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

Stocks not covered by quotas, including red mullet, squid and most commercial shellfish, are particularly important to smaller UK vessels fishing close to the shoreline.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2021

"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

The fish are bigger and include desirable species like grouper, red mullet and Mediterranean sea bass that were no longer present closer to land.

From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2012

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