butterflyfish

7.6

A small bright sea fish with flat sides and fanlike fins that swims near coral reefs

noun
/ˈbʌtərˌflaɪfɪʃ/

: pez mariposa

butterflyfish and coral

Examples

Several species of wrasses, copperbanded butterflyfish, banded coral shrimp, and arrow crabs are all supposed to eat bristleworms, but I doubt that they will eat the large ones, which are the only ones to possibly be concerned about.

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As I snorkeled over the coral reef, I spotted a vibrant blue and yellow butterflyfish gliding gracefully among the corals.
The butterflyfish darted quickly to avoid a hungry predator lurking nearby.
We observed a pair of butterflyfish swimming together, showcasing their beautiful colors in the sunlight.

Synonyms

butterfly fish

vsbutterflyfish

1 4.6

A small colorful tropical sea fish with a flat body and wide fins, often near coral reefs

is found mainly on coral reefs rather than worldwide

Chaetodontidae

vsbutterflyfish

Specialized

9.9

A group of bright, small fish that live on coral reefs, like butterflyfish

refers to an individual reef fish species not the entire family

How Colorful

parrotfish

1 7.5

butterflyfish

7.6

anemone fish

1 6.7

zebrafish

Specialized

1 3.9

herring

52 1.4

Surface Forms

butterflyfish singular

butterflyfishes plural

Morphology

butterflyfish = butterfly + fish (transparent) = butterfly + fish

The compound names a fish with butterfly-like appearance, a meaning directly inferable from 'butterfly' + 'fish'.

Etymology

Butterflyfish is a simple combination of butterfly and fish because these small reef fish have bright colours and large, fan-like fins that make them look like 'butterflies' as they move. So, the name points to their colourful, wing-like look and helps you remember this tropical fish.