noun
mantis shrimp; squilla
Refers to marine crustaceans of the order Stomatopoda, especially the species Oratosquilla oratoria. Commonly eaten in Japan as sushi or tempura.
シャコは寿司ネタとして人気がある。
Mantis shrimp is popular as a sushi topping.
市場で活きのいいシャコを買った。
I bought some fresh mantis shrimp at the market.
Rarely used kanji form; the word is usually written in kana.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 蝦蛄 is a Chinese-derived compound for mantis shrimp, but the Japanese reading しゃこ may be from a native name or a borrowing.