but·ter·fly·fish

(bŭt′ər-flī′fĭsh′)

1. Any of various small tropical marine fishes of the family Chaetodontidae, having a laterally compressed body with bright colors and patterns.

2. Any of various fishes with broad winglike fins.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

butterflyfish

(Animals) any small tropical marine percoid fish of the genera Chaetodon, Chelmon, etc, that has a deep flattened brightly coloured or strikingly marked body and brushlike teeth: family Chaetodontidae. See also angelfish¹

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

butterflyfish - tropical fish with huge fanlike pectoral fins for underwater gliding; unrelated to searobins

flying gurnard, flying robin

scorpaenoid, scorpaenoid fish - fishes having the head armored with bony plates

Dactylopteridae, family Dactylopteridae - flying gurnards

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References in periodicals archive

Travel tribes from the GCC can snorkel through Manafaru Island's stunning shallow reef and the gram-worthy azure blue ocean whilst spotting an array of exotic sea life including Triggerfish, Angelfish, Unicornfish, Eagle Ray, Moorish Idol, Butterflyfish, Clownfish, Stingrays and Blacktip Sharks.

JA Manafaru wins big, eyes Gulf market

Commonly found species of fish within the area are damselfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, wrasse, grouper, snapper, rabbitfish, goatfish and barracudas.

Saving El Nido and its rich biodiversity

In 1972, I saw bigeyefish, damselfish, doctorfish, filefish, goatfish, gobies, hogfish, lemon butterflyfish, lizardfish, parrottfish, porcupinefish, pufferfish, queen angelfish, rock beauties, sergeant majors, soldierfish, spot-tail butterflyfish, Spanish hogfish, squirrelfish, tangs, trunkfish, and bluehead or yellowhead wrasses.

Up-close view of climate change proves sobering: Observing diminished fish population in Hanauma Bay makes talk about global warming more than just theory

They get just a thin slice of the revenue pie from their harvest of clownfish, damselfish, anthias, tomato anemonefish, wrasse, butterflyfish, lionfish, moorish idol, parrotfish and other species.

High risk, low pay for reef fish catchers

In 2009 and 2011, they collected DNA samples from thousands of adult and juvenile clownfish and butterflyfish throughout Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea, across 3,000 square miles of the ocean--an area the size of Yellowstone National Park.

The Marine Reserve Goldilocks Problem

The banded butterflyfish Chaetadon striatus were observed foraging on the rocky bottoms (Fig.

The rocky reef fishes of Vermelha Beach, a marine-estuarine transitional zone at Guanabara Bay, Brazil

They gathered data on corals, butterflyfish, invertebrates and other possible health indicators for this critical environment.

Beside the Saudi Arabian desert, an underwater "rainforest"

In the ocean, look for intricately coloured Ornate Butterflyfish.

SIGHTS YOU'LL LAVA

Influence of dietary specialization and resource availability on geographical variation in abundance of butterflyfish. Ecol Evol, 2(7): 1347-1361.

Species composition and gut content analysis of fishes in Mandulog River system, Iligan City

As soon as I take the plunge into the waters kept calm by the reef, I encounter butterflyfish, Moorish idols and bluestripe snappers among the coral Other free activities organised by the hotel include canoeing, glass bottom boat trips, tennis and volleyball, while scuba diving, deep sea fishing, horse riding and catamaran cruises are available at an extra cost.

Paradise SAVED; The Mauritius is best known for its stunning beaches, but James Edgar discovered the island is also a conservationist's dream