Japanese common squid; Pacific flying squid
The most common squid species in Japanese waters, widely used in cuisine. Scientific name: Todarodes pacificus.
See also: スルメイカ
Japanese common squid is eaten as sashimi or tempura.
A cuttlefish species, Sepia esculenta, also known as 甲烏賊. Less common than the squid sense.
See also: 甲烏賊
A small cuttlefish species, Sepiella japonica, also called 尻焼烏賊. Rare in everyday language.
See also: シリヤケイカ
Pacific flying squid is caught in large numbers in the seas around Japan.
The golden cuttlefish is a different species from the Japanese common squid and has a cuttlebone.
The Japanese spineless cuttlefish is sometimes considered a type of 真烏賊, but it is taxonomically distinct.
Standard kanji spelling for this squid species.
Katakana spelling is common in culinary and commercial contexts.
The kanji 真 (true) and 烏賊 (squid/cuttlefish) together indicate a 'true squid/cuttlefish', likely referring to the most representative species. The reading まいか is a kun'yomi-based compound reading.