Main Entry: coe·la·canth

Pronunciation: \ˈsē-lə-ˌkan(t)th\

Function: noun

Etymology: ultimately from Greek koilos hollow + akantha spine — more at cave

Date: 1857

: any of an order (Coelacanthiformes) of lobe-finned fishes known chiefly from Paleozoic and Mesozoic fossils

[coelacanth illustration]