Showing results for cryptic species. Search instead for alpinia speciosa.

cryptic species

American

[krip-tik spee-sheez] / ˈkrɪp tɪk ˈspi ʃiz /

noun

a species that is genetically distinct from one or more other species but morphologically identical.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

cryptic species

They found different methods consistently revealed an extremely large number of cryptic species which underscored how much biodiversity remained hidden.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

"Grasshoppers are cryptic species, they hide because they're tasty. When they're quite pink, they can't hide as well," Halpin said.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

As Chan explained, "a ton of cryptic species are being discovered left and right."

From Science Daily ● Mar. 9, 2026

According to Zhang, conservation programs aimed at increasing population numbers could accidentally breed individuals from different species if cryptic species are not properly identified.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 3, 2026

Many are what scientists call cryptic species, meaning they are visually almost impossible to tell apart.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 29, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023