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bony fish
noun
: any of a major taxon (class Osteichthyes or superclass Teleostomi) comprising fishes (such as sturgeons, eels, mackerels, and sunfish) with a bony rather than a cartilaginous skeleton
called also teleost
compare cartilaginous fish, jawless fishExamples of bony fish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Atlantic cownose rays possess tile-like teeth ideal for crushing crustaceans, mollusks, small invertebrates, and bony fish.
—Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024
Shortfin makos have been known to hunt small sharks, porpoises, sea turtles, seabirds, bony fish and cephalopods.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 6 Sep. 2024
Perhaps ancestral fishes that could evolve into the bony fishes.
—Byerik Stokstad, science.org, 31 July 2024
The name certainly fits: the giant oarfish is considered the longest bony fish in the world; lengths in the 20- and 30-foot range are not at all unheard of.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 18 June 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1673, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near bony fish
Cite this Entry
“Bony fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bony%20fish. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
bony fish
noun
: any of a class of fishes (as eels, mackerels, and trout) with bony rather than cartilaginous skeletons
More from Merriam-Webster on bony fish
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bony fish
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