341.
Below you'll find a trilingual list comprising 341 fishes (aquatic animals, to be exact). First column in Japanese, in either hiragana (平仮名 ひらがな) or katakana (片仮名 カタカナ) script, most with a kanji (漢字かんじ) follows in parentheses; second column of romaji to help you pronounce the name and in the third column is the common name of the fishes in English.
The best thing about this list is that all romaji names are arranged in alphabetical order so that even those with very scant Japanese knowledge can breeze it through and find out the Nemo he wants.
It takes me 3 weeks to patch up this list and it tops my original bilingual fishy project in leaps and bounds. I know I gonna fish out the "A-game" with this from the sushi syokunin (寿司職人, sushi master in English) behind the sushi bars in Japan come January. Yay, I gonna eat like fish in water with this fishy list of mine!
- あぶらはや【油鮠】aburahaya - amur minnow
- アイナメ【鮎魚女/相嘗】ainame - fat cod (greenling)
- アジ【鯵】aji - jack (horse) mackerel
- アカエイ【赤鱝】akaei - stingray
- アカアマダイ【赤甘鯛】aka-amadai - red horsehead
- あかがい【赤貝】akagai - ark shell (bloody clam)
- 【赤貝ひも】 akagai-himo - rope (ligament) of ark shell
- あかいか【赤烏賊】aka-iga - neon flying squid
- アカカマス【赤鰤/赤梭魚/赤梭子】aka-kamasu - red barracuda
- あかいさき【赤伊佐幾/赤鶏魚】aka-isaki - red three-line grunt
- あかめ【赤目】aka-me - redlip mullet
- アカシタビラメ【赤舌鮃】aka-shitabirame - red tongue sole
- アカトビ【赤飛魚】aka-tobi - great spotted flyingfish
- アカヤガラ【赤簳/赤矢柄】aka-yagara - red cornetfish (Japanese rifle fish)
- アコヤガイ【阿古屋貝】akoyogai - pearl oyster
- あまダイ【甘鯛】ama-dai - tilefish/horsehead
- アマエビ【甘蝦】ama-ebi - raw shrimp
- アマゴ 【甘子/雨魚/天魚】amago - red spotted masu trout
- アメフラシ【雨虎/雨降】amefurashi - sea hare
- アナゴ【穴子】anago - conger eel
- アンチョビ anchobi - anchovy
- アンコウ【鮟鱇】ankou - anglerfish
- アオブダイ【青武鯛】aobudai - knobsnout parrotfish
- アオチビキ【青血引】 aochibiki - green jobfish (king snapper)
- あおりいか【障泥烏賊】 aori-ika - oval squid
- あおやぎ【青柳】aoyagi - round (Japanese red) clam
- アラ【𩺊】ara - sawedged perch
- アサヒガニ【旭蟹】asahi-gani - frog crab
- あさり【浅蜊】asari - short-necked clam
- あわび【鮑】awabi - abalone
- アユ【鮎/香魚】ayu - sweetfish
- ばふんウニ【馬糞雲丹】bafun-uni - Japanese green sea urchin
- ばいがい【蛽貝】baigai - Japanese babylon
- バカガイ【馬鹿貝/馬珂貝】bakagi - sunray surf clam
- バショウカジキ【芭蕉梶木】bashoukajiki - Indo-Pacific sailfish
- ぼうだら【棒鱈】baudara - salted Pacific cod*
- ベニザケ【紅鮭】benizake - red salmon
- ビンナガ【鬢長】binnaga - albacore tuna
- ボラ【鯔】bora - black mullet
