catadromous

American

[kuh-tad-ruh-muhs] / kəˈtæd rə məs /

adjective

(of fish) migrating from fresh water to spawn in the sea, as eels of the genus Anguilla (distinguished from anadromous).

catadromous British

/ kəˈtædrəməs /

adjective

(of fishes such as the eel) migrating down rivers to the sea in order to breed Compare anadromous

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of catadromous

First recorded in 1880–85; cata- + -dromous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Of the catadromous fishes there is a single example in our waters--the common eel.

From Boy Scouts Handbook The First Edition, 1911 by Boy Scouts of America

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023