also: てながエビ · テナガエビ
freshwater prawn; Oriental river prawn
Refers to prawns of the genus Macrobrachium, especially Macrobrachium nipponense, commonly found in rivers and lakes in East Asia. Used in cooking and as a familiar aquatic creature.
Freshwater prawns are often seen in rivers.
I caught and ate freshwater prawns.
Standard kanji spelling using 海老 for shrimp.
Mixed kanji-katakana spelling, common in everyday contexts.
Uses the less common 蝦 kanji for shrimp; mainly in older or specialized texts.
Alternate kanji spelling; may be encountered in some contexts.
Katakana spelling, often used in biological or culinary contexts.
Compound of 手長 (long-armed) and 海老 (shrimp), referring to the prawn's notably long claws.