- ボタンエビ【牡丹蝦】botanebi - botan (humpback) shrimp
- ブダイ【武鯛/不鯛/舞鯛】budai - Japanese parrotfish
- ぶり/ブリ【鰤】buri - yellowtail
- ブリモドキ【鰤擬】burimodoki - pilot fish
- チチブ【知知武】chichibu - dusky tripletooth goby
- チヌ 【知奴/茅淳】chinu - black porgy
- チダイ【血鯛】chidai - crimson seabream
- チカメキントキ【近眼金時】chikame-kintoki - longfinned bullseye
- チョウチンアンコウ【提灯鮟鱇】chouchin-ankou - Atlantic footballfish
- チョウザメ【蝶鮫】chouzame - sturgeon
- 中とろchuutoro - marbled tuna belly
- ダツ【駄津】datsu - Pacific needlefish
- デンキウナギ【電気鰻】denkiunagi - electric eel
- どぶがい【土負貝/溝貝】dobugai - mud mussel
- ドジョウ【泥鰌】dojou - loach
- エビ【蝦】ebi - cooked shrimp
- エビスダイ【恵比須鯛】ebisudai - soldierfish
- エイ【鱝】ei - ray
- エソ【狗母魚/鱛】eso - lizardfish
- エゾアイナメ【蝦夷相嘗】ezoainame - white spotted greenling
- エゾアワビ【蝦夷鮑】ezoawabi - abalone
- ふえふきダイ【笛吹鯛】fuefukidai - emperor fish
- ふえダイ【笛鯛】fuedai - snapper
- フグ【河豚】fugu - globefish
- ふじつぼ【藤壺】fujitubo - barnacle
- フナ【鮒】funa - carp
- フウライカジキ【風来梶木】 furaikaziki - shortbill spearfish
- ガザミ 【渡蟹】ganzami - swimming crab
- ガンゾウビラメ【雁雑鮃】ganzoubirame - cinnamon flounder
- げそ 【烏賊下足】geso - octopus tentacles
- ギギ 【義義】gigi - forktail bullhead
- ギンブナ【銀鮒】ginbuna - crucian carp
- ギンダラ【銀鱈】gindara - sablefish
- ギンガメアジ【銀紙鰺】 gingameaji - bigeye trevally
- ギンカガミ ginkagami - moonfish
- ギンザケ【銀鮭】ginzake - coho salmon
- ゴマサバ【胡麻鯖】gomasaba - blue mackerel
- ゴマソイ【胡麻曹以】gomasoi - snowy rockfish
- ごり【鮴】gori - Japanese freshwater goby
- ワラサ【魬】hamachi - young yellowtail (60-80cm)*
- ハマダイ【浜鯛】hamadai - ruby snapper
- ハマフエフキ【浜笛吹】hamahuefuki - spangled emperor
- はまぐり【蛤】hamaguri - clam
- ヒメダイ【姫鯛】hamedai - crimson snapper
- ハモ【鱧】hamo - pike eel
- ハマトビウオ【浜飛魚】hamo-tobiuo - coast flyingfish
- ハナサキガニ【花咲蟹】hana-sakigani - spinny king crab
- ハリセンボン【針千本】hari-senbon - porcupinefish
- ハタハタ【鰰/鱩】hatahata - sandfish
- はや 【鮠】haya - Japanese dace
- ハゼ【鯊】haze - goby
- ヒゴイ【緋鯉】higoi - red carp
- ひいらぎ 【柊/疼木】hiiragi - spotnape ponyfish
- ヒメジ【比売知】himeji - goatfish
- ヒメツバメウオ【姫燕魚】himetsubameuo - silver moony
- ひおうぎがい【檜扇貝】hiougigai - saucer scallop
- ヒラマサ【平政】hiramasa - goldstriped amberjack (yellowtail kingfish)
- ヒラメ【鮃】hirame - flounder (turbot)
- ヒラソウダ【平宗太】hirasouda - frigate tuna
- ヒシダ【菱鯛】hishidai - deepbody boarfish
- ひとで【海星】hitode - starfish
- ホホニク hoho'niku - tuna cut of cheek
- ホッカイエビ【北海海老】hokkaiebi - hokkai shrimp
- ホッケ【𩸽】hokke - okhostk atka mackerel
- ほっきがい【北寄貝】hokkigai - surf clam
- ホンモロコ【本諸子】honmoroko - willow minnow
- ほらがい【法螺貝】horagai - triton
