upside-down catfish
Refers to the species Synodontis nigriventris, a small African catfish known for swimming upside down. The Japanese name literally means 'upside-down catfish'.
The upside-down catfish usually swims upside down.
Have you ever seen an upside-down catfish at an aquarium?
Katakana spelling is common for this fish name; usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling using 逆さ (upside-down) and 鯰 (catfish); rarely used in practice.
Abbreviated kanji spelling; even less common than 逆さ鯰.
Compound of 逆さ (sakasa, 'upside-down') and 鯰 (namazu, 'catfish'), describing the fish's characteristic swimming posture.