Holocephali

9.9

A group of fish with skeletons made of cartilage, like chimaeras

noun
/ˌhoʊloʊˈsɛfəli/

Specialized

: Holocephali

Modern chimaeras are the only living members of the subclass Holocephali.

Examples

Fossil records show that Holocephali have existed since the Devonian period.
Scientists study the unique anatomy of Holocephali to understand the evolution of cartilaginous fishes.
The Holocephali are fascinating creatures of the deep.
I studied Holocephali during my marine biology course.
Modern chimaeras are the only living members of the subclass Holocephali.
Fossil records show that Holocephali have existed since the Devonian period.
Scientists study the unique anatomy of Holocephali to understand the evolution of cartilaginous fishes.

Surface Forms

Holocephali singular

Holocephalis plural

Holocephalus singular

Morphology

Holocephali = Holocephalus (opaque) = holo + cephal + i

A specialized scientific taxonomic name formed from Greek combining forms (holo- + -cephal- plus a classical plural ending); this formation is not transparent to average learners unfamiliar with scientific/Greek morphemes.

Etymology

Holocephali comes from Greek parts holo- 'whole' and -cephali 'head'. The name refers to their 'one-piece' head bones, which helps explain why chimaeras and similar fishes are put together in this group.