antennariidae
|an-ten-na-ri-i-dae|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.təˈnɛr.i.əˌdiː/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.təˈnɛə.ri.əˌdiː/
family of frogfishes (anglerfishes)
Etymology
'antennariidae' originates from New Latin, formed from the genus name 'Antennarius' plus the family-forming suffix '-idae'. 'Antennarius' itself derives from Latin 'antenna' meaning 'sail yard' (by extension 'a feeler or sensory appendage').
'Antennariidae' was formed in modern biological nomenclature by taking the genus name 'Antennarius' (coined in Linnaean taxonomy) and adding the standardized suffix '-idae' to denote a family; this produced the family name 'Antennariidae' used in zoological classification.
Originally the root referred to 'antenna' (a projecting appendage); over time the term has been fixed in taxonomy to name a family of fishes characterized by a distinctive illicium (a lure-like appendage).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a zoological family (Antennariidae) of small, stocky anglerfishes commonly called frogfishes, found in tropical and subtropical marine waters.
Antennariidae are found in tropical and subtropical seas and include many species known as frogfishes.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the members of this family collectively; (used as the plural of 'antennariid').
Several species of Antennariidae use elaborate camouflage to ambush prey.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 10:22