Plural of clupeid; multiple fish belonging to the herring family Clupeidae.
From 'clupeid' (a member of the Clupeidae family) plus '-s' suffix for plural. A straightforward pluralization of the taxonomic term.
When marine biologists talk about 'clupeids,' they're referring to an absolutely massive group of fish—these small, oily fish are the foundation of entire marine food webs and human fisheries across the globe!
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