mouthbreeder

[ mouth-bree-der ]

noun

1. any of several fishes of the genera Tilapia and Haplochromis, that hatch and care for their young in the mouth.
2. any of several fishes in various genera of the Anabantidae, Apogonidae, Cichlidae, and other teleost fish families that hold their eggs or young in their mouths.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mouthbreeder¹

First recorded in 1925–30; mouth + breeder