What does boarfish mean?
The boarfish is a small-to-medium marine fish distinguished by its remarkably deep, flattened body and a pointed snout that resembles that of a pig or wild boar — hence its common name. Several unrelated groups carry the label: in European waters it usually refers to Capros aper, a bright reddish-pink fish of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, while around Australia and New Zealand the term applies to members of the family Pentacerotidae. Boarfish tend to live over rocky bottoms or in deeper offshore waters, feeding on small invertebrates, and they occasionally appear in trawler catches. The word belongs mainly to the vocabulary of anglers, marine biologists, and seafood workers rather than to daily speech. Its vivid colouration and unusual silhouette make it a striking subject for divers and illustrators alike.
nounA marine fish with a deep, laterally compressed body and a pointed, pig-like snout, found chiefly in warm seas; the name refers to several species in the families Caproidae and Pentacerotidae.
- Any of several marine fishes with compressed bodies and pig-like snouts, especially Capros aper of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.
"The trawler's nets brought up a shimmering pink boarfish alongside the dory catch."
"Divers off Cornwall spotted a school of boarfish hovering above the kelp."
"Australian fishermen often call Pentacerotid species 'boarfish' because of their bristly dorsal spines."
Like most fish names, 'boarfish' is commonly used unchanged as a plural, referring collectively to multiple individuals of any boarfish species; a regular plural 'boarfishes' appears occasionally but is rarer.
"The reef was alive with dozens of boarfish darting between the rocks."
Its protruding snout earned it the name 'boar' — but this little fish is far too small to ever charge anyone.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of boarfish
The word combines the Old English 'bār', meaning adult male pig or wild boar, with the general English 'fish', forming a straightforward compound that arose through folk description of the animal's snout. It follows the same naming pattern as many other compound fish names built from familiar animals. Related Germanic terms descended from the same ancient pig-word include 'barrow' (a castrated pig) and 'farrow' (a litter of young pigs).
How boarfish is actually used
Mostly used by anglers, naturalists, and in fisheries contexts rather than everyday conversation; plural may be boarsfish or unchanged depending on convention, though 'boarfish' as a collective plural is common.
Easily confused with boarfish
A hogfish is a wrasse of the western Atlantic known for its pig-like snout, whereas the boarfish typically refers to Capros aper or related pentacerotid species of the eastern Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.