- ホシガレイ【星鰈】hoshigarei - starry flounder
- ホソトビウオ【細飛魚】hosotobiuo - mirror-finned flyingfish
- ホタルいか【蛍烏賊】hotaruika - firefly squid
- ホタルジャコ 【蛍雑魚】hotarujako - glowbelly
- ほたてがい【帆立貝】hotategai - scallop
- ホウボウ【魴鮄】houbou - bluefin searobin
- ホウキハタ【帚羽太】houkihata - comet grouper
- イボダイ【疣鯛】 ibodai - melon seed
- いがい【貽貝】igai - blue mussel
- いいだこ【飯蛸】iidako - webfoot octopus
- いか 【烏賊】ika - squid
- イカナゴ 【玉筋魚】ikanago - sand eel (sand lance)
- イクラ ikura - salmon roe
- イナダ/いなだ inada - young yellowtail (younger 35-60cm)*
- イラ【伊良】ira - wrasse
- イサキ/いさき【鶏魚/伊佐木】isaki - chicken (three-line) grunt
- イシダイ【石鯛】ishi-dai - striped beakfish
- イシガキダイ【石垣鯛】ishi-gakidai - knifejaw
- イシガレイ【石鰈】ishi-garei - stone flounder
- イセエビ【伊勢海老】issebi - Japanese spiny lobster
- イシモチ【石持】isshimochi - white croaker
- イソギンチャク【磯巾着】isoginchaku - sea anemone
- イソマグロ【磯鮪】isomaguro - dogtooth tuna
- イスズミ【伊寿墨】isuzumi - gray sea chub
- イトウ 【伊富】itou - Japanese huchen
- いとよりだい【糸縒鯛】itoyoridai - goldenthread
- イワアナゴ【岩穴子】iwa-anago - false moray
- いかき【岩牡蠣】iwakaki - rock oyster
- イワナ【岩魚】iwana - Japanese char
- イワシ【鰯】iwashi - sardine
- カブトガニ【兜蟹】kabutogani - horseshoe crab
- カゴカキダイ kagokakidai - stripey
- カジカ(【鰍/杜父魚】kajika - bullhead
- カジキ 【梶木】kajiki - Pacific blue marlin
- かき【牡蠣】kaki - oyster
- カマス【魳】kamasu - barracuda
- カマトロ kamatoro - tuna cut between gill and pectoral fin
- カメノテ【亀の手】kamenote - goose barnacle
- カミナリイカ【雷烏賊】kaminari-ika - kisslip cuttlefish
- カナガシラ【金頭/鉄頭】kanagashira - redwing searobin
- カンパチ【間八】kanpachi - great amberjack
- からふとシシャモ【樺太柳葉魚】karabutoshishamo - capelin
- カラフトマス【樺太鱒】karafutomasu - pink salmon
- カレイ【鰈】karei - flounder (hailbut)
- カニ【蟹】kari - crab
- カサゴ【笠子】kasago - Japanese stingfish
- カツオ【鰹】katsuo - bonito (skipjack tuna)
- カタクチイワシ【片口鰯】katakuchi iwashi - Japanese anchovy
- カワハギ【皮剥】kawahagi - filefish
- カワギシ kawa'gishi - tuna cut of skinside
- カワヤツメ【川八目】kawayatsume - arctic lamprey
- かずのこ【数の子】kazunoko - herring roe
- ケガニ【毛蟹】kegani - horse hair crab
- ケンサキイカ【剣先烏賊】kensakiika - swordtip squid
- キビナゴ【黍魚子/吉備女子/吉備奈子】kibinago - silver-stripe round herring
- キダイ【黄鯛】kidai - yellow porgy
- キハダマグロ【黄肌鮪】kihadamaguro - yellowfin tuna
- きんぎょ【金魚】kingyo - goldfish
- きちじ【喜知次】kinki - kichiji rockfish
- キジハタ【雉子羽太】kijihata - redspotted grouper
- きんめダイ/きんめ鯛【金目鯛】kinmedai - alfonsino
- キス【鱚】kisu - Japanese whiting (Japanese sillago)
- キタマクラ【北枕】kitamakura - puffer
- こばしら【小柱】kobashira - small scallop (Chinese mactra)
