noun
black scraper; thread-sail filefish
A species of filefish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer) found in coastal waters of Japan and East Asia. The name literally means 'horse-face peeler', referring to its elongated snout and rough skin that was traditionally used like sandpaper.
ウマヅラハギは冬が旬の魚です。
Black scraper is a fish in season during winter.
ウマヅラハギの肝は美味しい。
The liver of the black scraper is delicious.
A closely related filefish species (thread-sail filefish, Stephanolepis cirrhifer) often confused with ウマヅラハギ. カワハギ has a shorter snout and is more commonly eaten.
The name ウマヅラハギ literally means 'horse-face peeler', from 馬 (horse) + 面 (face) + 剥ぎ (peeling). This refers to the fish's elongated snout resembling a horse's face and its rough skin, which was historically used as sandpaper after being peeled off.