an eel-like blennioid food fish, Pholis gunnellus, occurring in North Atlantic coastal regions: family Pholidae (gunnels). It has a slippery scaleless golden brown skin with a row of black spots along the base of the long dorsal fin
2. Also called: greenbone or (Māori) marari
an edible reef fish, Coridodax pullus, of esp S New Zealand. It has a slippery purplish-grey to olive-green skin and is often found browsing on kelp
butterfish in American English
(ˈbʌtərˌfɪʃ)
nounWord forms: pluralˈbutterˌfish or ˈbutterˌfishes
any of various fishes (esp. family Stromateidae) with a slippery, protective covering of mucus, as a gunnel