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dragonfish

American  
[drag-uhn-fish] / ˈdræg ənˌfɪʃ /

noun

  • dragonfish,
    plural
  • dragonfishes
    plural
  1. any marine fish of the family Bathydraconidae, of the Southern Ocean, having an elongated body and flattened head and being biochemically adapted to extremely low temperatures.

  2. Also called seamoth. any fish of the family Pegasidae, of tropical Indo-Pacific waters, having armor of bony rings and large, horizontal, fanlike pectoral fins.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of dragonfish

First recorded in 1685–95; dragon + 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.

See Examples For:

In its larval stage, the female black dragonfish has eyestalks that can reach half its body length and allow her to see farther in the deep.

From National Geographic ● Feb. 7, 2024

A dragonfish and eggs on the Antarctic reef floor.

From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2013

The dragonfish mother stands guard for most of this time; an angry dragonfish once even bit through a diver’s glove when he came for some of her eggs.

From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2013

The technique of mimicking a non-threatening or tasty species to lure prey is known as aggressive mimicry, and it’s seen in other deep-sea creatures such as anglerfish, viperfish and dragonfish.

From Scientific American ● Aug. 28, 2013

With their dazzling orange and gold skins and fat bellies, the individual dragonfish are soothing enough to watch swim around Yap's tanks.

From Time ● Jan. 22, 2010

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