Haokoze (English spelling) tiny stinger

A marine fish belonging to the order Perciformes and family Scorpionidae of the class Osteichthyes. It is found in various parts of Japan south of the Tsugaru Strait in Aomori Prefecture, the East China Sea, the southern and eastern Korean Peninsula, and Taiwan. Depending on the region, it is also called Sunabari or Okoze. The spines on the head are sharp, and there are five spines on the preopercular bone. The dorsal fin starts above the eye, and the second and third spines are long, and the fin membrane is deeply incised. There are three spines on the anal fin and four soft rays on the pelvic fin. The body is laterally compressed and almost scaleless. The dorsal side is pale brown, and the ventral side is red. There are dark brown spots at the base of the fifth to eighth spines of the dorsal fin. It grows in colonies on sandy areas, eelgrass beds, and rocky areas of inland bays. It spawns in the summer, laying separate pelagic eggs. It mainly eats small crustaceans. It is a small fish, only reaching about 10 centimeters in length. It is a venomous fish, with 14 to 15 strong spines on its dorsal fin that can cause severe pain when stung. It is often caught when fishing for Japanese whiting or flatfish, so care should be taken as it is often caught together with these fish.

[Akira Ochiai and Kunio Amano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

硬骨魚綱スズキ目ハオコゼ科に属する海水魚。青森県津軽海峡以南の日本各地、東シナ海、朝鮮半島南・東部、台湾に分布する。地方によりスナバリ、オコゼともいう。頭部にある棘(とげ)は鋭くとがり、前鰓蓋骨(ぜんさいがいこつ)に5本の棘がある。背びれは目の背上方から始まり、第2～3棘(きょく)は長くて、それらのひれ膜は深く切れ込む。臀(しり)びれの棘は3本、腹びれの軟条は4本。体は側扁(そくへん)し、ほとんど鱗(うろこ)がない。背側面は淡い褐色、腹面は赤い。背びれの第5～8棘の基底部に暗褐色斑(はん)がある。内湾の砂地やアマモ場、岩礁域に群生する。産卵期は夏季、分離浮性卵を産む。おもに小型の甲殻類を食べる。体長は10センチメートルほどにしかならない小型魚である。刺毒魚で背びれの14～15本の強い棘に刺されるとひどく痛む。シロギスやカレイ釣りの際に混ざって釣れるので注意が必要である。

［落合　明・尼岡邦夫］

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