Mullet (English name: Mugil cephalus)

Japanese: ボラ(鯔) - ボラ（英語表記）Mugil cephalus

A brackish-water fish of the family Mullet in the order Perciformes (illustration). It has excellent osmoregulation and can move freely between rivers and the sea. It mainly lives in low-salinity bays from river mouths, but as it approaches maturity it heads out to the open ocean to spawn. It is one of the fish that progresses through life, and is called by various names in different regions according to the stage it goes through from juvenile to adult. The most common are Haku, Genpuku, Kirarago (total length 2-3cm), Oboko, Obokko, Inakko, Subashiri (3-18cm), Ina (18-30cm), and Bora (over 30cm), and the particularly large ones are called Todo (the origin of the word "todotsumari").

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

スズキ目ボラ科の汽水魚（イラスト）。浸透圧調節の能力がすぐれており，川と海を自由に往き来できる。主として河口から塩分の低い内湾に生活するが，成熟が近づくと外洋に出て産卵場へ向かう。出世魚の一つで，稚魚から成魚まで段階別に各地でいろいろな名で呼ばれる。代表的なものはハク，ゲンプク，キララゴ(全長2～3cm)，オボコ，オボッコ，イナッコ，スバシリ(3～18cm)，イナ(18～30cm)，ボラ(30cm以上)で，とくに大きくなったものをトド(〈とどのつまり〉の語源)という。

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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