Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
cutlass fish
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
cutlass fish
Quizzes
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters
Animal Group Names
Lion (panthera leo)
Deadliest Animals Quiz
Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)
Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz
Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)
Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz
The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024
Animal Factoids
Quick Facts
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
cutlass fish
cutlass fish Cutlass fish (Trichiurus lepturus).

cutlass fish

marine fish
Also known as: Trichiuridae
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

cutlass fish, any of several species of fishes in the family Trichiuridae (order Perciformes). All species are marine; representatives occur in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Cutlass fishes have a distinctive appearance with a long eel-like body and a low dorsal fin that extends the length of the back. The tail is greatly reduced in size. The tail is forked in some forms and tapers to a point in others. They are carnivorous, feeding primarily on other fishes, and have enlarged mouths and sharp, pointed teeth. One species (Trichiurus lepturus) attains a maximum length of 1.5 metres (5 feet). The family consists of 10 genera and about 45 species.

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.