Japanese symbol for “sturgeon”
蝶鮫
ちょうざめ
Romaji: chouzame
sturgeon (esp. the green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris)
In Japanese, sturgeon is 蝶鮫, read ちょうざめ (chouzame).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n sturgeon (esp. the green sturgeon, Acipenser medirostris)
Written forms: 蝶鮫、鱘魚. Readings: ちょうざめ、チョウザメ.
Kanji and stroke order
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 蝶々 | ちょうちょう chouchou | butterfly |
| 胡蝶 | こちょう kochou | butterfly |
| 蝶番 | ちょうつがい choutsugai | hinge |
| 蝶々夫人 | ちょうちょうふじん chouchoufujin | Madama Butterfly (opera by Puccini); Madam Butterfly |
| 蝶結び | ちょうむすび choumusubi | bow; bowknot |
| 揚羽蝶 | あげはちょう agehachou | swallowtail butterfly (esp. the citrus swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus) |
| 鮫肌 | さめはだ samehada | rough skin (like that of a shark) |
| 小判鮫 | こばんざめ kobanzame | remora (any fish of family Echeneidae); suckerfish; sharksucker |
See also: Chinese symbol for “sturgeon”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.