ribbonfish

American  

[rib-uhn-fish] / ˈrɪb ənˌfɪʃ /

noun

• ribbonfish,
  plural
• ribbonfishes
  plural

1. any of several marine fishes of the families Trachipteridae, Regalicidae, and Lophotidae, having a long, compressed, ribbonlike body.

2. any of several related fishes, as the oarfish.

3. any of several unrelated but similar fishes, as the cutlassfish and jackknife-fish.

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ribbonfish British  

/ ˈrɪbənˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any of various soft-finned deep-sea teleost fishes, esp Regalecus glesne (see oarfish ), that have an elongated compressed body. They are related to the opah and dealfishes

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ribbonfish
  plural
• ribbonfishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ribbonfish

First recorded in 1785–95; ribbon + fish

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ribbonfish

He said he’d shared the image with an ichthyologist who had identified it as a juvenile king-of-the-salmon, scientifically known as Trachipterus altivelis, which is part of the ribbonfish family.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2026

Workman uses a blood knot to tie on a 200-yard top shot of 15-pound-test Seaguar Carbon Pro Fluorocarbon fishing line, which he ties directly to the ribbonfish rig.

From Time Magazine Archive

E-mail: Mail: For big king mackerel, not much beats a properly rigged ribbonfish as a subsurface trolling bait.

From Time Magazine Archive

For example, king mackerel prefer menhaden in the Carolinas but are partial to blue runners and ribbonfish in the Gulf of Mexico.

From Time Magazine Archive

He pays strict attention to how he selects, rigs and incorporates ribbonfish into his live-bait spread.

From Time Magazine Archive