[Baien Gyohin Zusho] (7) Mullet / Halfbeak
|Mullet (Bora)
River fish category
"Yamato Honzo" and "Tashiki-hen" say: Mullet, Zi-yu.
"Nanning Fuzhi" and "Chanwu Zhi": Bo-wei-yu, Subashiri.
Japanese name: Bora. Also called Ise-goi, or |Nayoshi.
|Kuchime.
The lower volume of the Jindai-maki says: The |Kuchime is the mullet.
I say: The |mullet, after |passing |two or |three |years, |becomes |Nayoshi.
A slightly smaller mullet is called Subashiri.
Also, |Subashiri, also called Lie-zou-yu, "Boso-shi".
The |mullet |spawns |in spring, |becomes |a fish |by |early summer, |and |those |that |pass |the |middle |years |are |called Ina.
In spring, they spawn; by early summer they become fish, and those that swim like crucian carp are called Oboko. This is the name for |fry.
* "Rōgetsu" (wax month) is another name for the twelfth lunar month.
* "|Deki" refers to fry or young fish.
"Yuxian Xianzhi" says: The local people |call |it |snake-head |fish. Its head resembles a snake, which is perhaps why it is named so.
"Kankai Shokukyo": Its roe is made into |dried food. Mullet roe is called |Karasumi in Japanese. Also, the roe of the |Spanish mackerel is used as Karasumi; two things, one name.
Some books say:
If a mullet |lives |for |a thousand |years, |it becomes a water leopard (seal), it is said. Worth investigating.
In the sea at Aokigahara in Hyuga Province, when Hoderi-no-Mikoto was fishing, he caught a Kuchime fish.
The hook was immediately taken by the fish. The Kuchime fish is, in fact, a mullet.
"Shenxian Zhuan" says: Jie Xiang |discussed |with |the King of Wu. |"Among |fish, |which |is |the most delicious?" Xiang said, |"Mullet |is |the best."
In the records of Ki no Tsurayuki, the Kadonoshirikumenawa
is the |head |of the |Nayoshi |and the |holly |branch; this is that fish. In what age did it become the custom to use the head of a red sardine on New Year's Eve? Also, "Wamyosho" says: Mullet is Nayoya.
* "Hoderi-no-Mikoto" is |Hikohohodemi-no-Mikoto. The son of |Ninigi-no-Mikoto.
Halfbeak
Marine fish category
"Tashiki-hen" Halfbeak
Japanese name: Sayori
Alternative names: Kyo-ko fish, Copper ■ fish [■ is mouth+public+legs]
Each gill of the halfbeak contains one worm. It is called the 'Sayori worm'. It resembles a sea slater. Details are in the insect category.
◇
Author's note: "Baien Gyohin Zusho" is a fish encyclopedia by the late Edo period naturalist, Mouri Baien. As the explanatory text is primarily in classical Chinese (Kanbun), it contains many characters that cannot be displayed on a computer, as well as Kanbun reading marks (kaeriten) and okurigana. For readability, characters that cannot be displayed on a computer are represented as □, and in the case of names, they are shown in the format [■ is 〇+〇] whenever possible.
Additionally, Kanbun reading marks and okurigana are written in katakana and Chinese numerals, while furigana and okurigana are written in hiragana.
For the literature cited in this work, please refer to this note: → [Baien Gyohin Zusho] Literature Summary
● indicates characters that could not be deciphered. I will update this as new characters are deciphered or if I notice any typos or misreadings. For details, please read the "Self-introduction / Disclaimer" section. 📖