Trachipteridae

Etymology: Trachypterids are fish belonging to the family Trachypteridae, the ribbonfishes, a name that is the plural of "trachypterid." The plural simply gives the group of such fish, so the etymology lies in the singular form, built from Greek roots that describe the fish's rough-finned body. The singular "trachypterid" takes its form from the genus name "Trachypterus," which in turn combines the Greek "trachys," meaning "rough" rough, and "pteron," meaning "wing" or "fin." The fish's dorsal fin is long and extends along its back, and the rough texture that gave the genus its name is the basis for the classification. The family and genus names were coined in modern scientific Latin, not in ancient Greek, so the Greek elements are borrowed for a descriptive label rather than an existing Greek word for these fish.