Menada - Redlip mullet

A marine fish belonging to the order Mullet and family Mulletidae of the class Osteichthyes. In western Japan, it is called Shukuchi (red mouth) or Sukuchi, while juvenile and adult fish are called Akame nationwide, and in Wakayama Prefecture, Meaka. It is sometimes confused with mullet. It resembles a mullet, but is distinguished by the lack of a thin, soft membrane over its eyes, the rear end of its upper jaw that curves downward like a hook and extends further back than the corners of its mouth, its relatively long and slender body, its slightly reddish lips, and its large size, which can reach up to 1 meter in total length.

Like mullet, the name changes as it grows; one-year-old fish are called kosuri, two- to three-year-old fish are called toubushi, and older fish are called menada. They are found in various parts of Japan south of Hokkaido, China, the Korean peninsula, and coastal regions, but are more tolerant of low temperatures than mullet and are more common in central Honshu than in the southern part. Like mullet, they live in inland bays, coves, and river mouths, and feed on diatoms and detritus (fragments of living organisms, dead bodies, excrement, and other granular matter and their decomposition products). While mullet live in muddy areas, they prefer sandy areas. They mostly live in shallow waters and do not migrate widely like mullet. Both males and females reach maturity at the age of three, when their body length is about 30 centimeters, and they spawn in April to May. The hatched larvae are about 2.5 millimeters long. They are grilled with salt, washed, and served in hotpots. Their meat is fattier than mullet. As with mullet, karasumi is made from mature ovaries.

[Akira Ochiai and Kunio Amano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

硬骨魚綱ボラ目ボラ科に属する海水魚。西日本ではシュクチ（朱口）、スクチ、全国的に幼魚または成魚をアカメ、和歌山県ではメアカとよぶ。また、ときにはボラと混称される。ボラに似ているが目の上に薄くて軟らかい膜が発達しないこと、上顎(じょうがく)の後端はカギ状に下方に曲がり、口角部よりも後方へ伸びること、相対的に体が細長いこと、唇はやや赤みを帯びること、大形で全長1メートルにもなることなどで区別される。

　ボラのように成長により呼び名が変わり、一年魚をコスリ、二～三年魚をトウブシ、それより老成魚をメナダという。北海道以南の日本各地、中国、朝鮮半島～沿海地方まで分布しているが、ボラよりも低温に強く、本州の南部よりも中部に多い。ボラと同じく内湾や入り江、河口などにいて、底の珪藻(けいそう)類やデトリタス（生物の破片、死骸(がい)、排泄(はいせつ)物などの粒状物およびそれらの分解物）を食べる。ボラが泥地にいるのに対し砂地を好む。ほとんど浅海域で生活し、ボラのように大きな回遊をしない。雌雄ともに満3歳、体長30センチメートル前後で成熟し、4～5月ごろに産卵する。孵化(ふか)仔魚(しぎょ)は全長2.5ミリメートル前後である。塩焼き、洗い、鍋物などにする。肉はボラより脂肪が多い。ボラと同様に成熟した卵巣からからすみをつくる。

［落合　明・尼岡邦夫］

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