noun
kunimasu; black kokanee
A rare Japanese subspecies of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka kawamurae), originally endemic to Lake Tazawa in Akita Prefecture. Once thought extinct, it was rediscovered in Lake Saiko in 2010.
クニマスは秋田県の田沢湖だけに生息していた固有種です。
The kunimasu is an endemic species that lived only in Lake Tazawa, Akita Prefecture.
2010年に西湖でクニマスが再発見されました。
In 2010, kunimasu were rediscovered in Lake Saiko.
ベニザケ (sockeye salmon) is the common species; クニマス is a rare subspecies of it.
The name クニマス is a combination of 国 (kuni, 'country') and 鱒 (masu, 'trout/salmon'), referring to its status as a native Japanese salmonid. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.