plectognath

plec·tog·nath  (plktg-nth)

n.

Any of various tropical marine fishes of the order Tetraodontiformes or Plectognathi, which includes the triggerfishes, puffers, and trunkfishes.

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[From New Latin Plectognath, order name : Greek plektos, twisted; see plek- in Indo-European roots + Greek gnathos, jaw; see -gnathous.]

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plectog·nath adj.

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plectognath [ˈplɛktɒgˌnæθ]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any spiny-finned marine fish of the mainly tropical order Plectognathi (or Tetraodontiformes), having a small mouth, strong teeth, and small gill openings: includes puffers, triggerfish, trunkfish, sunfish, etc.

adj

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) of, relating to, or belonging to the order Plectognathi

[via New Latin from Greek plektos twisted + gnathos jaw]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

plectognath - tropical marine fishes having the teeth fused into a beak and thick skin covered with bony plates or spines plectognath fish acanthopterygian, spiny-finned fish - a teleost fish with fins that are supported by sharp inflexible rays order Plectognathi, order Tetraodontiformes, Plectognathi - boxfishes; filefishes; globefishes; ocean sunfishes; triggerfishes; puffers triggerfish - any of numerous compressed deep-bodied tropical fishes with sandpapery skin and erectile spines in the first dorsal fin filefish - narrow flattened warm-water fishes with leathery skin and a long file-like dorsal spine boxfish, trunkfish - any of numerous small tropical fishes having body and head encased in bony plates globefish, puffer, pufferfish, blowfish - any of numerous marine fishes whose elongated spiny body can inflate itself with water or air to form a globe; several species contain a potent nerve poison; closely related to spiny puffers spiny puffer - puffers having rigid or erectile spines headfish, mola, ocean sunfish, sunfish - among the largest bony fish; pelagic fish having an oval compressed body with high dorsal and anal fins and caudal fin reduced to a rudder-like lobe; worldwide in warm waters