stingfish; scorpion fish; stonefish
Refers to venomous fish of the family Synanceiidae, especially Inimicus japonicus. Often encountered in coastal waters and known for its painful sting.
Getting stung by a stonefish is extremely painful.
Be careful because there are stonefish in the sea around here.
sargassum fish
Katakana spelling is common for this fish name; the word is usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji form; rarely used in modern writing.
Obsolete kanji form; not in common use.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 虎魚 (literally 'tiger fish') is a jukujikun reading, likely chosen for the fish's fierce appearance and venomous nature.