pike; pickerel
Refers to pike fish, especially the Amur pike (Esox reichertii) found in East Asia. In Japanese contexts, it typically means this species.
The Amur pike inhabits rivers and lakes in northern Japan.
The angler caught a pike.
Katakana spelling is standard for this fish name; usually written in kana.
Kanji form using 魣, a rare character for pike; rarely used in practice.
Mixed kanji-kana form; occasionally seen but not common.
Compound of 川 (kawa, 'river') and 魣 (kamasu, 'barracuda'), literally 'river barracuda'. The exact derivation is uncertain, but the name likely arose from its elongated, predatory shape resembling a barracuda.