noun
Archaic or literary name for the ayu fish (Plecoglossus altivelis). In modern Japanese, 鮎 (あゆ) is the standard word.
See also: アユ
古文では「年魚」と書いて「あゆ」と読ませることがある。
In classical texts, 年魚 is sometimes used to write 'ayu'.
noun
annual fish
Literal reading of the kanji: a fish that lives for one year. This sense is rare and mostly found in explanatory or poetic contexts.
「年魚」という字は、一年で一生を終える魚を表すこともある。
The characters 年魚 can also represent a fish that completes its life in one year.
The standard modern word for ayu/sweetfish. 年魚 is an archaic or literary variant.
The kanji 年 (year) and 魚 (fish) literally mean 'year fish', referring to the ayu's one-year lifespan. The reading ねんぎょ is the on'yomi of these characters.