barramundi

noun

bar·​ra·​mun·​di ˌber-ə-ˈmən-dē 

ˌba-rə-

plural barramundi also barramundis

: a catadromous bony fish (Lates calcarifer of the family Latidae) with a greenish-bronze back and silvery sides that is found from the Persian Gulf to southern China and Australia and is valued as a sport and food fish

Examples of barramundi in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While sustainability concerns might encourage you to skip the crab, the market sells plenty of produce beyond its namesake crustacean—from red snapper to squid and barramundi. —Vicky Smith, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026

Adventurers can fish for barramundi in the shadow of cliffs the color of rust and flame. —Kinsey Gidick, Travel + Leisure, 13 Jan. 2026

Swap in another firm-fleshed sustainable fish like pollack, hake, halibut, mahi-mahi, barramundi, cod, or Arctic char. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Dec. 2025

Others are named not only for weather changes but animal and plant patterns as well as harvest traditions, such as barramundi and bush fruit time (damibila), build-up time (dalirrgang) and the speargrass, magpie goose egg and ‘knock ‘em down’ season (mayilema). —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025

He was last seen wearing black shorts and a blue fishing shirt showing an image of a barramundi. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 8 Feb. 2025

Holland America Line’s passengers in the Mediterranean might be able to order fresh sardines or swordfish, for example, or in Australia, barramundi and Tasmanian ocean trout—all with the knowledge that they are certified as responsibly caught. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

perhaps borrowed from an indigenous language of inland central Queensland, Australia

Note: According to R. M. W. Dixon, et al., Australian Aboriginal Words in English: Their Origin and Meaning, 2nd edition (Oxford University Press, 2006), "Said to be from a language spoken around the Dawson and Fitzroy Rivers, central Queensland; however, it has not been possible to confirm this from data available on languages of this region" (p. 90).

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above