panther puffer; Takifugu pardalis
A species of pufferfish found in the northwestern Pacific. The name is usually written in katakana.
The panther puffer is poisonous, so a license is required to prepare it.
Usually written in katakana, as is common for fish names. It is usually written in kana.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly used in specialized contexts; the word is usually written in kana.
The name combines 彼岸 (higan, the equinoctial week) and 河豚 (fugu, pufferfish), but the exact reason for the association is uncertain.