parrot fish, noun phrase

Origin:
See quotations 1913.
Either of two species of marine fish, characterized by their bright colouring and beak-like mouths. 1. Oplegnathus conwayi of the Oplegnathidae; banded galjoen or bastard galjoen, sense (b) see galjoen sense 2. 2. The surge wrasse Thalassoma purpureum of the Labridae.
1905 H.E.B. Brooking in E. London Dispatch 4 July 2The commonest fish found [at Delagoa Bay] are rock cod,..parrot-fish, long-finned dory.
1906 H.E.B. Brooking in E. London Dispatch 12 Mar. 3I secured the head of the parrot fish which is somewhat rare on our coast, in fact it is rare anywhere, only one genus of this family being known to science.
1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 365Parrot fish, In the Cape Colony this name is given to Hoplegnathus conwayi. See Papagaai visch. But in Natal the name is given to Julius umbrostigma, Ripp., the reference being to its gay colouring of green, blue and pink.
1913 W.W. Thompson Sea Fisheries of Cape Col. 60 (Swart)Papegaai (parrot fish), a name given to two or three different fish in the Cape and Natal seas, but all characterized by the beak-like form of the mouth, at the Knysna it is called kraai-bek (crooked-mouth).
1930 C.L. Biden Sea-Angling Fishes 260Lumps of ascidian skin that have been ripped open...The work has undoubtedly been that of the biskop, for no other fishes (unless the parrot fish..) are capable of causing such destruction among red bait.
1949 J.L.B. Smith Sea Fishes of Sn Afr. 201Oplegnathus conwayi...Bastard Galjoen. Beaked Galjoen. Pappegaaivis. Parrotfish. Golden Roman...Found only in South Africa from False Bay to Natal, in mostly shallow water...Flesh good, but some people fear to eat it because of the beak.
1973 Argus 12 Jan. 20Big red steenbras ghosted by in the distance and..the parrot fish were so tame that they came and bumped against your mask.
Oplegnathus conwayi of the Oplegnathidae; banded galjoen or bastard galjoen, sense (b) see galjoen sense 2.
The surge wrasse Thalassoma purpureum of the Labridae.
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