Describing fish scales with a circular growth pattern, characteristic of certain fish species.
Cyclo- (Greek kyklos, 'circle') + ganoid (from Greek ganos, 'brightness,' describing shiny fish scales). An ichthyological term for scale type based on their circular appearance.
Fish scales come in different types—ganoid scales are shiny and hard, but cycloganoid ones are circular and concentric, like tree rings, and they actually record the fish's growth history if you look closely under a microscope.
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