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Glite Dictionary
jawless fish

jawless fish

7.0
Fish like lampreys and hagfish that do not have jaws or paired fins
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɔːləs fɪʃ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pez sin mandíbula
  • Lampreys are a type of jawless fish known for their unique feeding habits.

Examples

  • The evolution of jawless fish provides important insights into the development of vertebrates.

  • Lampreys, which are jawless fish that belong to the oldest living lineage of vertebrates, use only a handful of olfactory receptor genes.

    Academic text (2002)

  • Hagfishes, a group of jawless fish, are often found scavenging on the ocean floor.

Synonyms

Agnatha
vsjawless fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of eel-shaped animals without jaws, like lampreys and hagfish

is the general term for primitive finned vertebrates that lack jaws
agnathan
vsjawless fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A fish-like animal with a backbone and no jaws or paired fins, like lampreys

is the broader name used for the whole primitive fish group
jawless vertebrate
vsjawless fish
  • Specialized
9.7

A long eel-like fish without jaws or paired fins

is the common name focusing on primitive fishes rather than all vertebrates

Surface Forms

jawless fish singular
jawless fishes plural

Morphology

jawless + fish

The meaning 'fish without jaws' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'jawless' (without jaws) with 'fish' (a vertebrate animal). This simple adjective + noun composition follows common compositional patterns found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand the MWE.

Etymology

The noun jawless fish comes from the simple fact that these animals do not have a jaw, so they are literally 'without jaws'. That's why the name now refers to a group of early fish like lampreys and hagfish that really have no jaws or paired fins.