Japanese eel
Refers specifically to the species Anguilla japonica, the common freshwater eel native to Japan and East Asia, widely used in Japanese cuisine.
See also: うなぎ
Japanese eel is often eaten as kabayaki (broiled with a sweet soy sauce).
In recent years, the catch of Japanese eel has been declining.
Compound of 日本 (Nihon, 'Japan') and 鰻 (unagi, 'eel'). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word simply names the species native to Japan.