ratfish

[rat-fish]

noun

plural

ratfish ,

plural

ratfishes .

1. a chimaera, Hydrolagus colliei, of the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Baja California, having a ratlike tail.

ratfish

/ ˈrætˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. another name for rabbitfish

2. a chimaera, Hydrolagus colliei , of the North Pacific Ocean, which has a long narrow tail

Word History and Origins

Origin of ratfish¹

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; rat + fish

Example Sentences

While sharks can be quite hard to study, spotted ratfish abound in Puget Sound.

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They also compared the modern ratfish to ancestral fossils.

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Dermal denticles, including the ones on the spotted ratfish's pelvic claspers, do not have a dental lamina.

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Scientists studying the spotted ratfish, a shark-like species found in the northeastern Pacific Ocean, discovered that it has rows of teeth growing on top of its head.

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Spotted ratfish are among the most common fish in Puget Sound.

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