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wrasse
wrasse , common name for a member of the large family Labridae, brilliantly colored fishes found among rocks and kelp in tropical seas. Wrasses, related to the parrotfishes, feed on mollusks and are equipped with shell-crushing teeth in both the mouth and throat. The lips are fleshy, and some wrasses are able to extend the mouth and jaws forward to engulf their prey. Well known on the N Atlantic coast are the cunners (about 1 ft/30 cm long), which are useful scavengers. The tautog, or blackfish, an important food fish of the S New England coast, is a sluggish fish that hibernates in cold weather. Southern wrasses, found off the West Indies and Florida coasts, include the hogfish, a large, showy red fish with a piglike snout, and the puddingwife. The California redfish, or Pacific sheepshead, is a large wrasse reaching up to 3 ft (91 cm) and 30 lb (13.5 kg) and most abundant S of Monterey. The female is a dull red and the male is boldly patterned in crimson and black. The flesh of wrasses is sometimes poisonous to human consumers. Most wrasses belong to the genus Labrus. Wrasses are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes, family Labridae. |
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"wrasse." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wrasse." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-wrasse.html "wrasse." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-wrasse.html |
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wrasse
wrasse fish of the family Labridae. XVII. — Corn. wrach, var. of gwrach = W. gwrach wrasse, old woman.
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T. F. HOAD. "wrasse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "wrasse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-wrasse.html T. F. HOAD. "wrasse." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-wrasse.html |
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wrasse
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "wrasse." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "wrasse." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-wrasse.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "wrasse." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-wrasse.html |
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wrasse
wrasse
•alas, Alsace, amass, ass, Bass, chasse, crass, crevasse, en masse, gas, Hamas, lass, mass, morass, sass, tarantass, tass, wrasse
•Díaz • Phidias • palliasse
•materfamilias, paterfamilias
•Asturias • Aphrodisias • Trias
•Donbas • Vargas • Ofgas • biogas
•teargas • jackass • Hellas • Ulfilas
•Stanislas • Candlemas • landmass
•Martinmas • biomass • Childermas
•Esdras • Mithras • hippocras
•sassafras • demitasse • gravitas
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Cite this article
"wrasse." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "wrasse." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-wrasse.html "wrasse." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-wrasse.html |
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