# Fishes that aren't fishes



## matakoweg

In many languages there are words that are biologically not correct. 
I mean words as:
Jellyfish is not a species of fish
starfish belongs to the echinoderms that are totally unrelated to fish.

Do you have such words in your language? 
In Dutch we have:
inktvis = octopus (belonging to the mollusks)
walvis = whale (mammals)

Do you also have 'wrong' birds?
I don't know an example in Dutch nor English but in Danish a sommerfugl is a butterfly.

So I'm looking for animals with in their name fish or bird that are not really fish nor birds.


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## entangledbank

A silverfish and a ladybird are both insects: there's one to start your bird collection.


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## Red Arrow

Dutch *zilvervisje* = silverfish
Most Flemish homes are loaded with these insects.

*Zeekat* = literally "sea cat" = *cuttlefish*
This is not a cat and not a fish either!

*Haan *can be a bird (rooster) or an insect (leaf beetle)
*Sprinkhaan* = literally "jump leaf beetle" = a grasshopper, which is not an actual beetle, let alone a rooster!

*Schildpad* = literally "shield toad" = a turtle, which is a reptile, not an amphibian
*Zeepaardje* = a *seahorse*, which is a fish, not a mammal

*Koperworm* = literally "cupper worm" = *wireworms*, which are click beetle larvae, not worms
A better Dutch name is *ritnaalden* = literally "rip needles"

The following are all mammals with a Dutch name that refers to another mammal:

*Nijlpaard* = literally "Nile horse" = a hippo
*Luipaard* = literally "lazy horse", from Latin leopardus
*Zeekoe* = a *sea cow
Zeeleeuw* = a *sea lion
Zeehond *= literally "sea dog" = a seal
A better Dutch name is *rob*.


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## Stoggler

There’s the sea cucumber, which is no fruit of a vine plant!


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## apmoy70

In Greek:

_Silverfish_ is either *«θυσάνουρος»* [θiˈsa.nu.ɾɔs] (masc.) --> _tassel-tailed_, or colloquially *«ασημόψαρο»* [a.siˈmɔ.p͡sa.ɾɔ] (neut.) --> _silverfish_.
*«Σκορπιός»* [skɔrˈpçɔs] (masc.) --> _scorpion_ (synonymous with the famous arachnid) is the _stingfish_.
*«Καλογριά»* [ka.lɔ.ɣriˈa] (fem.) --> _nun_ (coll. MoGr), or *«παπαθκιά»* [pa.paθˈca] (fem.) --> _the priest's wife in the Orthodox Church_ (CyGr) is the _damselfish_.
*«Δράκαινα»* [ˈðra.ce.na] (fem.) --> _she-dragon_ is the _weeverfish_.
*«Γλώσσα»* [ˈɣlɔ.sa] (fem.) --> _tongue_ is the _solea fish_.
*«Παντελής»* [pan.deˈlis] (masc.) --> _the familiar version of the first name of «Παντελεήμων» [pan.de.leˈi.mɔn]_, is the _brown meagre_ (fish).
*«Σαλιάρα»* [saˈʎa.ɾa] (fem.) --> _baby's bib_, is the _butterfly blenny_ (fish).
*«Βαρβάρα»* [varˈva.ɾa] (fem.) --> _Barbara_ (fem. first name), is the name of the _common shelduck_.
*«Αρτέμης»* [arˈte.mis] (masc.) --> _the familiar version of the first name of «Αρτέμιος» [arˈte.mi.ɔs]_, is the _Scopoli's shearwater_ (bird).
*«Γελαδάρης»* [ʝe.laˈða.ɾis] (masc.) --> _cattleman, cowboy_, is the name of the _western cattle egret_ (bird).
*«Γερανός»* [ʝe.ɾaˈnɔs] (masc.) --> _crane_, is the name of the _common crane_ (bird).
*«Καρατζάς»* [ka.ɾaˈʣ͡as] (masc.) --> _roe deer_, is the name of the _Caspian tern_ (bird) < Tur. karaca, _roe deer_.
*«Γιδοβύζι»* [ʝi.ðɔˈvi.zi] (neut.) --> _goat's teat_, is the name of the bird _nightjar_.
*«Καλόγερος»* [kaˈlɔ.ʝe.ɾɔs] (masc.) --> _monk_ (coll.) is the name of the bird _great tit_.
*«Αμπελουργός»* [am.be.lurˈɣɔs] (masc.) --> _viticulturist, grape grower_, is the name of the bird _black-headed bunting_.


