blackfishes See {blackfish} blackfish n 1: large dark-colored food fish of the Atlantic coast of North America [syn: {tautog}, {Tautoga onitis}] 2: female salmon that has recently spawned 3: small dark-colored whale of the Atlantic coast of the United States; the largest male acts as pilot or leader for the school [syn: {pilot whale}, {black whale}, {common blackfish}, {Globicephala melaena}] [also: {blackfishes} (pl)]