silver-gray wingless insect found in houses feeding on book bindings and starched clothing

a silvery variety of Carassius auratus

a small active insect, so-called from

a strange insect

Lepisma saccharina (commonly called the fishmoth, urban silverfish or just the silverfish) is a small, wingless insect typically measuring between half to one inch. Its common name derives from the animal's silvery grey colour, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements, while the scientific name indicates the silverfish's diet of carbohydrates such as sugar or starches. It belongs to the basal insect order Thysanura, and the species is estimated to have existed for 300 million years, originating in the Palaeozoic Era.