batfish

noun

bat·​fish ˈbat-ˌfish 

: any of several fishes with winglike processes

especially : any of a family (Ogcocephalidae of the order Lophiiformes) of flattened pediculate bony fishes

Illustration of batfish

Examples of batfish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Evolutionary studies show that batfish, such as Ogcocephalus darwini, belong to the anglerfish lineage (Lophioidei) — a diverse group of over 400 species. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025

Anglerfish ancestors lived on the seafloor and maneuvered around using specialized stout fins, much like their close relatives the batfishes and frogfishes. —Danielle Hall, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Dec. 2024

This bizarre-looking fish is also known as the Galapagos batfish and can be found at the bottom of the ocean. —Courtney Linder, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022

Red-lipped batfish or Venezuelan poodle moth, anyone? —Bryn Nelson /, NBC News, 14 June 2018

The exhibit includes more than 20 different species, including the panther chameleon, naked mole rat, walking batfish, giant Pacific octopus and more. —Brittany Nader, cleveland.com, 15 May 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for batfish

• bluefish
• catfish
• codfish
• crawfish
• dogfish
• finfish
• flatfish
• goldfish
• groundfish
• kingfish
• offish
• redfish