Animals that start with “na.” For reference in a word game!
What kinds of animals start with “na” (the syllable な)?
When you’re playing word games like shiritori, it can be surprisingly hard to come up with answers on the spot.
But if you look around, you’ll find there are actually quite a few animals with familiar-sounding names!
In this article, we’ll introduce animals that start with “na,” grouped by character count.
We’ve cast a wide net, including creatures from the sea and rivers, as well as insects.
With this, you’ll be all set for animal shiritori and other word games!
Feel free to use it as a reference.
3 characters (1–10)
catfish
The name “namazu” (catfish) is said to come from nâme, meaning “smooth,” because it has no scales and feels slick, and zu, meaning “mud” or “earth,” thus “a smooth fish in the mud.” It is a carnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits rivers and lakes across East Asia, including Japan, China, the Korean Peninsula, and Taiwan.
sea cucumber
Namako, which literally means ‘sea mouse’ in Japanese, belongs to the same group as sea urchins and starfish and is found all over the world.
However, it seems that only a limited number of regions—such as Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea—eat it.
That crunchy, springy texture is irresistible, though.
4 letters (1–10)
Long-spined sea urchin (often refers to the genus Diadema or similar long-spined urchins)
Everyone knows sea urchins, right? The creature that looks like a sea urchin stretched into an oval shape is the “long-spined urchin.” It’s a bit surprising, but they were apparently buried in fields and used as fertilizer.
Long-nosed surgeonfish
“Nagahagi” is another name for the saltwater fish “umazurahagi,” a member of the filefish family.
When it comes to filefish and umazurahagi, you’ve got to eat the liver.
Its rich flavor and delicious fat are the best parts.
stick insect
“Stick insects” is a general term for insects in the family Phasmatidae, characterized by their stick-like appearance that mimics twigs.
In Japanese, it’s written with the kanji for “seven segments” (七節), but the “seven” actually means “many,” so it doesn’t imply that the insect literally has seven body segments.
Slug
Many people probably dislike them.
Let me introduce the slug.
Slugs are generally considered to have evolved from snails, losing their shells in the process.
By the way, the kanji for “slug” is 「蛞蝓」, which is quite complicated.
5 characters (1–10)
Sloth (tree sloth)
The sloth, popular for its cute appearance, was named for its slow movements.
It’s not widely known, but they can actually swim.
Nile crocodile (Nile gator)
When it comes to crocodiles, many people probably think of the Nile crocodile.
They are about 5 meters long and are known for eating animals such as zebras and wild boars.
Knobbed parrotfish (Chlorurus microrhinos)
Some of you might have seen it before—the Steephead Parrotfish.
It lives in Okinawa and is cherished as a food fish.
It’s also known for its beautiful appearance.
Brownbanded bamboo shark (Nanuka-zame)
There’s a somewhat unusual shark called the roughskin dogfish.
It feeds on creatures like squid, and when it senses danger, it has the habit of inflating its body.