Re: [ECOLOG-L] Onomatopoeia animal names

[Bertrand, Katie]

Another example from the fishes: a species with a common and scientific name 
that are both onomatopoeias.
 
The drums are so named because they produce grunting, croaking, or drumming 
sounds with muscles associated with their air/swim bladders.  The family 
Sciaenidae is mostly marine, but there is one exclusively freshwater 
representative in North America, the freshwater drum.  In their scientific 
name, Aplodinotus grunniens, "grunniens" is Latin for grunting. 
 
Fish are so cool! 
 
Dr. Katie N. Bertrand
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences
College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences
NPB 142A, Box 2140B
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 57007
 
(605) 688-4777
(605) 688-4515 (FAX)
 
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