young sweetfish; young ayu
Refers specifically to juvenile sweetfish (Plecoglossus altivelis), often in the context of fishing, aquaculture, or seasonal cuisine.
春になると川で稚鮎が泳ぎ始める。
In spring, young sweetfish start swimming in the river.
この地域では稚鮎の放流が盛んだ。
Releasing young ayu is popular in this region.
Standard kanji spelling using 稚 (young) and 鮎 (ayu/sweetfish).
Mixed kanji-katakana spelling; アユ is a common katakana rendering of the fish name.
Compound of 稚 (chi, 'young') and 鮎 (ayu, 'sweetfish'). The reading ちあゆ follows standard on-kun combination.