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

Rhyne’s research lab — which includes breeding toothy queen triggerfish and red-striped yasha gobies— has been working to share his research with breeders as well.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 19, 2022

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

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022

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

From Fox News • Aug. 5, 2021

Then smaller fish appeared: miscellaneous triggerfish, leather jacks, unicornfish, and a hundred others that left stripes on this luminous atmosphere in their course.

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