coelacanth

(lə kant̸h′)

noun

any of an order (Coelacanthiformes) of lobefin fishes, now extinct except for the latimeria

Origin: < ModL Coelacanthus < Gr koilos (see -coele) + akantha, thorn (see acantho-)

See coelacanth in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
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.

Origin:

Origin: New Latin Coelacanthus, former genus name

Origin: : Greek koilos, hollow; see -coel 

Origin: + Greek akantha, spine

.

Related Forms:

  • coeˌla·canˈthineˌ (-kănˈthīnˌ, -thĭn) adjective
  • coeˌla·canˈthous (-thəs) adjective

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coelacanth

Latimeria chalumnae

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