Heterodontidae

plural noun

Het·​er·​odon·​ti·​dae
-təˌdē
: a family of small sharks (suborder Squaloidea) having a few recent representatives in warm parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans but known since Jurassic times, bearing two dorsal fins each armed with a spine, and having the posterior teeth arranged in a dense pavement adapted for crushing the shells of mollusks see heterodontus

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Heterodontus, type genus + -idae

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Dictionary Entries Near Heterodontidae

Cite this Entry

“Heterodontidae.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Heterodontidae. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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