triggerfish

American  

[trig-er-fish] / ˈtrɪg ərˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

triggerfish,

plural

triggerfishes

1. any of various compressed, deep-bodied fishes of the genus Balistes and allied genera, chiefly inhabiting tropical seas, having an anterior dorsal fin with three stout spines: some are edible while others are poisonous.

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triggerfish British  

/ ˈtrɪɡəˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any plectognath fish of the family Balistidae , of tropical and temperate seas. They have a compressed body with erectile spines in the first dorsal fin

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Etymology

Origin of triggerfish

First recorded in 1880–85; trigger + fish

Example Sentences

Expedition divers observed an unusually large school of exotically-colored triggerfish in eastern Cuba, and a kaleidoscope of vibrant corals along the ocean floor near the densely-developed tourist destination of Varadero.

From Reuters • Sep. 1, 2023

The catch of the day, grilled triggerfish and barracuda, was worth the wait here.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022

Snorkeling in the early morning, I was often one of the first people in the water, floating solo above humuhumunukunukuapua’a, or reef triggerfish, as they fed off the coral.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 14, 2021

Eventually, it was determined the animal was likely a triggerfish.

From Fox News • Aug. 5, 2021

Cavorting around the Nautilus was a school of triggerfish with flat bodies, grainy skins, armed with stings on their dorsal fins, and with four prickly rows of quills quivering on both sides of their tails.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Walter, F. P.