Obscure fish kanji. Can you read them?

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICsasashina
Deputy Editor of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. During my student years at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, I studied a wide range of fields including sound, lighting, and video technology, building a foundation in comprehensive stage production and creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, consistently building experience in production and engaging in a variety of music-centered tasks. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting and what I feel and discover through daily interactions with my kids. I hope my work can be of help to you, even in a small way!

I’ve gathered a collection of hard-to-read kanji for fish! How many can you read? The best-known fish kanji include things like 秋刀魚, 鮎, and 鮭.

I’m sure many of you recognized those right away.

But this article features difficult kanji.

Many of them are hard to read unless you know the origin of the characters or the fish’s ecology.

That said, some can be guessed with a flash of insight, so please give it a try.

Even kanji that are hard to memorize can stick once you learn their origins and meanings.

Obscure fish kanji. Can you read them? (11–20)

catfish

See the answer

catfish

Catfish have smooth, slippery bodies without the distinctive scales of most fish. The character 念 includes the meaning “to be sticky,” and it is said to have been used in reference to the catfish’s slick, viscous feel. In China, the character 鮎—which is read as ‘ayu’ (sweetfish) in Japanese—is used to mean ‘catfish.’

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In conclusion

We introduced some difficult kanji for fish names. Even if you’ve seen the fish before, many people don’t know the kanji for them. You probably discovered something new, thinking, “So that’s how it’s written!” There are many more tricky fish kanji out there, so if you’re interested, be sure to look them up. Once you start, it’s surprisingly fun!