noun
- a small, oily fish of the smelt family found in the North Pacific, especially off the coasts of British Columbia and Alaska
Usage: also spelled eulachon or oolichan; regional, primarily Pacific Northwest
Examples
- The oolachan was traditionally harvested by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
- Oolachan oil was rendered from the fish and used as a valuable trade commodity.
- During the spring run, fishermen would catch large quantities of oolachan.
- The oolachan is so oily that it was historically used as a source of lamp oil.