bony fish


noun

any fish of the class Osteichthyes, characterized by gill covers, an air bladder, and a skeleton composed of bone in addition to cartilage.

Origin of bony fish

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example sentences from the Web for bony fish

  • The fishermen of Key West usually know the lady-fish as bone-fish, and the ten-pounder as bony-fish.

    Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others |James Alexander Henshall

British Dictionary definitions for bony fish

bony fish

noun, noun

any fish of the class Osteichthyes, including most of the extant species, having a skeleton of bone rather than cartilage

Scientific definitions for bony fish

bony fish
[ bōnē ]

Any of numerous ray-finned fishes belonging to the infraclass Teleostei or Teleostomi, having a skeleton that is completely made of bone, rather than partially or completely made of cartilage. Most living species of fish are bony fish. Also called teleost Compare cartilaginous fish jawless fish.