characin fish

8.7

A freshwater fish from Central or South America and Africa that is often brightly colored and kept in aquariums

noun
/ˈkɛrəsɪn fɪʃ/

Specialized

: pez carácido

The aquarium enthusiast added several characin fish to her collection of tropical species.

Examples

Many characin fish are prized for their vibrant colors and active swimming patterns.
In South American rivers, characin fish play an important role in the aquatic ecosystem.
The characin fish is known for its vibrant colors.
Many characin fishes are popular in home aquariums.
In South American rivers, characin fish play an important role in the aquatic ecosystem.
Many characin fish are prized for their vibrant colors and active swimming patterns.
The aquarium enthusiast added several characin fish to her collection of tropical species.

Synonyms

characin

vscharacin fish

Specialized

9.9

A freshwater fish from Central and South America or Africa that is often bright in color

is a scientific term focusing on family identity and geographic range

characid

vscharacin fish

Specialized

9.9

A fish that lives in rivers and lakes in Central and South America

is used for the same family but includes Africa in its range

Surface Forms

characin fish singular

characin fishes plural

Morphology

characin + fish

The phrase is directly compositional: 'characin' specifies a type and 'fish' is the head noun, so the meaning is simply a fish belonging to the characin group. This follows a common noun-modifier pattern, so a B1 learner who already knows both constituent words would readily infer the MWE meaning (noting that 'characin' itself is a specialized lexical item).

Etymology

Characin fish may come from an old Greek word meaning 'point' or 'spike', because the part characin refers to a 'point' and many of these freshwater fish have sharp teeth or fins. That's why characin fish is the name for these small, colorful river fish from Central and South America and Africa.