angelfish
angelfish Lexical Profile
angelfish Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several laterally compressed, freshwater cichlid fishes native to South American river basins, highly popular in aquariums for their distinctive shape and long, wing-like dorsal and anal fins.
"The aquarium hobbyist proudly displayed a large tank filled with striped freshwater angelfish gliding peacefully through the aquatic plants."
Any of numerous brightly colored marine fishes of the family Pomacanthidae, commonly found inhabiting shallow coral reefs in the tropical Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
"While snorkeling over the Caribbean reef, we spotted a vivid queen angelfish darting skillfully between the coral heads."
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'angel' and 'fish', named primarily for the long, sweeping fins of the freshwater species which resemble the wings of angels. While the term was historically used in the 17th century for a type of shark, it is now exclusively applied to the popular freshwater and marine fishes.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.