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mosquito fish

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mos⋅qui⋅to⋅fish

[muh-skee-toh-fish]
–noun, plural (especially collectively) -fish, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) -fish⋅es.
any of several fishes that feed on mosquito larvae, as Gambusia affinis, found in the southeastern U.S., now introduced into other parts of the world for mosquito control.
Also, mosquito fish.


Origin:
1925–30; mosquito + fish
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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mosquito fish  
n.  Any of various fishes that feed on the larvae of mosquitoes, especially a small gambusia (Gambusia affinis) native to the southeast United States but introduced into many parts of the world for use in controlling mosquito populations.
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

mosquito fish

(species Gambusia affinis), live-bearing topminnow of the family Poeciliidae (see live-bearer), native to freshwaters of the southeastern United States but widely introduced in other parts of the world for mosquito control. The hardy mosquito fish, which has a prodigious appetite for mosquito larvae, is usually light grayish but may be spotted or blotched with black. The female reaches a length of about 6.4 cm (2.5 inches), the male about 4 cm (1.5 inches)

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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