devilfish

1. (dated) Any of several not closely related marine animals:Examples: "The unattractive reptilian specimen in the man’s right hand is an octopus, or devilfish, which constitutes a favorite dish with the Asiatics of the islands."; "We have all heard of the octopus or devil-fish, with its long arms covered with powerful suckers, which is always waiting to seize the unsuspecting, choke and bite him, always grasping with another arm when the grip of one of them is loosened—suitable symbol of the trust."; "The devilfish felt the menace of his attitude, and his two longest tentacles began to writhe in the air, as he measured our distance."dated

2. (dated) Any of several not closely related marine animals:Examples: "It can easily be imagined that such creatures as these could drown a man, or upset a boat, and they have furnished material for many fabulous accounts of sea-serpents and devil-fishes."; "At the bottom of the story of Skylla may lie a sailor's tale of the kraken or devil-fish, which sometimes grows to a gigantic size; Charybdis is obviously nothing but a dangerous whirlpool."; "Devilfishes have been discovered in various seas, which weighed several hundred pounds, and whose length ranged from fifty to seventy or more feet."dated

3. (dated) Any of several not closely related marine animals:Examples: "The California gray whale, or devil-fish (Rhachianectes glaucus), is found only in the North Pacific, and is an object of pursuit by the shore stations established along that coast."; "The Sarah Warren returned with 1,100 bbls. of "devil fish" oil and 60 bbls. of sperm oil, and her tender, the Nevada, returned with 74, bbls. of whale oil."; "Returning, arrived at Honolulu on April 6, with 330 barrels of devil fish oil. Discharged cargo and left again for the Arctic region the latter part of July, 1867, returning the latter part of October, with 850 barrels of oil."dated

4. (dated) Any of several not closely related marine animals:Examples: "The same carnivorous instincts are likewise attributed to the devil-fish, or piranha so common in the Rio San Francisco, and the terror of bathers."; "It is a kind of sturgeon, scaleless, spotted and marbled, flat-muzzled and whiskered, like the "cats" (Silurus), which drown the negro boys fishing in the Mississippi waters, and ugly as any "devil-fish"."; "The body of her husband was rescued from the sharks and devil-fishes, and brought ashore for interment, with every mark of respect."dated

5. (dated) Any of several not closely related marine animals:Examples: "The American angler, or devil fish, which was placed In the Aquarium on Tuesday, was found dead in the tank yesterday morning. Mr. Coup, the manager, is making great effort to procure another specimen, as well as some strange fish from South America."; "The four successful trawls yielded us examples of the Angler or Devil-fish, Lophius piscatorius; […]"; "Vertical section through the freshly enucleated frozen eye of a devil-fish (Lophius piscatorius)."dated

6. (dated) Any of several not closely related marine animals:Examples: "In the rivers of southern Mexico, a lizard-like fish with armor for skin has taken over the habitat of the native fish like róbalo and mojarra. Locals call it the pez diablo, or devil fish, and long assumed it was poisonous."; "But a U.S. law, aimed at protecting American catfish farmers from cheaper Asian imports, means there is effectively a ban on foreign catfish‚ including the suckermouth or devil fish, from entering the U.S."; "Devilfish is an invasive species of the Loricariidae family native to South America of the Amazon basin, but it has been introduced in several countries, as in Mexico. Devilfish has become an environmental problem in the country, at least in the last 20 years."dated