also: とふぎょ
sculpin; bullhead; miller's-thumb
General term for any fish of the family Cottidae, including the Japanese fluvial sculpin. Often used in fishing and culinary contexts.
I caught a sculpin in the river.
Japanese fluvial sculpin; Cottus pollux
Specifically the species Cottus pollux, a freshwater sculpin native to Japan. Used in biological or precise contexts.
The Japanese fluvial sculpin (Cottus pollux) is a species endemic to Japan.
カジカ is the standard name for the Japanese fluvial sculpin, a fish that isn't a true goby but is regionally called ゴリ anyway.
Usually written in kana; katakana is common for fish names.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Rare kanji form; not commonly used.
Rare kanji form with reading とふぎょ; mainly found in older or specialized texts.
The origin of the word かじか is uncertain. It is a native Japanese word for a type of fish, with no clear kanji etymology.