wrymouth

9.9

An eel-like fish that lives in the North Atlantic with a long body and a large almost vertical mouth

noun

: pez fantasma

The wrymouth has a distinctive mouth that gives the fish its name.

Examples

Fishermen sometimes catch a wrymouth by accident when trawling near the seabed.
The wrymouth is seldom seen by divers due to its burrowing habits.
The wrymouth is often found in rocky coastal waters.
Many fishermen are familiar with the wrymouth and its unique shape.
Fishermen sometimes catch a wrymouth by accident when trawling near the seabed.
The wrymouth has a distinctive mouth that gives the fish its name.
The wrymouth is seldom seen by divers due to its burrowing habits.

Synonyms

Cryptacanthodes

vswrymouth

Specialized

9.9

A sea fish like a wrymouth that lives in muddy sea bottoms

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific term

Cryptacanthodes maculatus

vswrymouth

Specialized

9.9

A fish like an eel that lives on the Atlantic sea floor with a very large mouth

refers to the general fish type not a single species

ghostfish

vswrymouth

9.9

A fish like an eel that lives on the Atlantic Ocean floor with a large vertical mouth

is the usual common name rather than this alternative label

Surface Forms

wrymouth singular

wrymouths plural

Morphology

wrymouth = wry + mouth (semi-transparent) = wry + mouth

Formed by a clear compound 'wry' + 'mouth', but the specific zoological sense ('an eel-like fish') is a conventional species name and not fully predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Wrymouth comes from the parts wry ('twisted' or 'turned to one side') and mouth. It refers to a long, eel-like fish whose large mouth looks turned or twisted, which is why the fish has that name.