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## matakoweg

Thanks a lot, but I actually mean words containing the word fish or bird in your  language. Otherwise the list would be too long.
so Silverfish and Ladybird are good examples.


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## Welsh_Sion

Well, *English* slang has* '(dolly) bird'* for 'a particular type of (young) lady'. A little dated and offensive to some people. Again, *jailbird* is not a feathered creature but somone who is 'a guest of Her Majesty's'.

*Cymraeg/Welsh* has the word *'aderyn' *(usually meaning 'a bird',_ 'avis'_) but if someone is '*dipyn o dderyn' * ( = 'a bit of a bird') then he's rather a shady customer. Similarly, *'aderyn brith*' (lit. 'a speckled bird') is also rather 'a bit of a lad.' 

We could stray into bird/animal expressions which refer to humans, but I'm sure there are other threads on this and you don't want these. *Aderyn carchar* is the same as Eng. *jailbird* (supra).* 'Aderyn y felltith'* (Lit. 'bird of the curse) is 'a lawyer'. '*Adar yr un lliw'* (Lit. 'Birds of the same colour') are the equivalent of 'Birds of a feather', which of course also refers to humans not just birds.

Turning to fish, *'pysgod bychain' *(Lit. 'small fish') are actually 'sand eels'. *'Pysgod duon'* (Lit. 'black fish') are 'porpoises, seals'. And finally, *'pysgod jeli' * are 'jellyfish' (The polite expression ...)


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## alfaalfa

Ciao,


entangledbank said:


> A silverfish


and also in Italian we have the _pesciolino d'argento_  (_pesciolino _= little fish; _argento=_silver) or _acciughina _(little anchovy).


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## Awwal12

In Russian a ladybird is "God's little cow", божья коровка (bózhya koróvka), while it's not even vertebrate. But I cannot think about some "fishes" or "birds". Slavic languages aren't much into the compound nouns of the "characteristic noun + generic noun" or "characteristic adjective + generic noun" type to begin with.  "Божья коровка" mentioned above is not only a phraseme rather than a proper word; its noun also has very little to do with ladybirds, being simply metaphorical and not generic in any manner (no one in his right mind would call ladybirds a subset of cows).


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## Welsh_Sion

I was going to avoid the following as I thought you wanted 'bird' or 'fish' in the exact word. 

However, @Awwal12 reminds me that a *ladybird* in Cymraeg/Welsh is the equivalent of 'a short red cow' (*'buwch goch gota'*) and a *butterfly* can be 'a little summer hen' (*'iâr fach yr haf'*).

Again, in English, we should mention* 'a Bombay duck' *which is a fish.


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## Enquiring Mind

Czech: velryba (“bigfish”) = whale.
French: poisson d’avril (“April fish”) = April fool.


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## Olaszinhok

Enquiring Mind said:


> French: poisson d’avril (“April fish”) = April fool.



The same in Italian: * pesce d'aprile. *



alfaalfa said:


> and also in Italian we have the _pesciolino d'argento_ (_pesciolino _= little fish; _argento=_silver) or _acciughina _(little anchovy).



What a nice name for such an ugly insect!


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## alfaalfa

My kids are always fascinated when they find a living fish in a... book.


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## Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny

Whale in Polish is "wieloryb" which if you break it up sounds like "large fish", same as in Czech. What English calls "silverfish" (insects, not fish at all) are "rybiki" (fish thingies?).
I'm not sure if it covers your question, but to add to the discussion, we have several folk names for mushroom species, which tend to be bird-related.


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## matakoweg

I'm curious about mushroom species with bird related names.


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## Ballenero

There is a small insect that lives in the houses and many times you can find it in the bathroom.
In Spanish it's known as:
_Pececillo de plata_
[little silver fish].


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## Circunflejo

In Cuba, there's a bird, Passerina Ciris, called Mariposa (butterfly).


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## AndrasBP

The Hungarian word for *tadpole *(frog larva) is "*ebihal*", which basically means "*dogfish*". 
The "dog" part apparently refers to the carnivorous nature of the animal.


