butterfly fish
noun
1
: any of a family (Chaetodontidae) of small brilliantly colored bony fishes of tropical seas with a narrow deep body and scaled fins
2
: a small brown freshwater bony fish (Pantodon buchholzi of the family Pantodontidae) of western Africa that has elongate winglike pectoral fins
Examples of butterfly fish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Animals that eat live coral, such as butterfly fish and certain marine snails, will likely vanish.
—
Benji Jones, Vox, 16 May 2024
The tiny islands that make up the Maldives are surrounded by aquamarine water that is home to some 700 species of fish, including tuna wahoos and butterfly fish.
—Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
In return for the safety of a home, the clownfish wards off potential predators, such as butterfly fish.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023
After lunch, Earle drifted through the museum, noting lava-lamp-like jellies, filigreed basket stars, and butterfly fish, which mate for life.
—Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, 20 June 2022
It’s not uncommon to also see red pencil sea urchins, butterfly fish and moray eels.
—Sarah Sekula, USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2020
During the dive, sea turtles—honu in Hawaiian—relax, swim nearby and enjoy a visit to butterfly fish and other reef fish that eat the algae off of their shells.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2020
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Benji Jones, Vox, 16 May 2024
The tiny islands that make up the Maldives are surrounded by aquamarine water that is home to some 700 species of fish, including tuna wahoos and butterfly fish.
—Melissa Locker, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
In return for the safety of a home, the clownfish wards off potential predators, such as butterfly fish.
—Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023
After lunch, Earle drifted through the museum, noting lava-lamp-like jellies, filigreed basket stars, and butterfly fish, which mate for life.
—Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, 20 June 2022
It’s not uncommon to also see red pencil sea urchins, butterfly fish and moray eels.
—Sarah Sekula, USA TODAY, 23 Aug. 2020
During the dive, sea turtles—honu in Hawaiian—relax, swim nearby and enjoy a visit to butterfly fish and other reef fish that eat the algae off of their shells.
—Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 June 2020
Dictionary Entries Near butterfly fish
Cite this Entry
“Butterfly fish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/butterfly%20fish. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share