Definition

Noun 1. A taxonomic genus within the family Petromyzontidae: This is the typical genus for lampreys, a group of jawless fish. It is used in biological classification to group a specific type of lamprey.

Usage Notes

• "Genus Petromyzon" is a scientific, taxonomic term used primarily in biology, zoology, and ichthyology.
• It is always capitalized because it is a proper noun referring to a specific genus name.
• In formal writing, the genus name is often italicized: .

Examples of Usage

• In a scientific context:
  • The sea lamprey is classified under Genus Petromyzon.
  • A key characteristic of Genus Petromyzon is its parasitic feeding behavior on other fish.

Advanced Usage

• The term is used in binomial nomenclature (the two-part naming system for species). For example, the species "sea lamprey" has the full scientific name Petromyzon marinus, where "" is the genus.

Variants and Related Words

• Petromyzon (n): The abbreviated form of the genus name, commonly used in scientific literature (e.g., " species are anadromous").
• Petromyzontidae (n): The family name to which this genus belongs.
• Lamprey (n): The common name for the eel-like, jawless fish that belong to this and related genera.

Synonyms

• (There are no direct common-language synonyms for this precise taxonomic term. The closest is the common name for its members.)
• Typical lampreys (as indicated in the reference context).

Different Meanings

• This term has only one specific meaning: it refers to a particular genus in biological taxonomy. It does not have general or figurative meanings.

Noun

1. typical lampreys