- コバンザメ【小判鮫】kobanzame - remora (sucker fish)
- コチ【鯒】kochi - bartailed flathead
- こはだ【小鰭】kohada - gizzard (Japanese) shad
- コイ【鯉】koi - carp
- コマイ【氷下魚】komai - saffron cod
- コノシロ【子の代】konoshiro - Japanese gizzard shad
- コショウダイ【胡椒鯛】kosyou-dai - crescent sweetlips
- コトヒキ【 琴引/琴弾】kotohito - tigerperch
- こういか【甲烏賊】kouika - cuttlefish
- クエ【九絵】kue - kelp (mud) grouper
- クジメ【久慈目】kujime - greenling
- クジラ【鯨】kujira - whale
- クマエビ【隈海老】kumaebi - green tigarprawn
- くらげ【水母】kurage - jellyfish
- クロアワビ【黒鮑】kuro awabi - disk abalone
- クログチ【黒口/黒愚痴】kuroguchi - longfin kob
- クロマグロ【黒鮪】kuromaguro - bluefin tuna
- くろダイ【黒鯛】 kurodai - gilthead seabream
- クロソイ【黒曽以】kurosoi - rockfish
- クロカジキ【黒梶木】kurokajiki - Indo-Pacific blue marlin
- クロウシノシタ【黒牛舌】kuroushinoshita - black tongue fish
- クルマエビ【車海老】kurumaebi - tiger prawn
- キャビア kyabia - caviar
- キュウセン【求仙/気宇山/九仙】kyusen - multicolorfin rainbowfish
- マアジ【真鰺】maaji - yellow horse mackerel
- マボヤ【真海鞘】maboya - asicdian
- マダラ【真鱈】madara - gray (Pacific) cod
- マハタ【真羽太】mahata - (convict) seven-band grouper
- マイワシ【真鰯】maiwashi - true (far eastern) sardine
- マゴイ【真鯉】magoi - black carp
- マグロ【鮪】maguro - tuna
- マカジキ【真梶木】makajiki - striped marlin
- マコガレイ【真子鰈】makogarei - marbled sole
- マナガツオ【鯧】managatsuo - butterfish
- マンボウ【翻車魚】manbou - sunfish
- マルアジ【丸鰺】maruaji - Japanese scad (amberfish)
- マルソウダ【丸宗太/丸惣太】marusouda - bullet tuna
- マサバ【真鯖】masaba - chub mackerel
- マス【鱒】masu - trout
- まてがい【馬刀貝】mategai - razor clam
- マトウダイ【的鯛/馬頭鯛】matodai - john dory
- マツバガニ【松葉蟹/越前蟹】matsubagani - champagne crab
- マツダイ matsudai - triple tail
- マツカサウオ【松毬魚】matsukasaou - Japanese pinecone fish
- メバチマグロ 【目撥鮪】mebachi maguro - bigeye tuna
- メバル【眼張】mebaru - black rockfish
- メイチダイ【目一鯛】mechidai - naked-head large-eye bream
- メダカ【目高】medaka - killifish
- メガイアワビ【雌貝鮑】megai-awabi - giant abalone
- メイタガレイ【目板鰈】meitagarei - ridged-eye flounder
- 本メジ【鮪】meji - baby bluefin tuna
- メジナ【目仁奈】mejina - rudderfish
- メカジキ【女梶木】mekajiki - swordfish
- メナダ【目奈陀/赤目魚】menada - redeye mullet
- ミガキボラ【磨法螺】migakibura - kelletia lischkei
- みるがい【海松貝】mirugai - gaper
- みずだこ【水蛸】mizudako - giant octopus
- モクズガニ【藻屑蟹】mokuzugani - Japanese mitten crab
- もんごういか【紋甲烏賊】mongouika - common cuttlefish
- ムギツク【麦突】mugitsuku - carp
- むらさきウニ【紫雲丹】murasakiuni - purple sea urchin
- ムロアジ【室鰺】muroaji - horse scad mackerel
- ムールがい【貽貝】murugai - blue mussel
- ムツゴロウ【鯥五郎】mutsugorou - mudhopper (goggle-eyed goby)
- ナカオチ nakaochi - tuna cut of rib side
