janitor fish

noun

A pleco, pleco fish or plec: Any of several South and Central American fish, of the family Loricariidae.

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Meanings

nounjanitor fish (plural janitor fish or janitor fishes)

plural janitor fishes

  1. PhilippinesA pleco, pleco fish or plec: Any of several South and Central American fish, of the family Loricariidae.

    The janitor fish infestation that has plagued Marikina River and Laguna de Bay has also spread to Mindanao, and is now threatening to run riot across the delicately balanced ecosystem of Asia’s largest marshland, the Agusan Marsh in Agusan del Sur.

    2006 June 6, Mike Baños, “Janitor fish threatens Asia's largest marshland”, in Philstar.com

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
plecopleco fishplecostomus

Origin

From janitor + fish, coined by the Filipino locals and as well as the aquarium fish enthusiasts for its ability to clean aquaria by eating algae and fish excrements.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

janitor fish. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/janitor%20fish

MLA

“janitor fish.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/janitor%20fish. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “janitor fish,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/janitor%20fish.

Source: janitor fish on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.