rái cá biển
Definition
- Noun:
- Sea otter: A marine mammal (Enhydra lutris) belonging to the weasel family (Mustelidae). It is native to the northern and eastern coasts of the Pacific Ocean, known for its dense fur, use of tools (like rocks to crack open shellfish), and its habit of floating on its back.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Rái cá biển thường dùng đá để đập vỏ các loài động vật có vỏ cứng. (Sea otters often use rocks to crack open the shells of hard-shelled animals.)
- Bộ lông dày và ấm là nguyên nhân chính khiến rái cá biển từng bị săn bắt đến mức gần tuyệt chủng. (Its thick, warm fur is the main reason the sea otter was once hunted to near extinction.)
- Chúng tôi đã nhìn thấy một đàn rái cá biển đang bơi ở vịnh. (We saw a raft of sea otters swimming in the bay.)
Advanced Usage
- The term is used specifically in zoology and wildlife contexts to distinguish this fully marine species from other, primarily freshwater, otter species found in Vietnam and Asia.
- "Đàn rái cá biển": A group of sea otters is called a "raft."
Variants and Related Words
- Rái cá (n): Otter. This is the general term for otters, which can refer to various freshwater or marine species.
- Rái cá sông thường sống gần các con suối. (River otters often live near streams.)
Synonyms
- Sea otter: The direct and most accurate English translation.
- Marine otter: A less common but descriptive synonym (Note: The species is also called the "marine otter," but it is a different animal from the sea otter).
Related Scientific Information
- Scientific name: . The genus name comes from the Ancient Greek for "in water," and the species name is Latin for "otter."
- Conservation status: Sea otters are listed as an endangered species and are a keystone species in their kelp forest ecosystems.