Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Pennsylvania fishes
dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
Date: Sun Dec 26 2004 - 17:07:43 CST
"Two fish" means two individuals, whether of the same or different species. "Two fishes" means two different species, without reference to numbers of individuals. It simply references two different taxa.
David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely
"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"
----- Original Message -----
From: Mysteryman <bestfish-in-alaweb.com>
Date: Sunday, December 26, 2004 6:14 pm
Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Pennsylvania fishes
> Snailcollector-in-cs.com wrote:
> >
> On a
> > different note, which is correct: fish or fishes. I know it has
> to do
> > with the number verses species, but I'm not sure which is which.
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Andrew
>
> When you are talking about multiple species in general, but still
> singled out from all fish everywhere, "fishes" is correct, as in "the
> fishes of Pennsylvannia." When talking about a more select group of
> fish, such as one species in particular, you would say "these (or
> this)fish," as in "these fish are solitary predators but spawn in
> groups," or
> "this fish is a solitary predator, but it spawns in large groups,"
> whichis a bit awkward, and I'm not certain I'm right about that
> example. As
> for fish in general, as in the fish on the menu-in-a restaurant or in
> the tanks of a petshop, you would say "fish."
> There are plenty of fish in the sea.
> .
> In many cases, either will work nicely, such as in your own example:
> "Any unusual fish live up ..." or "Any unusual fishes..."
> If you want to be extra precise, then "fishes" usually works
> better in
> any example where either will do, but only technically. Oddly, the
> general concensus is exactly the opposite among most people.
> .
> It's like the word "Deer."
> Deer is both singular and plural, but it's perfectly okay to say "the
> deers of North America" if you are talking about all the deer
> species as
> a group, but otherwise you would never say "deers." Of course,
> almost no
> one would ever actually SAY "deers" in that example, but they
> could if
> they really wanted to.
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: Sat Jan 01 2005 - 12:42:05 CST