zebrafishhttp://www.oed.com/dictionary/zebrafish_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_usezebrafish, n.
Revised 2018

zebrafishnoun

  1. 1.
    1771–
    Any of various perciform fishes with dark stripes, as (Australian) a sea chub, Girella zebra, (South African) a sea bream, Diplodus cervinus, and (North American) a logperch (genus Percina).
    1. 1771
      It is called by the Commodore the Zebra fish.
      M. Tyson, Letter 11 March in Philosophical Transactions 1771 (Royal Society) (1772) vol. 61 247
    2. 1885
      The pretty little zebra-fish of the Rio Grande river..has been re-discovered and fully described.
      American Naturalist vol. 19 922
    3. 1924
      Zebra fish (Enoplosus armatus) known in NSW as ‘Old Wife’. It is also called the Bastard Dory.
      C. E. Lord, Synopsis Vertebr. Animals Tasmania 66
    4. 1930
      Zebra fish, The Wildeperd... Port Elizabeth—Striped dassie, Five-finger, Zebra.
      C. L. Biden, Sea-Angling Fishes 237
    5. 1983
      Logperch—Percina caprodes... Other common names: zebra fish,..hogfish.
      G. C. Becker, Fishes of Wisconsin 907
    6. 2006
      School of zebrafish (Girella zebra) over a temperate Posidonia australis meadow, Western Australia.
      BioScience vol. 56 988 (caption)
  2. 2.
    1914–
    A small freshwater cyprinid fish with horizontal dark and light stripes, Danio rerio, native to the Himalayas, popular in aquariums, and much used in research. Also called zebra danio.
    1. 1914
      Barbels from India: Barbus species, Danio rerio (Zebra fish). Chanchitos from South America: Heros fasciatus, [etc.].
      R. C. Osburn, Care of Home Aquaria 35
    2. 1962
      The three black-and-white-striped zebra fish were speed-merchants [in the tank].
      Listener 22 November 852/2
    3. 2012
      Zebrafish embryos and early larvae are becoming increasingly important as models in biomedical research.
      Behaviour vol. 149 1241
  3. 3.
    1927–
    Any of several striped scorpionfishes of the genera Pterois and Dendrochirus.
    1. 1927
      Dendrochirus zebra (Cuvier and Valenciennes), a zebra fish.
      A. W. Herre, Fishery Resources of Philippine Islands 8 (caption)
    2. 1979
      The scorpion fishes..often called butterfly cod or zebra fishes..are mostly hardy, attractive predators.
      H. F. Axelrod et al., Exotic Marine Fishes 121
    3. 1996
      Scorpion fish include scorpion fish (Scorpaena), zebrafish (Pterois), lionfish, and stonefish (Synanceja).
      M. J. A. Bowman & B. E. Herman in G. R. Strange et al., Pediatric Emergency Medicine cxi. 599/2

Originally published as part of the entry for zebra, n.

zebrafish, n. was revised in June 2018.

zebrafish, n. was last modified in July 2023.