mosquito fish

noun

Definition of mosquito fish

: either of two small, surface-feeding, freshwater fishes (Gambusia affinis and G. holbrooki of the family Poeciliidae) native to Central and North America that are live-bearers and are widely introduced outside their native range to control mosquitoes by feeding on their larvae York County has been populating water sources and backyard ponds with mosquito fish, a small guppy-like swimmer that devours mosquito larvae, for more than 25 years. —Amanda Williams

Examples of mosquito fish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Mosquito and Vector Control District provides free home inspections and has mosquito fish available for pick-up and delivery. — Hannah Holzer, sacbee, "West Nile Virus season has begun: 8 birds have tested positive in Sac County," 25 June 2018 In its battle with mosquitoes, the county is relying more and more on the eastern mosquito fish, a species of freshwater fish with a taste for mosquito larvae, Deutsch said. — Stephen Hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Health officials wary of mosquitoes — and rising risk of Zika and other illnesses — after heavy rains," 24 May 2018 Cypress Spring, a fenced-in area with a small body of water that will be home to tadpoles, dragonfly larvae, mosquito fish and macroinvertebrates. — Deborah Martin, San Antonio Express-News, "S.A. Botanical Garden opening new all-ages play area," 26 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mosquito fish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.