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Glite Dictionary
lobe-finned fish

lobe-finned fish

1 9.9
A fish with thick, fleshy fins that look like small limbs, including living and fossil kinds
  • noun
  • /ˈloʊbˌfɪnd fɪʃ/
  • Specialized
: pez de aletas lobuladas
  • Scientists were surprised to discover a lobe-finned fish alive off the coast of South Africa.

Examples

  • The lobe-finned fish is an important group in evolutionary biology.

  • Scientists believe that lobe-finned fish played a crucial role in the evolution of land animals.

  • Fossils of lobe-finned fish provide crucial evidence for understanding the evolution of land vertebrates.

  • The coelacanth is a rare living example of a lobe-finned fish.

  • Did you know that the lobe-finned fish includes the coelacanth?

  • The discovery of ancient bones suggests that lobe-finned fish were among the first creatures to develop limbs.

  • Lobe-finned fish, like the coelacanth, are fascinating reminders of our planet's evolutionary history.

Synonyms

crossopterygian
vslobe-finned fish
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An extinct fish with thick fins that look like limbs and are known from fossils

is the wider taxonomic group that also includes living species with those fins
lobefin
vslobe-finned fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A mostly extinct fish with fleshy, lobed fins that look like small limbs

is the broader group including all fishes with fleshy lobed paired fins

Surface Forms

lobe-finned fish singular
lobe-finned fishes plural

Morphology

lobe-finned + fish

The phrase is compositionally built: 'lobe-finned' denotes having lobed (lobe-shaped) fins and 'fish' names the animal, so a learner who knows the constituent meanings can infer 'a fish with lobed/fleshy fins.' Although it is a technical biological term for a taxonomic group, its meaning is transparently derived from the parts and follows regular English compounding patterns.

Etymology

Lobe-finned fish: The name lobe-finned fish comes from their thick, rounded fins: the word lobe means a rounded part and finned shows they have fins that are fleshy and a bit like small arms. Because these fins look 'limb-like', the name helps explain why these fish are important for showing how early animals moved from water onto land.