Osteoglossidae

9.9

A family of large freshwater fish like the bonytongue

noun
/ˌɑːstiəˈɡlɑːsɪdi/

Specialized

: Osteoglossidae

The Osteoglossidae family includes some of the world's largest freshwater fish species.

Examples

Researchers studied the diet of Osteoglossidae to better understand aquatic food webs.
Several aquarium enthusiasts are fascinated by the rare members of the Osteoglossidae family.
The Osteoglossidae family comprises various species of freshwater fish.
Have you ever seen an Osteoglossidae in a river?
Research shows that Osteoglossidae such as the arowana are popular in home aquariums.
The Osteoglossidae family consists of bonytongues, known for their unique feeding habits.
Fishermen often catch Osteoglossidae in the Amazon River due to their size and abundance.

Surface Forms

Osteoglossidae singular

Osteoglossidae plural

Morphology

Osteoglossidae = Osteoglossum (opaque) = osteo + gloss + idae

The name is a technical taxonomic formation using Greek combining forms and a specialized scientific suffix, which is not readily interpretable by average learners.

Etymology

Osteoglossidae comes from Greek parts osteo- ('bone') and gloss- ('tongue'), so it literally means 'bony tongue'. The ending -idae is used in biology to mark a 'family' of animals. That's why Osteoglossidae is the family name for freshwater fish called bonytongues, fish that have a hard, bony tongue.