surfperch

American  

[surf-purch] / ˈsɜrfˌpɜrtʃ /

noun

plural

surfperch,

plural

surfperches

1. any of several fishes of the viviparous family Embiotocidae, mostly inhabiting shallow waters along the Pacific coast of North America: named for certain similarities to perch.

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surfperch British  

/ ˈsɜːfˌpɜːtʃ /

noun

1. Also called: sea perch.  any viviparous marine percoid fish of the family Embiotocidae, of North American Pacific coastal waters

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Etymology

Origin of surfperch

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; surf + perch ²

Example Sentences

In her studies, Cummings showed that surfperch living in dim or murky waters generally preferred shiny ornaments, while surfperch inhabiting zones of mercurial brightness favored bold colors.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2019

For several years, she studied various species of surfperch, repeatedly diving in the kelp forests with a Plexiglas-protected spectrometer to quantify and characterize the light in different habitats.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2019

When she examined the eyes of one surfperch species, Hypsurus caryi, that swam through variously lit parts of the forest, she found an abundance of opsin proteins4.

From Nature • Oct. 6, 2015

The researchers also found traces of small marine mammals, along with rockfish, sculpin, surfperch as well as herring and/or sardine.

From Scientific American • Mar. 3, 2011

The wetland is home to lingcod, halibut and surfperch, a plate-shaped fish that looks like its own fossil.

From Time Magazine Archive