I often wonder how many species I have caught in my time fishing here in Japan; after nearly five years now I think I can name almost any fish pulled out of Tokyo Bay, and identify fish caught in most other parts of Japan too (although Okinawan fish remain a mystery to me). Anyway, over the last few months I finally got round to listing all the fish, and looking up their English names.
Japanese whiting シロギス Grubfish カラカケトラギス Harlequin Sandsmelt トラギス Marbled Sole マコガレイ Slime Flounder ナメタガレイ Shotted Halibut ムシガレイStone Flounderイシガレイ Bastard Halibut ヒラメ Bartailed Flathead マゴチ Dragonet (Repomucenus curvicornis) ネズミゴチ Dragonet (Repomucenus huguenini) ヤリヌメリ Dragonet (Repomucenus valenciennei) ハタタテヌメリ
Inegocia guttata ワニゴチ Red Sea Bream/Snapper マダイ Crimson Sea Bream ハナダイ Damselfish スズメダイ Cardinalfishネンブツダイ Threadfin Breamイトヨリダイ Knifejaw イシダイ Hyperoglyphe japonicaメダイ Girella punctata メジナ Chicken Gruntイサキ Black Rockfishクロメバル Japanese Greenlingアイナメ Scorpionfishカサゴ Schlegel’s Black Rockfishクロソイ Goatfish オジン Sidespot Goatfish リュウキュウヒメジ Bensasi Goatfish ヒメジ Filefish カワハギ Horsehead Filefishウマヅラハギ Canthigaster rivulataキタマクラ Spotted Fugu ショウサイフグ Red-eye Fugu アカメフグ
Takifugu niphobles クサフグ Lagocephalus wheeleri シロサバフグ Yellowfin Gobyマハゼ Chaenogobius gulosusダボハゼ Acentrogobius pflaumiiスジハゼ Lizardfishマエソ
Sagamia geneionemaサビハゼ Japanese Horse Mackerel マアジ Japanese Scad/Jack ムロアジ Japanese Scad/Jackマルアジ Giant Trevally ロウニンアジ Chub Mackerel マサバ Blue Mackerel ゴマサバ Bullet Tunaマルソウダカツオ
Anchovy Sardine カタクチイワシ Hypoatherina valenciennei トウゴロウイワシ
Cutlassfish/Ribbonfish タチウオ Red Cutlassfish スミツキアカタチ Yellowtail ブリ Japanese Seabass スズキ Sardinells zunasiサッパ Konosirus punctatus コノシロ Double-Lined Fusilier タカサゴ Striped Mullet ボラ Pacific Codマダラ Ocellated Octopusイイダコ Common Octopusマダコ Cuttlefish スミイカ Red Cuttlefishヒメコウイカ Swordtip Squidケンサキイカ Nuchequula nuchalis ヒイラギ Croaker イシモチ Doederleinia berycoidesアカムツ Hong Kong Grouperキジハタ Physiculus japonicus チゴダラ（ドンコ） Hairy Scorpionfish オニカサゴ Red Tilefish アカアマダイ Uranoscopus japonicus ミシマオコゼ Japanese Conger Eel マアナゴ Silvery Conger ゴテンアナゴ
Smooth Dogfish シロザメ
Rainbow Trout ニジマス Onchorhynchus masou アマゴ Tribolodon hakonensis ウグイ Gengoro (Hera) Carp ヘラブナ Carassius langsdorfii マブナ Topmouth Gudgeon モツゴ Japanese smelt ワカサギ Three-Lips ハス Gnathopogon caerulescens ホンモロコ
Off the top of my head I think I could list about 50, but after sitting down and spending some time to write them all out, the list came to an astonishing 79, of which all but five are saltwater; if I took up freshwater fishing seriously in Japan I would probably add another dozen or so. The biodiversity in fish life here in Japan is amazing, and I think I mentioned somewhere else on my blog, there is always something to catch all year round, and satisfy all manner of different anglers.
Anyway, this list was compiled from Fishbase and WEB図鑑. Where there is no apparent English common name I have listed the species name; where possible I have tried to list the standard Japanese common name (標準和名）as local variants of fish names are notoriously abundant in the language. Also, please bear in mind that some English common names for fish differ depending on the country; Aussie anglers will usually call tai red snapper, whilst for Americans this refers to a different fish; others may swear the fish is a red sea bream. If you notice any glaring mistakes please point these out and I will correct them. It has taken me some time and effort to compile all these so if you do use this page as a reference, please post a link to this page.
