trumpetfish

American  

[truhm-pit-fish] / ˈtrʌm pɪtˌfɪʃ /

noun

trumpetfish, plural trumpetfishes plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• trumpetfish
  plural
• trumpetfishes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of trumpetfish

First recorded in 1660–70; trumpet + fish

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trumpetfish

The Cambridge researchers attached 3D plastic models of trumpetfish and parrotfish to a wire pulley system and deployed inside a colony of damselfish.

From DOGO News ● Sep. 7, 2023

The species is a common prey of the trumpetfish.

From DOGO News ● Sep. 7, 2023

Dr. Matchette heard reports that trumpetfish hid behind larger nonpredatory fish when hunting, and the tactic sounded strikingly similar to the stalking horse strategy used by humans.

From New York Times ● Aug. 7, 2023

When the trumpetfish model was pulled along the wire, the nearby damselfish swam up to inspect it but then quickly fled, clearly perceiving it as a threat.

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