What’s in a name?

[archman]

Another apparently nonsensical word: "SeaGull".

I still use the term just to irritate cocky marine biology grad students.

I also use "jellyfish" and "seahorse".

 

[aowdan]

"Cuttlefish", squid and octopi, are also not fish

i would not want to "cuddle" with one of those
dano

 

[kerrpet]

I am pretty sure that the Portuguese Man o War is neither from Portugal or a Man? Could be wrong though.

 

[archman]

I have a good one: "Sea Pork"

Used in reference to certain tunicates (yum!) and *of course*, dolphin and porpoise meat in certain south american countries (double yum!).

 

[Digger54]

How about the redundant term, "tuna fish"? Like is there a tuna anything else? Tuna mammal? Tuna bird?

At least here in the U.S. more times then not you'll hear stuff like "tuna fish sandwich" rather than simply "tuna sandwich".

 

[kerrpet]

Or on the radio advertisements that say "Carne Asada Steak".

Whale Shark.

 

[ThatsSomeBadHatHarry]

fur seals are more like sea lions than seal...

 

[peterbkk]

A "whale shark" is not a whale.

"Killer whale" is an unfair name. Why aren't all predators labelled "killer". E.g. A tiger would be a Killer Cat.

A "Jack" should actually be called a "Trevally".

Lots of confusion between which is a Lobster and which is a Crayfish. And a crayfish is not a fish.

Regards
Peter

 

[Walter]

is a cuttlefish a fish, or a misnomer?

I agreed in my original post it's not a fish.

A "whale shark" is not a whale.

The "whale" in Whale Shark refers to its size.

"Killer whale" is an unfair name.

It's not unfair, but it is inaccurate. The do kill, but they are not whales, they are dolphins. The original name was "Whale Killer," as they were first observed killing whales. Somehow, the name got reversed.

I don't expect names to make sense.

 

[padrediver]

Why isn't a 'seahorse' called a 'horsefish' ?

A seahorse isn't a horse.