Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Relating to fish possessing fins with rigid, sharp rays or spines: The term describes a characteristic of certain fish, specifically those belonging to the large taxonomic group (Acanthopterygii) whose fins are supported by spiny, bony rays, as opposed to soft, flexible rays.

Usage

• The adjective spiny-finned is used almost exclusively in zoological and ichthyological contexts to classify or describe fish.
• It typically precedes a noun (e.g., spiny-finned fish) or follows a linking verb like "is" or "are."

Examples

• Adjective:
  • The perch is a common example of a spiny-finned fish.
  • This order includes most of the world's spiny-finned species.
  • Researchers studied the evolution of spiny-finned teleosts.

Advanced Usage

• In Taxonomic Classification: The term is often used to refer to the superorder Acanthopterygii, a major group of ray-finned fish.
  • The spiny-finned fishes (Acanthopterygii) comprise a vast and diverse group.

Variants and Related Words

• Acanthopterygian (n): A member of the spiny-finned fish superorder Acanthopterygii.
  • An acanthopterygian like a tuna has highly developed spiny rays in its fins.

Synonyms

• Acanthopterygian (adj): Pertaining to the spiny-finned fishes. (This is a more technical synonym.)

Antonyms

• Soft-finned (adj): Relating to fish (like salmon or carp) whose fins are supported primarily by soft, segmented rays.
  • The catfish, a soft-finned fish, lacks the dorsal spines of its spiny-finned relatives.

Adjective

1. of or relating to fish with spiny fins