protopterus

noun

pro·​top·​ter·​us

-rəs

1

capitalized : a genus of dipnoan fishes of the rivers and swamps of central and western Africa that reach a length of six feet, that bury themselves in the mud during the dry season, that are closely related to lepidosirens but have a stouter body and five branchial clefts and differently constructed paired fins, and that are sometimes placed in a separate family but are usually placed in the same family as Lepidosiren

2

plural -es : any fish of the genus Protopterus

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from prot- + -pterus

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