Polypterus
/pəˈlɪpt(ə)rəs/Zoology
noun
A genus of African freshwater fishes of the family Polypteridae; (also polypterus) a fish of this genus; a bichir.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. From scientific Latin Polypterus, genus name (B. G. E. de la V. de Lacépède Hist. nat. des poissons V. 340, after French polyptère) from ancient Greek πολύπτερος many-winged from πολυ- + -πτερος.