Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

damselfish

American  
[dam-zuhl-fish] / ˈdæm zəlˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

damselfish,

plural

damselfishes
  1. any of several chiefly tropical, brilliantly colored, marine fishes of the family Pomacentridae, living among coral reefs.


damselfish British  
/ ˈdæmzəlˌfɪʃ /

noun

  1. any small tropical percoid fish of the family Pomacentridae, having a brightly coloured deep compressed body See also anemone fish

"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 damselfish

First recorded in 1900–05; damsel + fish

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.

The scientists began by pulling only the 3D parrotfish over the damselfish habitat.

From DOGO News • Sep. 7, 2023

Similarly, when the trumpetfish model was attached to the side of a parrotfish model and pulled past the damselfish, the fish did not flee.

From New York Times • Aug. 7, 2023

But the study found that damselfish become less territorial when they live around rat-infested islands.

From Scientific American • May 12, 2023

We swam under a rock arch and through a short tunnel as damselfish, and ornate wrasse glided by in a mesmerizing parade.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022

Some species of damselfish, which also inhabit tropical reefs, also fail to freeze and hide when exposed to the scent of an injured fish — a stimulus that usually serves to warn of predators.

From Nature • Oct. 10, 2017