flathead; flathead fish
Refers to fish of the genus Platycephalus, especially the bartail flathead (Platycephalus indicus), a common food fish in Japan.
Flathead has white flesh and is delicious as sashimi or tempura.
Today I caught a big flathead while fishing.
Katakana spelling is standard for this fish name; usually written in kana.
Kanji form is rare and mainly found in specialized contexts; learners will almost always encounter the kana forms.
The name マゴチ is of uncertain origin. The kanji 真鯒 is a later assignment and not commonly used.