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DRAGONET

 - 3 dictionary results

drag⋅on⋅et

[drag-uh-net, drag-uh-nit]
–noun
any fish of the genus Callionymus, the species of which are small and usually brightly colored.

Origin:
1300–50; ME < MF; see dragon, -et
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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drag·on·et   (drāg'ə-nĭt)   
n.  Any of various small, often brightly colored marine fishes of the family Callionymidae, having a slender body and a flattened head.

[Middle English, young dragon, from Old French, diminutive of dragon, dragon; see dragon.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

dragonet

any of about 40 species of marine fishes constituting the family Callionymidae (order Perciformes), found in warm temperate or tropical areas, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Dragonets characteristically have large and elongated fins, large, flattened heads, and small gills that are mere rounded openings. Dragonets are scaleless. The males may be brightly coloured once sexually mature, in contrast to the usually drab females. Most species are bottom dwellers, frequently burying themselves in sand in shallow areas. A few species are found in deep waters, however. The eggs are unusual in that they are pelagic, floating in the open water until they hatch.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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