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Glite Dictionary
malacopterygian

malacopterygian

9.9
A fish that has soft, thin fins instead of sharp spines
  • noun
  • /ˌmæləkəˈtɛrɪdʒiən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : malacopterigio
  • The malacopterygian is distinguished by its soft fin rays and is common in many freshwater habitats.

Examples

  • Scientists discovered a new species of malacopterygian in the Amazon River basin.

  • Many malacopterygians inhabit freshwater environments.

  • Unlike the spiny-finned fish, a malacopterygian has flexible, segmented fins.

  • The malacopterygian species is known for its soft fins.

  • Scientists discovered a new species of malacopterygian in the Amazon River basin.

  • The malacopterygian is distinguished by its soft fin rays and is common in many freshwater habitats.

  • Unlike the spiny-finned fish, a malacopterygian has flexible, segmented fins.

Synonyms

soft-finned fish
vsmalacopterygian
  • Specialized
7.2

A fish with soft, flexible fins like salmon

is a concise scientific description focusing on soft ray like fins

Surface Forms

malacopterygian singular
malacopterygians plural

Morphology

malacopterygian = Malacopterygii (opaque) = malaco + pteryg + ian

The term is formed from specialized Greek combining forms and a taxonomic suffix; these elements are not productive or familiar to average learners, so the meaning is not inferable from known English words.

Etymology

Malacopterygian comes from Greek parts malaco- meaning 'soft' and pteryx, which appears in -pterygian, meaning 'fin' or 'wing', as in pterodactyl. So a malacopterygian is literally a 'soft-finned' fish, which explains why the word names fish with soft, flexible fins.