Ganoid

/ˈɡænɔɪd/ adjective, noun

Definition

Relating to or describing primitive fish with shiny, enamel-like scales; a fish belonging to this group.

Etymology

From Greek ganos (brightness, lustre) plus -oid (resembling). Originally a taxonomic term describing the distinctive scale structure found in ancient and some modern fish like gar and bowfin.

Kelly Says

Ganoid fish are nature's jewelry—their scales are covered in a substance called ganoine that's so lustrous and durable it barely changed across 200 million years of evolution, making them living fossils with mirrors for skin.

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