noun
pike; pickerel
Refers to pike fish, especially the Amur pike (Esox reichertii) found in East Asia. In Japanese contexts, it typically means this species.
カワカマスは北日本の川や湖に生息している。
The Amur pike inhabits rivers and lakes in northern Japan.
釣り人がカワカマスを釣り上げた。
The angler caught a pike.
パイク is a direct loanword for pike in general, while カワカマス is the native Japanese term specifically for the Amur pike.
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.