astraeidae
|as-tra-ei-dae|
/ˌæs.triˈeɪ.diː/
star-related family (taxonomic)
Etymology
'Astraeidae' originates from New Latin, specifically from the genus name 'Astraea', where 'Astraea' ultimately derives from Ancient Greek 'astḗr/astēr' meaning 'star'.
'Astraeidae' was formed by adding the standard zoological family suffix '-idae' to the genus name 'Astraea' (i.e., 'Astraea' + '-idae') to denote the family containing taxa related to that genus.
Initially it carried the sense 'those related to Astraea (star-like organisms)'; over time the term became a formal taxonomic label for the family-level group in zoological nomenclature.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a zoological family name (taxonomic rank) used for certain groups of marine organisms; historically applied in different classifications (for example, to some reef-building corals or to groups derived from the genus Astraea).
Specimens from the reef beds were once assigned to the family astraeidae in older classifications.
Last updated: 2025/11/07 04:50