red mullet

American  

noun

1. a goatfish or surmullet.

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red mullet British  

noun

1. US name: goatfish.  any of the marine percoid fishes constituting the family Mullidae , esp Mullus surmuletus , a food fish of European waters. They have a pair of long barbels beneath the chin and a reddish coloration

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Etymology

Origin of red mullet

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

Rock started photographing Bowie as the artist was forming his Ziggy Stardust persona: bright red mullet, with blood-red rouge and eye shadow and glittery gold lipstick.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2021

Cooks stir it into couscous broth, fish soups and tomato sauce for pasta , add it to salads of roasted red peppers or eggplant, and spoon it onto grilled sardines and red mullet.

From Washington Post • Aug. 3, 2017

"We serve fish from the North Sea, vegetables from this region, we will never work with a red mullet, for example, because it's a fish from the South. We only use local products," Goossens said.

From Reuters • Feb. 3, 2016

John Dory, red mullet, gurnard, sardines, anchovies, cuttlefish and squid would all become more common in the North Sea, he said.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2015

Augusta was eating red mullet in Guernsey, Juliana was on a round of visits in Scotland, Mervyn was supposed to be in Paris, Robert alone was near at hand.

From Hopes and Fears or, scenes from the life of a spinster by Yonge, Charlotte Mary