lumpfish

American  

[luhmp-fish] / ˈlʌmpˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

lumpfish,

plural

lumpfishes

1. any of several thick-bodied, sluggish fishes of the family Cyclopteridae, found in northern seas, having the pelvic fins modified and united into a sucking disk, especially Cyclopterus lumpus, of the North Atlantic.

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lumpfish British  

/ ˈlʌmpˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. a North Atlantic scorpaenoid fish, Cyclopterus lumpus, having a globular body covered with tubercles, pelvic fins fused into a sucker, and an edible roe: family Cyclopteridae

2. any other fish of the family Cyclopteridae

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Etymology

Origin of lumpfish

First recorded in 1735–45; lump ¹ + fish

Example Sentences

The project also includes a proposal to aquaculture lumpfish, a species of fish that can be used to control parasites.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 7, 2023

“It’s a pretty clunky, awkward-looking fish,” said Nathaniel Spada, a research assistant at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts and a part-time lumpfish influencer.

From New York Times • Jul. 19, 2022

How and why biofluorescence evolved in lumpfish is one of many questions raised by Dr. Juhasz-Dora’s discovery.

From New York Times • Jul. 19, 2022

The extremely ugly lumpfish comes close to the shore to breed around this time of year, so the roe is harvested and eaten fresh.

From The Guardian • Mar. 5, 2020

Down went the trap, an’ up she come: not even a lumpfish or a lobser t’ grace the labor.

From Every Man for Himself by Duncan, Norman