Osteichthyes
/ˌɒs.tiˈɪk.θiːz/noun
A major class of bony fishes, including most living fish species.
Did you know?Osteichthyes comes from Greek *osteon* (“bone”) + *ichthys* (“fish”), and it survives as a scientific name that feels almost like an incantation from the oldest taxonomy.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
osteon
“bone”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ichthys
“fish”
Late 19th Century
New Latin
Osteichthyes
“the bony fishes, a zoological class”
Modern English
English
osteichthyes
“the class of bony fishes”
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