- なまこ【海鼠】namako - sea cucumber
- ナマズ【鯰】namazu - catfish
- ネコザメ【猫鮫】nekozame - Japanese bullhead shark
- ネンブツダイ【念仏鯛】nenbutsudai - Indian littleperch
- ニホンイトヨリ【日本糸撚】nihon-itoyori - Japanese threadfin bream
- ニジマス【虹鱒】nijimasu - rainbow trout
- ニシン【鰊/鯡】nishin - Pacific herring
- ノミノクチ【蚤之口】nominokuchi - rockcod
- オアカムロ oakamuro - roughear scad
- オハグロベラ ohagurobera - cocktail wrasse
- オコゼ【虎魚】okoze - stonefish
- オニアジ【鬼鰺】oniaji - torpedo scad
- オニオコゼ【鬼虎魚】oniokoze - devil stinger
- オノミ onomi - tuna cut of tail
- 大とろ ootoro - fatty portion of tuna belly
- オオサガ【大逆】oosaga - angry rockfish
- オオウナギ【大鰻】oounagi - giant mottled eel
- オトメベラ【乙女倍良】otomebera - moon wrasse
- らいぎょ【雷魚】raigyu - snakehead
- ラッパウニ【喇叭海胆】rappauni - flower sea urchin
- リュウグウノヒメ【竜宮の姫】ryugunohime - prickly pomfret
- サバ【鯖】saba – chub mackerel
- サゴシ【鰆】sagoshi - Japanese Spanish mackerel
- さんま【秋刀魚】sanma – pacific saury
- さかな【魚】sakana - fishes
- サカタザメ【坂田鮫】sakatazame - guitarfish
- サケ【鮭】sake - salmon
- サクラエビ【桜蝦】sakuraebi - sakura shrimp
- サメ【鮫】same - shark
- サンコウメヌケ【三公目抜】sankoumenuke - brickeye rockfish
- サッパ【拶双魚】sappa - Japanese shad
- サワラ【鰆】sawara - Spanish mackerel
- サヨリ【細魚】sayori - (springtime) halfbeak
- さざえ【栄螺】sazae - horned turban (topshell)
- センネンダイ【千年鯛】sennendai - red snapper
- シャコ【蝦蛄】- shako - mantis shrimp
- シバエビ【芝蝦】shibaebi - shiba shrimp
- シビレエイ【電気鱝】shibireei - electric ray
- シイラ【鱰】shiira - mahi-mahi (dolphin fish)
- しじみ【蜆】shijimi - freshwater clam
- シマアジ【縞鰺】shima-aji - striped jack (white trevally)
- シマガツオ【縞鰹】shimagatsuo - Pacific pomfret
- シマイサキ【縞伊佐木/縞鶏魚】shimaisaki - grounter (sharp-nosed tigerfish)
- しんじゅがい【真珠貝】shinjugai - pearl oyster
- しらこ【白子】shirako - Pacific cod's milt
- シラウオ【白魚】shirauo - ice fish
- シリヤケイカ【尻焼烏賊】shiriyake ika - Japanese spineless cuttlefish
- シロアマダイ【白甘鯛】shiroamadai - white horsehead
- シログチ【白口/白愚痴】shiroguchi - white croaker
- シロカジキ【白梶木】shirokajiki - black marlin
- シロザケ/サケ【白鮭】shirozake - dog salmon
- シシャモ【柳葉魚】shishamo - shishamo smelt
- シタビラメ【舌鮃】shitabirame - tongue sole
- しったか 【尻高】 shitaga - Japanese top shell
- シマアジ【島鯵】simaaji - white trevally
- ソウギョ【草魚】sougyo - grass carp
- スケトウダラ【介党鱈】suketoudara - Alaska pollock
- スマ【須磨】 suma - little tuna
- スッポン【鼈】suppon - softshell turtle
- するめいか【鯣烏賊】 surumeika - Japanese common squid
- すずき【鱸】suzuki - sea bass (sea perch)
- タチウオ【太刀魚】tachiuo - scabbard fish
- タイ【鯛】tai - red sea bream (porgy) (red snapper)
