hatchetfish

American  

[hach-it-fish] / ˈhætʃ ɪtˌfɪʃ /

noun

hatchetfishes plural

1. any deep-sea fishes of the genera Argyropelicus, Sternoptyx, and related genera, of tropical and temperate waters, having a silvery, hatchet-shaped body.

2. Also called flying characin.  any of several freshwater fishes of the genera Carnegiella, Gasteropelecus, and Thorachocharax, occurring from Panama to the Rio de la Plata and capable of flying short distances by rapid movements of their large pectoral fins.

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Etymology

Origin of hatchetfish

First recorded in 1930–35; hatchet + fish

Example Sentences

Ms. Justino has excavated fibers and beads from the digestive tracts of lanternfish, hatchetfish and other fish that migrate up and down in the mesopelagic, 650 to 3,300 feet down.

From New York Times • Apr. 3, 2022