A small South American fish, possibly a type of cichlid or similar freshwater fish with regional importance.
From Spanish chirino, likely derived from indigenous South American languages or from onomatopoeia related to fish sounds or characteristics. Spanish colonial naturalists applied this name to local fish species.
Most obscure fish names in English come from Spanish colonial naturalists just asking local fishermen what they called things—chirino is probably exactly what a Quechua or Guarani fisherman said, and it stuck through centuries of trade!
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