- タイラギ【平貝】tairagi - fan shell
- タカノハダイ【鷹之羽鯛】takanohadai - spottedtail morwong
- タカサゴ【高砂】takasago - bananafish
- たこ【蛸】tako - octopus
- タナゴ【鰱】tanago - surfperch
- たにし【田螺】tanishi - mud snail
- タラ【鱈】tara - cod
- タラバガニ【鱈場蟹】tarabagani - red king crab
- たらこ【鱈子】tarako - cod roe
- タツノオトシゴ 【竜の落とし子】tatsunootoshigo - seahorse
- テナガエビ【手長蝦】tenagaebi - oriental river shrimp
- テンジクダイ【天竺鯛】tenjikudai - Indian perch
- トビハゼ【飛鯊】tobihaze - mudskipper
- とびっ子【飛び魚の卵】tobiko - flying-fish roe
- トビウオ【飛魚】tobiuo - flying fish
- トゴットメバル【戸毎眼張】togottomabaru - saddled brown rocktail
- トコブシ【常節/床伏】tokobushi - ear shell
- トクビレ/ ハッカク【八角】tokubire - sailfin poacher
- トラフグ【虎河豚】torafugu - puffer
- とりがい【鳥貝】torigai - cockle
- つぶがい【螺貝/海螺貝】tsubugai - Japanese whelk
- ツメタガイ【津免多貝】tsumetagai - moon shell
- ツムブリ【紡錘鰤】tsumuburi - rainbow runner
- ウチワエビ【団扇海老】uchiwaebi - Japanese fan lobster
- ヅラハギ【馬面剥】umazurahagi - black scraper
- ウミタナゴ umitango - Japanese surfperch
- うなぎ【鰻】unagi - freshwater eel
- ウニ【雲丹】uni - sea urchin
- ウルメイワシ【潤目鰯】 urame-iwashi - round herring
- ウシサワラ 【牛鰆】ushisawara - Chinese mackerel
- ウスバハギ usubahagi - unicorn filefish
- ウツボ【鱓】utsubo - moray eel
- ワカサギ【公魚】wakasagi - Japanese smelt
- ワカシ 【稚鰤】 wakashi - young yellowtail (youngest <35cm)*
- ワニエソ【鰐鱛】wanieso - greater lizardfish
- ヤドカリ【宿借り】yadokari - hermit crab
- ヤマメ【山女魚】yamame - seema (cherry salmon)
- ヤマトカマス【大和鰤/大和梭魚/大和梭子】yamatokamasu - Japanese barracuda (sea pike)
- ヤナギノマイ【柳の舞】yanaginomai - yellowbody rockfish
- やりいか【槍烏賊】yariika - spear squid
- ヤツメウナギ【八目鰻】yatsumeunagi - lamprey
- ヤシガニ【椰子蟹】yashigani - coconut (palm) crab
- ズワイガニ 【楚蟹】 zuwaigani - snow crab
Note: *しゅっせうお【出世魚】is a nomenclature used for the different growing stages
of a particular fish (like the yellowtail referring here; from
wakashi to inada to hamachi). It's the same naming system that applies
to a geisha during her career.
** While I have been trying my best to locate all the names available to scale up the list (sorry, can't resist the pun) as comprehensive as possible, some fish are found missed with a kanji name no matter how hard I tried. This may be in a good part due to the fact that they're more or less an immigrant to Japan. In any case, kanji is not as useful you'd have thought present-day in Japan. Always shows to the sushi chef the native Japanese words when in doubt, whether in hiragana or katakana, and don't be shy to read out the romaji ~ they're easy!
