Flagfish - Takanohadai (English spelling) flagfish

A marine fish belonging to the order Perciformes of the class Osteichthyes and the family Anthocoridae. It is found in the central and southern parts of Honshu, Taiwan, and the East China Sea. Its body is trapezoidal and well laterally flattened, with a small, downward-facing mouth and thick lips. Its characteristics include several long, thick lower soft rays on its pectoral fins. It can reach a total length of 40 centimeters. It is distinguished from the closely related Migimaki and Yuudachitakanoha by the reddish-brown oblique stripes on its side and the presence of white spots on its caudal fin. Juvenile fish have a strong ventral curve and laterally flattened appearance, resembling a razor blade. It spawns in winter, and in early spring, juvenile fish that are a few centimeters long switch from a pelagic lifestyle to a benthic lifestyle along the coast. It inhabits shallow rocky areas and feeds on small animals on the surface of rocks and seaweed. It uses its straight ventral surface and thickened pectoral fins to stay still on the seabed. It is often caught using gill nets, fixed nets, and line fishing, but is not very popular because it has a bad taste and a strong smell of the sea, and its scales are hard to remove. There are many local dialects for this fish, such as Yomenakase in the Boso region, Okaisan in the Izu region, and Hidarimaki in the Kansai and Kyushu regions.

[Ida Sai]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

硬骨魚綱スズキ目タカノハダイ科に属する海水魚。本州中部以南、台湾、東シナ海に分布。体は台形でよく側扁(そくへん)し、口は小さく下向きで唇が厚い。胸びれの下部数軟条が長く、太いことなどが特徴。全長は40センチメートルに達する。体側の斜走帯は赤褐色であること、尾びれに白色点があることなどで近縁のミギマキやユウダチタカノハと区別される。幼魚は腹側の湾曲と側扁度が強く、かみそりの刃状の様相を呈する。産卵期は冬で、早春に全長数センチメートルの幼魚は浮遊生活から沿岸での底生生活に入る。浅海の岩礁域に生息し、岩や海藻の表面の小動物を摂食する。海底に静止する際は直線状の腹面と肥厚した胸びれとを使う。刺網、定置網、一本釣りなどでしばしば漁獲されるが磯(いそ)臭くて味のよくないこと、鱗(うろこ)が硬くてはがしにくいことなどであまり好まれない。房総地方でヨメナカセ、伊豆地方でオケイサン、関西・九州でヒダリマキなど各地での方言は多い。

［井田　齋］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例