What does blackfish mean?
Blackfish is a common English compound noun formed from "black" and "fish," used as a collective label for several dark-colored aquatic animals rather than a single species. In North American angling, it most frequently denotes the tautog, a stout bottom-dwelling wrasse prized by sport fishermen along the Atlantic seaboard for its fighting spirit and firm white flesh. In maritime and whaling tradition, the same name was long applied to pilot whales, whose glossy black bodies made them instantly recognizable to hunters. Because so many different creatures share the appellation, context is essential: regional usage determines whether a speaker means a reef fish, a whale, or another dark species altogether. The word is straightforwardly descriptive rather than technical, appearing mainly in fishing reports, natural history writing, and coastal conversation. Its enduring usefulness lies in its vividness — a compact, evocative term that captures both appearance and habitat in two syllables.
nounAny of various dark-colored fishes, especially the tautog of the Atlantic coast of North America; also, a name applied to the short-finned pilot whale.
- Any of various dark-colored food fishes, especially the tautog (Tautoga onitis) of the western Atlantic.
- A short-finned or long-finned pilot whale (genus Globicephala), so called for its dark coloration.
"The fishermen hauled in several blackfish from the rocky reef off Montauk."
"Anglers along the New England coast prize the blackfish for its firm, white flesh."
"A pod of blackfish stranded itself on the shallows, drawing rescuers to the beach."
The zero plural is standard when referring to individuals of the same kind, as with most fish names; "blackfishes" is acceptable when distinguishing multiple species.
"We caught six blackfish before the tide turned."
"Blackfish" doesn't name one fish at all — it's a name shared by everything from a wrasse-like tautog to a giant pilot whale.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of blackfish
The word is a straightforward English compound of "black," from Old English blæc, and "fish," from Old English fisc. It arose as a descriptive vernacular name for any conspicuously dark fish or marine mammal, with different communities applying it to whatever locally abundant dark species they encountered. This loose, descriptive origin explains why it has never referred to a single taxonomic group.
How blackfish is actually used
The term is applied loosely to many unrelated dark-hued species depending on region — in North America it most often means the tautog, while in whaling contexts it historically referred to pilot whales. The plural is typically unchanged ("blackfish"), though "blackfishes" appears when referring to multiple species.
Easily confused with blackfish
A blackfin is a specific tuna species (blackfin tuna), while blackfish is a general name for various dark-colored fish or a type of pilot whale.