Ganoidei

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ganoidei \Ga*noi"de*i\, n. pl. [NL. See {Ganoid}.] (Zool.)
     One of the subclasses of fishes. They have an arterial cone
     and bulb, spiral intestinal valve, and the optic nerves
     united by a chiasma. Many of the species are covered with
     bony plates, or with ganoid scales; others have cycloid
     scales.


     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: They were numerous, and some of them of large size, in
           early geological periods; but they are represented by
           comparatively few living species, most of which inhabit
           fresh waters, as the bowfin, gar pike, bichir,
           Ceratodus, paddle fish, and sturgeon.
           [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Ganoidei
       n : a group of mostly extinct primitive bony fishes
           characterized by armor-like bony scales [syn: {order
           Ganoidei}]