| Title | Old Wife |
| Variants | Oldwive; Triggerfish; Queen Triggerfish |
| Caption | The Queen Triggerfish is found throughout the Caribbean and occasionally along the Atlantic seaboard of the United States. Large specimens have been observed of nearly two feet in length. |
| Source | Cherly Newby Gallery Inc. |
| Date | 1743 |
| URL | http://www.cherylnewbygallery.com/021908Catesby_22OldWife.htm |
| Creator | Mark Catesby |
| Type | Watercolor |
| Copyright | Cheryl Newby Gallery |
| Origin | Internet |
| Notes | The term Old Wife could also be used to describe and edible marine fish, especially those found in deeper, open water. |
Listed among a number of fish caught and eaten by the Native Americans and their European guests, this variant of “oldwives” refers to any of a number of species of fish (see OED def. 2). The most likely candidates are the alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), a few species of menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus and B. smithi), certain species of the wrasse family, and possibly the queen triggerfish (Balistes vetula). The OED uses the Hariot text as an example. - Matt