spotty

meaning in plain English

A small fish found in New Zealand waters, often with spots on its body.

Picture a tiny New Zealand fish called spotty, its body covered in freckles like a puppy.

for example

We caught a spotty while fishing off the coast yesterday.

Ever noticed how some fish look like someone splattered them with paint? That’s the spotty—its body dappled with little dots like a child’s connect-the-dots gone wild, darting through New Zealand’s chilly waves.