Eurypharynx

/ˌjʊərɪˈfærɪŋks/ noun

Definition

A genus of deep-sea fish with an enormous mouth and a long, whip-like tail, feeding on small organisms in the ocean depths.

Etymology

From Greek 'eury-' meaning 'wide' and 'pharynx' meaning 'throat' or 'mouth'. The genus name was given because of the fish's extraordinarily wide mouth.

Kelly Says

The Eurypharynx pelecanoides looks like an alien with a huge mouth on a tiny body, and it was so strange when scientists first discovered it that some thought it was a fake specimen!

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.