[For Seniors] Looks readable but you can't read it! Fish Kanji Quiz

scorpionfish

The fish written as “虎魚” and read as “okoze” is known for having poisonous spines. The reason it includes “tiger” in its name is that its body pattern looks like a tiger’s. Contrary to its appearance, it’s a very tasty white fish, and it’s said to be especially delicious from spring to summer.

shrimp

“蝦” is the same as the commonly seen “海老” and is read as “ebi.” “海老” refers to large, hard-shelled shrimp that live on the sea floor and appears in names like Ise-ebi (spiny lobster). Meanwhile, “蝦” refers to medium- to small-sized, softer-shelled shrimp that swim in the water, and is used in names like kuruma-ebi (Japanese tiger prawn) and ama-ebi (sweet shrimp).

flounder

Flounders are fish characterized by their flat bodies. Because of that trait, the kanji 鲽/鮃—using the fish radical with the character for “flat” (平)—came to be used as their name. There’s also a theory that the name hirame derives from the position of their eyes being on one side, focusing on the “side with eyes.” In the past, the kanji 平目 was used, but later 鮃 became the standard character.

monkfish

“鮟鱇” is read as “ankō.” Ankō is a deep-sea fish that lives on the ocean floor, and in Japan it’s especially popular in winter as an ingredient for hot pot dishes. The sounds an and kō were associated with the characters for “安” (an) and “康” (kō), which is said to be how the kanji “鮟鱇” came to be used.

koi (carp)

“鯉” is read as “koi.” The character component 里 in its right-hand part (tsukuri) carries meanings such as “scales” and “muscle/striation.” It is said that this character was chosen because koi have well-developed scales with clearly visible striations. They have long been cherished in Japan both as ornamental and food fish, and are often kept in garden ponds.

whale

The kanji for whale is written with the fish radical and the character 京. The character 京 carries the meaning of a high hill. It was also used as a symbol for something large, so the kanji for whale came to mean “a fish as big as a hill.” In the past, whales were thought to be fish rather than mammals.

Spanish mackerel

The name sawara (Spanish mackerel) is said to come from its slender, narrow belly—“sawa” (narrow) and “hara” (belly) becoming “sawara.” There’s also a theory that the kanji used for it derives from the fact that it’s often caught in spring. For this reason, it’s sometimes called a fish that heralds the arrival of spring.