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cryptic species

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

noun

  1. 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.

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

"There aren't many research groups focused purely on cryptic species," Zhang said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

"It's often only possible to distinguish between cryptic species using DNA, which can be slow, invasive, and costly," explained Jewell.

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2026

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

From Science Daily • Jan. 29, 2026

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