Moorish idol

American  

noun

1. a black, white, and yellow fish, Zanclus cornutus (orcanescens ), inhabiting the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans, having a long snout and an elongated dorsal fin.

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Moorish idol British  

noun

1. a tropical marine spiny-finned fish, Zanclus canescens, that is common around coral reefs: family Zanclidae. It has a deeply compressed body with yellow and black stripes, a beaklike snout, and an elongated dorsal fin

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Example Sentences

The Moorish idol, a black-and-yellow striped fish with a mane-like dorsal fin spine, requires lots of space.

From Seattle Times

Green and hawksbill turtles; false clown anemonefish; angelfish; masked butterflyfish; chocolate chip and blue sea stars; moorish idol; giant moray, black-finned snake, white-eyed moray, honeycomb moray and yellow margin moray eels; triggerfish; pipefish; boxfish; pufferfish; bumphead parrotfish; giant grouper; raggy and devil scorpionfish; broadclub cuttlefish; and giant and painted frogfish.

From Washington Post

Bright, jumbo-size Moorish idol fish trail dorsal fins longer than their bodies; dotting the seascape are healthy corals and fat purple barrel sponges, some occupied by spotted groupers.

From New York Times

Here we spied vivid Moorish idol fish and yellow puffer fish in the aquarium-like calm, supplanted by larger tuna as we rounded the rough windward side.

From New York Times