pigfish

[ pig-fish ]

noun

, plural pig·fish·es, (especially collectively) pig·fish.

1. a grunt, Orthopristis chrysoptera, living in waters off the Atlantic coast of the southern United States.

pigfish

/ ˈpɪɡˌfɪʃ /

noun

1. Also calledhogfish any of several grunts, esp Orthopristis chrysopterus, of the North American Atlantic coast
2. any of several wrasses, such as Achoerodus gouldii ( giant pigfish ), that occur around the Great Barrier Reef

Word History and Origins

Origin of pigfish¹

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; pig ¹ + fish

Example Sentences

NOAA's Randall Kosaki, the expedition's chief scientist, said the team collected the first specimens of male Hawaiian pigfish about 300 feet below the surface.

From US News

Dolphins, rock-cod, pigfish, and blackfish may be caught as quickly as they can be hauled out.

From Project Gutenberg