chondrichthyan

noun

chon·​drich·​thy·​an kän-ˈdrik-thē-ən How to pronounce chondrichthyan (audio)
variants or less commonly chondrichthian
plural chondrichthyans also chondrichthians
: a fish of the class Chondrichthyes : a cartilaginous fish
One quarter of all the world's cartilaginous fish species—known as chondrichthyans—are now threatened, reports a study published Tuesday in the journal eLife.Fabien Tepper, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Jan. 2014
Sharks, rays, and their less numerous kin the chimaeras, or ratfishes, are characterized by skeletons composed of cartilage rather than solid bone. (Collectively, they are known as chondrichthyans; bony fishes are the osteichthyans.)John G. Maisey, Natural History, June 1998
chondrichthyan adjective
or less commonly chondrichthian
chondrichthyan fishes

Word History

First Known Use

1963, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chondrichthyan was in 1963

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Cite this Entry

“Chondrichthyan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chondrichthyan. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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