belonging to the Plectognathi, a group or order of fishes having the teeth fused into a beak and thick, often spiny, scaleless skin, and including the filefish, globefish, puffer, and triggerfish.
noun
2.
a plectognath fish.
Origin: 1825–35; < Neo-LatinPlectognathi, plural of Plectognathus, equivalent to plecto- (< Greekplektós plaited, twisted; see -o-) + -gnathus-gnathous
any spiny-finned marine fish of the mainly tropical order Plectognathi (or Tetraodontiformes), having a small mouth, strong teeth, and small gill openings: includes puffers, triggerfish, trunkfish, sunfish, etc
—adj
2.
of, relating to, or belonging to the order Plectognathi
[C19: via New Latin from Greek plektos twisted + gnathos jaw]