cunner

[ kuhn-er ]

/ ˈkʌn ər /

a small wrasse, Tautogolabrus adspersus, common in North Atlantic coastal waters of the U.S.

Words nearby cunner

First recorded in 1595–1605; origin uncertain

Also called bergall.

For the first bait of the first fisherman that ever threw hook into the North Atlantic was taken by a cunner.
Old Plymouth Trails|Winthrop Packard
It may be that the first hook was taken by some other fish, but the cunner got in ahead on the bait.
Old Plymouth Trails|Winthrop Packard
The cunner is here recorded for the urchin with the cane pole.
Bass, Pike, Perch, and Others|James Alexander Henshall
Some men stick an awl through a cunner's head, or catch it fast in a stout iron hook, to hold it while skinning.
How to Camp Out|John M. Gould

There is none of the bait-stealing tomfoolery of the cunner, none of the dancing hilarity of the pollock.
Old Plymouth Trails|Winthrop Packard