noun
burbot; Lota lota
A freshwater fish of the cod family, found in cold northern waters. In Japanese, usually written in katakana as a loanword or kana.
カワメンタイは淡水に生息するタラの仲間です。
The burbot is a freshwater fish related to cod.
Katakana spelling is standard for this fish name; usually written in kana.
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used in practice.
The name likely derives from 川 (kawa, 'river') + 明太 (mentai, 'Alaska pollock'), referring to a river fish resembling pollock. The exact origin is uncertain.