sailor's-choice
Noun: 1. A type of small, spiny-finned fish (Lagodon rhomboides) found in coastal bays and estuaries along the southeastern coast of the United States. It is also known as the pinfish. 2. A grunt (fish of the family Haemulidae) found in waters from Florida to Brazil and the Gulf of Mexico.
The term sailor's-choice is used primarily to refer to specific species of saltwater fish. It is a common name, so its precise meaning can depend on the regional context. * As a common name for the pinfish: "We used small pieces of shrimp to catch sailor's-choice off the dock." * As a common name for a type of grunt: "The sailor's-choice is often found around coral reefs and grassy bottoms."
- The name likely originates from anglers, possibly because these fish were a common and reliable catch, or a "choice" target for sailors fishing from shore or dock.
- Pinfish (): The most common and specific synonym, especially in scientific and fishing contexts in the southeastern U.S.
- Grunt: A broader family of fish (Haemulidae) to which one of the fish called sailor's-choice belongs. Grunts are named for the grunting sound they make by grinding their teeth.
- Saltwater bream: A regional common name sometimes used for similar fish, though "bream" more accurately refers to freshwater fish.
- Pinfish (for )
- Bream (regional, though technically imprecise)
- Grunt (for the Haemulidae species)
The term sailor's-choice has no other widely recognized meanings outside of ichthyology (the study of fish). It is not an idiom and does not function as a phrasal verb. It refers exclusively to the fish.
- a grunt found from Florida to Brazil and Gulf of Mexico
- similar to sea bream; small spiny-finned fish found in bays along the southeastern coast of the United States