Edited 17/4/09: I changed the Japanese common name for red cutlassfish.
Edited 19/4/09: I caught two new species of freshwater fish.
Edited 26/10/09: I caught three new species of freshwater fish.
11 responses so far ↓
naoko // March 4, 2009 at 6:29 pm |
たくさんご存じですねぇ
私は昔ダイビングやってたので
熱帯の魚は結構知ってました（今はもう忘れてしまったけど）
それなのに大阪湾や、私の住んでる明石の海にいる魚はあんまり知りません
スーパーで見る魚くらいかなぁ
Adam // March 6, 2009 at 3:45 pm |
naokoさん、
ダイビングやっていたんですか？僕はやったことがないけどインストラクターとしてやっている友だちが一人います。
子どものころは地中海とかよく泳いでいましたが今僕は魚を殺し過ぎて一生とれない祟りを背負っているので怖くてあんまり海に入らない。
Hunt // March 10, 2009 at 12:42 pm |
Nice job on the list. I’m now inspired to think about the different fish that I have caught in Japan. I’m sure I’ll come nowhere close to 79.
Adam // March 10, 2009 at 9:14 pm |
Hunt:
Thanks, and thanks for visiting and posting!
I definitely want to add some more freshwater species to the list, starting this year. Wakasagi for one.
I greatly admire your Aomori fishing ventures, and look forward to hearing about your ayu fishing this season. Good luck with the sakuramasu too. I should be heading off for some aji fishing this weekend.
Cheers,
Adam
chris // March 30, 2009 at 7:37 am |
Nice work, Adam!
I’ll have to start learning to read Japanese to figure all the names now!
(the wife won’t be happy about my learning Japanese for the fishing rather than her, though)
cheers,
Chris
Adam // March 30, 2009 at 11:42 am |
Hi Chris,
I did all the names in katakana as this is the most common way to write fish (and other animal) names in Japanese, and also it is impossible for my PC to render some of the more obscure fish kanji. Now if you were to look up and memorise the kanji for each fish, I am sure your wife would be impressed!
Have you been fishing lately? Over here in Kanto the weather has been really bad, I haven’t been out in March at all.
Cheers,
Adam
chris // March 31, 2009 at 9:41 am |
I had planned to go fishing the week before last for rockfish and maybe seabass, but my back went out while getting ready at 5am! That was me laid out on the floor in the living room. It’s all down hill once you hit 40 I tell you!
Coincidentally, my Japanese friend turned up walking sideways, his back went out the night before! But he still had to go as he is the manager of the biggest local fishing shop and would be strung up other wise.
The weather here has been unusually chilly lately. I spend the week in Wakayama last week and it was gorgeous out, although extremely windy.
I reckon she has mixed emotions about my knowing all the names of fish in Japanese and that is pretty much the extent of my Japanese ability! I will definitely have to sit down with a pen and paper soon, though. We are very recently married (town hall paperwork) and planning a ceremony and reception in the fall, and planning to move to Japan as well.
How long have you been in Japan by the way?
Off now to get on with my day. Have a good day.
Feel free to email my at my email address if you are in the area. I’ll treat you to a pint.
cheers,
Chris
Adam // April 1, 2009 at 11:57 am |
Congratulations on getting married and shame about your fishing trip! Have you ever tried Japanese “hari” or “kyu” (Japanese acupuncture or moxa) for your back? In the past they have helped me out a lot when I had work-related neck and shoulder problems.
Well I was born in Tokyo though I have lived most of my life in the UK.
I may take you up on your offer one day, I quite fancy a go at those Akashi tako. Is there a particular season for it?
Cheers,
Adam
chris // April 1, 2009 at 11:12 pm |
Hey,
The octopus is best in June and July.
Chris
Adam // April 3, 2009 at 12:40 am |
Thanks, I will bear that in mind! Is there a particular boat you go on or like?
chris // April 3, 2009 at 1:00 pm |
Usually go out with one friend or another. But there are boats to hire.