elasmobranch

noun

elas·​mo·​branch i-ˈlaz-mə-ˌbraŋk 

plural elasmobranchs

: any of a subclass (Elasmobranchii) of cartilaginous fishes that have five to seven lateral to ventral gill openings on each side and that comprise the sharks, rays, skates, and extinct related fishes

elasmobranch adjective

Examples of elasmobranch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Moctezuma, who was first spotted in 1992, has been seen hunting other elasmobranch species such as the Munk’s pygmy devil ray, which is 1 meter (3.2 feet) wide, bull sharks and stingrays. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 29 Nov. 2024

Today, over one-third of elasmobranch species face extinction threats, and many believe this is a call for scientists to further integrate genetic data into conservation strategies. —Melissa Cristina Marquez, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2024

The discovery was meaningful to Graham, who specializes in elasmobranch ecology and evolution. —Hannah Fish, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 July 2024

There are records of bottlenose dolphins eating elasmobranchs — groups of fish, including sharks, whose skeletons are cartilage instead of bone — in the waters of South Africa, the Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico. —Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2024

Feldheim said he’s counted 15 species of elasmobranchs where parthenogenesis has been observed by scientists since then. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 29 Feb. 2024

However, sharks and other elasmobranchs—a group of cartilaginous fish including rays, skates and sawfish—are very sensitive to electric fields. —Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2023

Around 15 percent of the shark and ray egg cases bore evidence of predation, the researchers found, with little difference between elasmobranch species. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2023

After elucidating the number and locations of potential elasmobranch critical habitats based on fisher interviews, the team then compared those locations against small-scale fisheries landings along the Pacific coasts of Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2021

Word History

Etymology

ultimately from Greek elasmos metal plate (from elaunein) + branchia gills

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for elasmobranch

• avalanche
• blanch
• branch
• cranch
• ranch
• stanch
• tranche

Medical Definition

elasmobranch

noun

elas·​mo·​branch i-ˈlaz-mə-ˌbraŋk 

plural elasmobranchs

: any fish of the class Chondrichthyes

elasmobranch adjective