noun
Japanese sand lance; Pacific sandeel
A small, slender fish (Ammodytes personatus) commonly used in Japanese cuisine, especially as 釘煮 (kugini) or in ちりめんじゃこ (chirimen jako).
春になると、イカナゴのくぎ煮を作る家庭が多い。
In spring, many households make kugini (simmered sand lance).
イカナゴは小魚で、天ぷらや佃煮にされる。
The sand lance is a small fish, used for tempura or tsukudani.
The origin of the word いかなご is uncertain. The kanji 玉筋魚 literally means 'jewel sinew fish', but this is likely an ateji (phonetic assignment) rather than a reflection of the word's derivation.