noun
Japanese eel
Refers specifically to the species Anguilla japonica, the common freshwater eel native to Japan and East Asia, widely used in Japanese cuisine.
See also: 鰻
日本鰻は蒲焼きにして食べられることが多い。
Japanese eel is often eaten as kabayaki (broiled with a sweet soy sauce).
近年、日本鰻の漁獲量が減少している。
In recent years, the catch of Japanese eel has been declining.
European eel (Anguilla anguilla), a related species often contrasted with the Japanese eel.
Compound of 日本 (Nihon, 'Japan') and 鰻 (unagi, 'eel'). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word simply names the species native to Japan.