[lohb-find] 
| any fish that has rounded scales and lobed fins, as the coelacanth. |
| lobe-finned fish (lōb'fĭnd') n. A member of the subclass Crossopterygii, a group of bony fishes with paired rounded fins, suggesting limbs, that are extinct except for the coelacanths. The lobe-finned fishes are regarded by some as ancestors of amphibians and other terrestrial vertebrates. Also called crossopterygian, lobefin. |
| lobe-finned fish
Any of various fishes of the class Sarcopterygii, having fins that are rounded and fleshy, suggesting limbs. One group of lobe-finned fish are thought to be ancestors of amphibians and other land-dwelling vertebrate animals. They first appeared in the Ordovician Period and are extinct except for the coelacanth and lungfish. Also called sarcopterygian. Compare ray-finned fish. See also crossopterygian. |