coelacanth

coe·la·canth  (sl-knth) 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.] coela·canthine (-knthn, -thn) adj. coela·canthous (-ths) adj.

coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae

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coelacanth [seel-a-kanth]

Noun

a primitive marine fish, thought to be extinct until a living specimen was discovered in 1938 [Greek koilos hollow + akanthos spine]

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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.

coelacanth

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

coelacanth - fish thought to have been extinct since the Cretaceous period but found in 1938 off the coast of Africa Latimeria chalumnae crossopterygian, 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