Naminohana - Naminohana (English spelling) surf sardine

A marine fish belonging to the family Polytminae in the order Anserinidae of the class Osteichthyes. It is found along the Sea of ​​Japan coast south of Niigata Prefecture, along the Pacific coast south of Chiba Prefecture, in Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. Its body is small and extremely laterally compressed. Its head is round and short, and its body has a unique shape in which it is highest near the base of the pelvic fin and then drops sharply toward the caudal peduncle. There is a fleshy raised edge on the abdomen between the base of the pelvic fin and the origin of the anal fin. The first dorsal fin is small and located almost in the center of the body, and consists of 3 to 4 weak spines. Except for the scaleless areas on the head and thorax, it is covered with small round scales. The body is silvery and transparent, with a wide silvery-white band running down the center, which ends in a small round spot at the base of the caudal fin. Its body length is only about 5 cm. It lives on rocky coasts where strong waves hit it.

[Kunio Amano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

硬骨魚綱トウゴロウイワシ目ナミノハナ科に属する海水魚。新潟県以南の日本海沿岸、千葉県以南の太平洋沿岸、台湾、香港(ホンコン)などに分布する。体は小さく、著しく側扁(そくへん)する。頭は丸くて短く、体は腹びれの基底部付近でもっとも高く、尾柄(びへい)部に向かって急に低くなるユニークな体形をしている。腹びれ基底から臀(しり)びれ起部の間の腹部に肉質の隆起縁がある。第1背びれは小さく、体のほぼ中央に位置し、弱い3～4本の棘(とげ)からなる。頭部と胸部の無鱗(りん)域を除いて、小円鱗で覆われる。体は銀色がかった透明で、中央部を幅広い銀白色帯が走り、尾びれ基底の小円斑(はん)で終わる。体長は5センチメートルほどにしかならない。波が強く当たる岩礁性の海岸にすむ。

［尼岡邦夫］

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