n. — Newfoundland, Fauna
a rock gunnel, Pholis gunnellus; a small, eel-like saltwater fish.
Type: 3. Semantic Change — In Devon, England, tansy has been used as a name for the Blennius pholis, a fish native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean (EDD, s.v. "tansy" sb.2). Blennius pholis, the common blenny (OED-3, s.v. "blenny"), and Pholis gunnellus, the rock gunnel, have many similar physical traits, particularly the elongated body resembling an eel. When British settlers, specifically from the West Country area which includes Devon, brought the term to Newfoundland, it was likely adopted for the rock gunnel because of these similarities. Adding to the confusion, the rock gunnel may also be referred to as a "blenny" (see the 2007 quotation).
See also DNE, s.v. "tansy" (2).