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coelacanth
(sē′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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