butterflyfish

American  

[buht-er-flahy-fish] / ˈbʌt ərˌflaɪˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

butterflyfishes,

plural

butterflyfish

1. any tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae, having large, broad fins or brilliant coloration, or both.

2. flying gurnard.

3. a blenny, Blennius ocellaris, of Europe.

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butterflyfish British  

noun

1. any small tropical marine percoid fish of the genera Chaetodon, Chelmon , etc, that has a deep flattened brightly coloured or strikingly marked body and brushlike teeth: family Chaetodontidae See also angelfish

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Etymology

Origin of butterflyfish

First recorded in 1730–40; butterfly + fish

Example Sentences

“That’s helped to accelerate the number of species that we’ve been able to raise in during that time and the variety of species too,” he said, highlighting species such as wrasses, butterflyfish and tangs.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 19, 2022

Highlights include the spot fin butterflyfish, yellow tang and Banggai cardinalfish.

From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2020

Threadfin butterflyfish and powder blue tang might dart about one area, while Cretaceous glow-eyed archosaurs and mottled elasmosaurs swoosh through another.

From Time • Aug. 2, 2016

Blue and black angelfish, yellow butterflyfish and speckled puffer fish patrolled their respective patches of coral, while a moray eel glared from beneath a rock.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2013

The residents of this marine civilization have extravagant names like azure demoiselles, pewter angelfish, painted frogfish and saddle butterflyfish.

From New York Times • Sep. 7, 2012