gnomefish; Scombrops boops
A deep-sea fish commonly eaten in Japan, especially in winter. Often served as sashimi or simmered.
冬になるとムツが美味しくなる。
Gnomefish becomes delicious in winter.
ムツの刺身は脂がのっていて美味しい。
Gnomefish sashimi is fatty and delicious.
Katakana spelling is standard for this fish name; usually written in kana.
Hiragana spelling is also used, but katakana is more common for fish names.
Rare kanji form; it is rarely used.
The origin of the name ムツ is uncertain. The rare kanji 鯥 is a kokuji (Japanese-created character) combining 魚 (fish) and 六 (six), but the reason for this composition is unclear.