live-bearer

7.8

A small brightly colored fish that gives birth to young that can swim when born

noun
/ˈlaɪvˌbɛrər/

: pez vivíparo

The live-bearer is known for giving birth to fully formed, free-swimming young instead of laying eggs.

Examples

Many aquarium enthusiasts keep live-bearers like guppies and mollies for their vibrant colors and easy breeding.
To control mosquito larvae, some communities introduce live-bearers into stagnant ponds.
The live-bearer swam gracefully in the aquarium.
Many live-bearers are popular among aquarium enthusiasts.
Many aquarium enthusiasts keep live-bearers like guppies and mollies for their vibrant colors and easy breeding.
The live-bearer is known for giving birth to fully formed, free-swimming young instead of laying eggs.
To control mosquito larvae, some communities introduce live-bearers into stagnant ponds.

Synonyms

poeciliid fish

vslive-bearer

Specialized

9.9

Small bright fish that give birth to live young, like guppies and mollies

is the common descriptive term rather than the scientific family label

poeciliid

vslive-bearer

Specialized

9.9

A small fish kept in tanks that gives birth to live young and is often brightly colored

notes the fish is sometimes used for mosquito control as well

Surface Forms

live-bearer singular

live-bearers plural

Morphology

live-bearer = live + bearer (transparent) = live + bearer

Clear compound of 'live' + 'bearer': a bearer that is live, i.e., an organism giving birth to live young.

Etymology

Live-bearer is a simple compound of live and bearer, where bearer comes from the verb 'to bear' meaning 'to carry' or 'to give birth', like a flag-bearer who carries a flag. So a live-bearer is a fish that gives 'live young'—it carries and then gives fully formed babies instead of laying eggs.