batfish

[ bat-fish ]

noun

, plural (especially collectively) bat·fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) bat·fish·es.

1. any of the flat-bodied marine fishes of the family Ogcocephalidae found worldwide in tropical and subtropical oceans, including Ogcocephalus vespertilio Brazilian batfish of the coastal western Atlantic Ocean, especially along the coast of Brazil.
2. Also called bat ray. an eagle ray, Myliobatis californicus, found off the coast of California and southward to the Galapagos Islands.

batfish

/ ˈbætˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. any angler of the family Ogcocephalidae , having a flattened scaleless body and moving on the sea floor by means of fleshy pectoral and pelvic fins

Word History and Origins

Origin of batfish¹

First recorded in 1900–05; bat ² + fish

Example Sentences

After carefully studying the creature and comparing images of the fish to various science books, they determined it was a thick-tailed batfish.

From Fox News

It is — I’m not sure I’m going to pronounce this right — an orbicular batfish, related to spadefish that you can find on the East Coast.

From Washington Post

The zoo’s new inhabitants also include red-eyed tree frogs, walking batfish and electric eels as well as several carnivorous plants and more.

From Washington Times

Speaking of dining habits, the red-lipped batfish is a carnivore and tends to snack on small fish and crustaceans.

From The Verge

In all, the trawls caught 14 fish species, including spotted batfish, leopard toadfish and a lined seahorse, and 31 invertebrate species, including 17 sponge species, five crab species, two whelk species and two starfish species.

From Washington Times