[Knowledge Expander!] A Three-Choice Quiz about Fish for Elementary School Students

sturgeon

Caviar is a delicacy made from salted sturgeon roe, also known as the “black jewel.” People often think sturgeon are a type of shark, but in fact they are not sharks; they are cartilaginous fish and ancient species that have existed for 300 million years.

tuna

Not only tuna but also fish known as migratory species—such as yellowtail, sardines, and bonito—are characterized by the fact that many of them keep swimming even while they sleep. If they stop swimming, their breathing would cease, so they continue to swim during sleep.

Type A

Humans use blood types for personality tests and fortune-telling, but all fish are type A. By the way, whales aren’t fish, but it seems they’re all type B. It feels strange that there’s only a single type for each, doesn’t it?

Ito

The ito is found only in limited areas of Japan—rivers and lakes in Hokkaido. It grows over one meter in length and is known as the largest freshwater fish in Japan. Recently, due to declining numbers, it has been designated an endangered species.

want to

The sea bream, which often appears on celebratory occasions, is known for its distinctive red color. Besides its festive appearance, there is a theory that it came to be called a “king” because, in the Heian period, its body covered in hard scales was likened to a general wearing armor and a helmet.

mouth

There’s a saying, “left flounder, right flatfish,” referring to which way the fish faces when lying belly-down, and that can be one way to tell them apart. However, some flatfish face left as well, so the surest way is to look at the mouth. Flatfish (karei) have small mouths, whereas flounder (hirame) have large mouths with sharp teeth.

dolphin

I feel like none of them are fish or fish species, but the answer is dolphin. Whales and dolphins, when classified, are mammals just like humans. Fish are characterized by being born from eggs and breathing through gills.