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## Welsh_Sion

And *dogfish* and *catfish* themselves are neither canine nor feline!


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## Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny

Not that it completely suits this thread's purpose, but porpoise in PL is *morświn*. Literally, a sea pig.


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## Welsh_Sion

Snap! @Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny. Same in Cymraeg/Welsh, but we actually apply the feminine:* morhwch* (Lit. 'sea sow' which is also a 'dolphin').

And 'shark' is *morgi* or *ci môr *(both meaning 'sea dog'). Then, there's *morlo* (Lit. 'sea calf' for 'seal') and *morlew* ('sea-lion').


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## Ballenero

Lecanus cervus
It is not a bird but it flies.
It is an insect and its name is 
Flying Deer in Spanish,
_*Ciervo volante*_.


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## j.Constantine

In spanish : ,orca and foca or lobo marino for example and  a bird called seagull in english


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## Circunflejo

j.Constantine said:


> In spanish : ,orca


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## marco_2

matakoweg said:


> I'm curious about mushroom species with bird related names.


So e.g. in Polish _Cantharellus cibarius _is called *kurka *(= little hen) or in some regions *lisica (*= vixen), _Russula Pers. - *gołąbek *(= little pigeon) _and _Tricholoma equestre L. - _*gąska *_(= little goose)_, that's what came to my mind.


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## Roxxxannne

Mushrooms:
_Grifola frondosa *= *_hen of the woods
_Laetiporus sulphureus_ = chicken of the woods


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## alfaalfa

I definetely won the prize: fish or bird? Who knows? 

_Gallinella _(little chicken) is a fish. 
_Gallinella _or _cappone _(capon)


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## Circunflejo

alfaalfa said:


> I definetely won the prize: fish or bird? Who knows?


That reminds me that in Spanish gallineta (little hen) is also a fish and palometa (little dove) is another fish. The gallineta is also known as cabrilla (little goat)... But definitely, the best one is gallo because it can refer to a rooster or to a fish (the four-spot megrim).


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## Circunflejo

Olaszinhok said:


> Gallinella d'acqua is not only a little hen and a fish but this


In Spanish that's called gallineta común... so gallineta, as well as gallinella in Italian, may refer to that bird, to a little hen or to a fish.


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## Olaszinhok

_Gallinella - gallinita _or little hen. For little hen, I have always heard gallinita in Spanish.  Probably also _gallineta_.  In American Spanish _gallineta _is also Guinea fowl, according to my dictionary. 
_gallinella d'acqua - gallineta o polla de agua_
Anyway, the pronunciation is different Spanish gallineta - ga'ʝineta;  Italian gal.inɛl.a

As for the fish, I had never heard of it.


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## Circunflejo

Olaszinhok said:


> For little hen, I have always heard gallinita in Spanish.


Yes, that's the most usual one but there are regional variants. Gallineta is used in Catalan and may be used in Spanish by speakers from areas where Catalan is also spoken. It's also used on some countries in the Americas.


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## Roxxxannne

In English there is the sea robin, a fish that looks like the North American robin.   The robin (bird) has an orange-red belly, as does the fish.


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## alfaalfa

alfaalfa said:


> little chicken hen


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## Kaoss

In catalan "Truita" means both "omelette" and "trout". Actually in a restaurant menu may say if it comes from the egg or from the river...

Not a fish, but in spanish "langosta" means both "locust" and "lobster". When I was a child I did not undestood how come heremits in the bible were so poor that had to eat locusts....


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## Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny

I think they actually could eat locust, and so it is in these few translations of the Bible that I know.
BibleAsk


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## Kaoss

Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny said:


> I think they actually could eat locust, and so it is in these few translations of the Bible that I know.
> BibleAsk


Yeah, that is the point... Eating lobster regularly is not what I would expect from a poor heremite... ;-)


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## Chrzaszcz Saproksyliczny

marco_2 said:


> So e.g. in Polish _Cantharellus cibarius _is called *kurka *(= little hen) or in some regions *lisica (*= vixen), _Russula Pers. - *gołąbek *(= little pigeon) _and _Tricholoma equestre L. - _*gąska *_(= little goose)_, that's what came to my mind.


The mushroom _Macrolepiota procera_ is named *sowa* (owl) or *kania *(same as the bird the English call kite)*, *depending on the region. Sorry if this went offtopic.


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