coe·la·canth (s  l -k nth )n. Any of various mostly extinct fishes of the order Coelacanthiformes, known only in fossil form until a single living species, Latimeria chalumnae of African marine waters, was identified in 1938. [New Latin Coelacanthus, former genus name : Greek koilos, hollow; see -coel + Greek akantha, spine.] coe la·canthine (-knth n, -th n) adj.coe la·canthous (-ths) adj. |   Latimeria chalumnae |
coelacanth [ˈsiːləˌkænθ]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) a primitive marine bony fish of the genus Latimeria (subclass Crossopterygii), having fleshy limblike pectoral fins and occurring off the coast of E Africa: thought to be extinct until a living specimen was discovered in 1938
[from New Latin coelacanthus, literally: hollow spine, from coel- + Greek akanthos spine]
| coelacanth (sl-knth) Any of various fishes of the order Coelacanthiformes, having lobed, fleshy fins. Coelacanths are crossopterygians, the ancient group of lobe-finned fishes that gave rise to land vertebrates. They were known only from Paleozoic and Mesozoic fossils until a living species (Latimeria chalumnae) was found in the Indian Ocean in 1938. At least one other (Malania anjouanae) has been discovered since then. |  |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  coelacanth - fish thought to have been extinct since the Cretaceous period but found in 1938 off the coast of Africacrossopterygian, lobe-finned fish, lobefin - any fish of the order Crossopterygii; most known only in fossil form genus Latimeria, Latimeria - type genus of the Latimeridae: coelacanth |
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