Definition

Noun: 1. A taxonomic genus: The biological genus that is the type genus for the family Electrophoridae. It contains a single recognized species, the electric eel (Electrophorus electricus).

Usage Notes

• Capitalization: The word "genus" is not capitalized when used as a common noun. The full scientific name, , is always italicized, with the genus name capitalized.
• Context: This term is used almost exclusively in formal scientific, biological, and zoological contexts when discussing taxonomy (the classification of organisms).

Examples

• Scientific Classification:
  • The electric eel belongs to the genus Electrophorus.
  • Genus Electrophorus is monotypic, containing only one species.
• Academic Writing:
  • A recent study re-examined the phylogenetic position of genus Electrophorus.
  • The paper described the unique electrogenic cells found in genus Electrophorus.

Advanced Usage

• In Taxonomic Hierarchy: The term is used to specify a rank in biological classification: Kingdom > Phylum > Class > Order > Family > Genus > Species.
  • The family Electrophoridae has only one extant genus: Electrophorus.

Variants and Related Words

• Electrophorus (n): The standardized, italicized Latin name for the genus, used independently once the context is established.
  • Researchers sequenced the genome of Electrophorus.
• Electrophoridae (n): The family name to which this genus belongs.
• Electrophorus electricus (n): The full binomial name (genus and species) for the electric eel.

Synonyms

• Type genus of Electrophoridae: This is a descriptive synonym specifying its taxonomic role.

Different Meanings

This term has a single, specific meaning in scientific nomenclature. It does not have common, everyday meanings outside of biology.

Noun

1. type genus of the family Electrophoridae; electric eels