Palaeoniscidae

plural noun

Palaeo·​nis·​ci·​dae

: a family of extinct primitive ganoid fishes that lived from the Devonian to the Lias and have an elongate body covered usually with rhombic plates, small pectoral and ventral fins, a single dorsal and anal fin, a heterocercal tail, a skull covered with bony plates, and jaws bearing small teeth

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Palaeoniscum, type genus + -idae

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