butterfish

but·ter·fish

B0581500 (bŭt′ər-fĭsh′)n. pl. butterfish or but·ter·fish·es 1. Any of various fishes of the family Stromateidae having tender oily flesh, especially Peprilus triacanthus of the North American Atlantic coast.2. Any of various other fishes having oily flesh or slippery skin.

---

[Originally applied to a species of gunnel found in British waters, noted for its slippery coating of mucus.]

butterfish

(ˈbʌtəˌfɪʃ) n, pl -fish or -fishes1. (Animals) 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 fin2. (Animals) Also called: greenbone or marari (Māori)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

but•ter•fish

(ˈbʌt ərˌfɪʃ)

n., pl. (esp. collectively) -fish•es, (esp. for kinds or species) -fish. a small, flattened marine food fish, Peprilus triacanthus, of U.S. Atlantic coastal waters. [1665–75]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	butterfish - any of numerous small flat Atlantic food fish having smooth skinPholis gunnellus, rock gunnel, butterfish - slippery scaleless food fish of the northern Atlantic coastal watersstromateid, stromateid fish, butterfish - small marine fish with a short compressed body and feeble spinessaltwater fish - flesh of fish from the sea used as food
	2.	butterfish - small marine fish with a short compressed body and feeble spinesstromateid, stromateid fishpercoid, percoid fish, percoidean - any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of the order Perciformesfamily Stromateidae, Stromateidae - butterfishes: harvest fishes; dollar fishesdollarfish, Poronotus triacanthus - small food fish of Atlantic coastCalifornia pompano, palometa, Palometa simillima - smaller than Florida pompano; common in West Indiesharvestfish, Paprilus alepidotus - butterfish up to a foot long of Atlantic waters from Chesapeake Bay to Argentinadriftfish - small (6 inches) tropical butterfishes found worldwidedriftfish - larger butterfishes of the western Atlantic from the New York area to the northern Gulf of Mexicobarrelfish, black rudderfish, Hyperglyphe perciformis - blackish fish of New England watersbutterfish - any of numerous small flat Atlantic food fish having smooth skin
	3.	butterfish - slippery scaleless food fish of the northern Atlantic coastal watersPholis gunnellus, rock gunnelbracketed blenny, gunnel - small eellike fishes common in shallow waters of the northern Atlanticgenus Pholis, Pholis - type genus of the Pholidae: gunnelsbutterfish - any of numerous small flat Atlantic food fish having smooth skin