![[By character count] Names of animals and living creatures that start with “gi”](https://media.ragnet.co.jp/img/1200__png__https://www.studiorag.com/files/2025/04/2e229394b9fd95e0a097c9907602eeb3.webp)
[By character count] Names of animals and living creatures that start with “gi”
What animals can you think of that start with “gi” (ぎ) in Japanese?
When it’s “ki” (き), you might think of kirin (giraffe) or kitsune (fox), but once it becomes the voiced “gi” (ぎ), it’s hard to come up with examples, isn’t it?
この文章では、「gi」（ぎ）で始まる動物たちを紹介します！
It seems that many creatures starting with “gi” are fish.
After reading this article, you won’t have trouble recalling animal names that begin with “gi.”
We’ve organized them by character count, so feel free to use this for animal-only shiritori or other word games.
2 characters (1–10)
Gisu (Yisu)
It’s a fish that resembles a whiting and belongs to the family Alepocephalidae (order Alepocephaliformes).
It lives in the deep sea and is sometimes used as an ingredient for kamaboko (fish cakes).
Gima (Giman)
It’s a type of pufferfish that looks similar to a filefish.
Although it’s often noted as a troublesome fish due to its mucus and spines, it’s also enjoyed as food and is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Gigi (Righteousness Righteousness)
It’s a fish that looks like a catfish and lives in western Honshu from the Kinki region, as well as in Shikoku and Kyushu.
Its name is said to come from the “gigi” sound it makes by rubbing the joints of its pectoral fins together.
3 characters (1–10)
Silver Moth
It is an insect in the family Noctuidae characterized by pale-colored wings.
There are various species, such as “Yamatoginga” and “Uraginga,” distinguished by differences in wing shape and patterns.
Gibachi (gi-bachi)
It’s a freshwater fish from the genus Tachysurus that closely resembles the Japanese sea catfish (gigi) in appearance and ecology.
Notable features include a tail fin shape that differs from gigi and the presence of venom in its spines.
Gimbo (silver treasure)
It’s a fish with an elongated, loach-like appearance, also known as the “sea loach.” In Edo-style cuisine, it’s also used as a topping for tempura.
4 letters (1–10)
Coho salmon (ginzake)
It is a species of salmon that inhabits the North Pacific region.
It’s a fish you’ll likely come across in various settings, as it is also widely farmed.
chimaera (rabbit fish); literally “silver shark”
It is a species of poisonous shark said to inhabit the northwestern Pacific and other areas.
It is sometimes caught in bottom trawls and has been designated as an endangered species.
Silver pigeon
It’s the term for a turtle dove that has turned white.
You might find it easier to understand if you think of the kind of dove that often appears in magic tricks.
5 characters (1–10)
Ginyanma (Asian grand emperor dragonfly)
It is a species of dragonfly that inhabits a wide range of regions, including East Asia, with Japan as one of its habitats.
Although it is a species found throughout the country, its numbers are declining in some areas and it has been designated as Near Threatened.