holocephalan

9.9

A fish with a skeleton of cartilage, a flattened head and a long tail

noun
/ˌhoʊloʊˈsɛfələn/

Specialized

: holocefalo

Scientists discovered a new species of holocephalan off the coast of South Africa.

Examples

Unlike sharks, a holocephalan has a single gill opening on each side.
The holocephalan is notable for its long, slender tail and distinct head shape.
A holocephalan swims gracefully.
Look at that holocephalan!
Scientists discovered a new species of holocephalan off the coast of South Africa.
The holocephalan is notable for its long, slender tail and distinct head shape.
Unlike sharks, a holocephalan has a single gill opening on each side.

Synonyms

holocephalian

vsholocephalan

Specialized

9.9

A fish with a skeleton made of cartilage, a flattened head, and a long tapering tail

has identical meaning but is a different word form used in writing

Surface Forms

holocephalan singular

holocephalans plural

Morphology

holocephalan = Holocephali (opaque) = holo + cephal + an

Formed from Greek combining forms holo- + cephal- plus the noun-forming suffix -an; these are technical, non-productive elements unfamiliar to average learners, so the meaning is not derivable from common English bases.

Etymology

Holocephalan comes from Greek parts holo- meaning 'whole' and cephal- meaning 'head'. So, the name points to a fish with a single, compact head and helps explain features like having one gill opening on each side.