trumpetfish

American  

[truhm-pit-fish] / ˈtrʌm pɪtˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

trumpetfish,

plural

trumpetfishes

1. any of several fishes of the family Aulostomidae, having a long, tubular snout, as the slender, brown-flecked Aulostomus maculatus, inhabiting waters on both sides of the tropical Atlantic Ocean, having the habit of orienting vertically in the water and capturing its prey from that position.

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Etymology

Origin of trumpetfish

First recorded in 1660–70; trumpet + fish

Example Sentences

Found in tropical waters worldwide, trumpetfish are elongated creatures with long snouts, which they use to swallow small fish and shrimp.

From DOGO News • Sep. 7, 2023

The species is a common prey of the trumpetfish.

From DOGO News • Sep. 7, 2023

So last year, Dr. Matchette and his colleagues set out to see whether they could prove that trumpetfish were truly doing something much like that used by duck hunters of old.

From New York Times • Aug. 7, 2023

A few yards away, a long-nosed trumpetfish stood on its tail over a patch of bone-white sand.

From Washington Post • Oct. 14, 2015

A spotted eagle ray drifted under the boat and I snorkeled with trumpetfish.

From New York Times • Sep. 12, 2013