aquarium fish; ornamental fish
Refers to fish kept primarily for display and visual enjoyment, such as tropical fish, goldfish, or koi in a tank or pond.
Tropical fish are popular ornamental fish.
He keeps various ornamental fish at home.
観賞魚 is the broad term for any ornamental fish kept for viewing, while 熱帯魚 specifically means fish from warm tropical waters.
Standard kanji spelling using 観 (to view, observe).
Irregular kanji usage with 鑑 (to appreciate, evaluate). Not standard; learners should use 観賞魚.
Compound of 観賞 (kanshō, 'appreciation, viewing') + 魚 (gyo, 'fish'). The irregular form 鑑賞魚 uses 鑑賞 (kanshō, 'appreciation' with a nuance of critical evaluation), which is considered nonstandard for this word.