candlefish

American  

[kan-dl-fish] / ˈkæn dlˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

candlefish,

plural

candlefishes

1. Also called eulachon.  a small, edible, smeltlike fish, Thaleichthys pacificus, of northwestern coastal waters of North America, being so oily that when dried it can be used as a candle.

2. sablefish.

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candlefish British  

/ ˈkændəlˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. Also called: eulachon.  a salmonoid food fish, Thaleichthys pacificus, that occurs in the N Pacific and has oily flesh

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Etymology

Origin of candlefish

First recorded in 1880–85; candle + fish

Example Sentences

Marine creatures such as eulachon, or candlefish, and Dungeness crab have been documented in the estuary for the first time in decades.

From Washington Times • Jul. 5, 2014

An avid fisherman since his youth, when he was known to skip school to dip-net candlefish in Sinclair Inlet and his first Boy Scout merit badge was for fishing.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 20, 2012

Go now, because there's no telling how long they'll stick around in one particular spot as these hungry fish will follow schools of herring and candlefish.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 23, 2012

It was a string of herring eggs and six candlefish the size of my little finger.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Perhaps the smell of candlefish fat, ubiquitous in later Northwest Coast Indian cookery, even then hovered over the first visitors’ fires.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann