killifish

American  

[kil-ee-fish] / ˈkɪl iˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

killifish,

plural

killifishes

1. any of several small, oviparous cyprinodont fishes, especially of the genus Fundulus, found in salt, brackish, and fresh waters.

2. any of several livebearers.

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killifish British  

/ ˈkɪlɪˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any of various chiefly American minnow-like cyprinodont fishes of the genus Fundulus and related genera, of fresh and brackish waters: used as aquarium fishes, to control mosquitoes, and as anglers' bait

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Etymology

Origin of killifish

1805–15, perhaps kill ² + -i- (unexplained) + fish

Example Sentences

To do this, they used the African turquoise killifish, a species with a lifespan of just four to eight months.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2026

"Seeing these effects emerge so clearly in a rapid-aging model like our killifish was striking," Paulmann said.

From Science Daily • Jan. 30, 2026

This makes it the most genetically diverse assemblage of seasonal killifish ever documented anywhere in the world.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

Scientists have confirmed the rediscovery of Moema claudiae, a rare seasonal killifish species in Bolivia that had been considered possibly extinct.

From Science Daily • Dec. 25, 2025

The plains killifish was collected by me only at Station 42-S.

From Fishes of the Big Blue River Basin, Kansas by Minckley, W. L.