Hira (flat) - Hira (English spelling) white herring

Japanese: ヒラ(平) - ヒラ（英語表記）white herring

A marine fish of the Clupeidae family, which inhabits coastal waters from southern Japan to Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. As its name suggests, its body is significantly compressed laterally, with a straight dorsal surface and a crescent-shaped ventral surface. Its face is small and its eyes are large. The lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper jaw and the mouth faces upward. Its body length is usually 30-40 cm, but some can reach 50 cm. Its body color is silvery-white, with yellowish fins. The anal fin base is long, and its pelvic fins are small and located further forward than its dorsal fin. From the throat to the ventral surface, it has jagged, serrated ridge scales similar to those of the Japanese sardine and saury.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

ニシン目ニシン科の海産魚。南日本から東南アジア，インド洋の沿岸域に生息する。体は名のとおり著しく側扁し，背面は直線状，腹面は半月形をなす。顔は小さく眼は大きい。下あごは上あごより突き出て口は上向きである。体長はふつう30～40cm，ときに50cmに達するものもある。体色は銀白色で，ひれは黄みを帯びる。しりびれ基底長が長く，腹びれは小さく背びれより前のほうにある。喉部（こうぶ）から腹面にかけて，コノシロ，サッパなどと同じような鋸歯状の稜鱗（りようりん）がありぎざぎざしている。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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