Fishing information from Japan.
The In-Compleat Angler or The In-Contemplative Man's Recreation
N.B. Photographs of TANAGO are shown in some pages. >>
See a page of "Kinds of TANAGO"
• A fish on palm ??
"TANAGO" is Japanese popular name of a group(suborder) of fish: "Japanese Bitterling" in English. The name: TANAGO means "Fishes on palm" in Japanese at origin. Above photo-image shows that TANAGO is small fish in size around few inches. The name of species in TANAGO, shown in above photo-image is "Kanehira" which is the biggest TANAGO in Japan. Length of smallest kind of TANAGO is around an inch. Adult male TANAGO show their beautyful color of fins and body in the season of their propagation. At present time, there are 18 species of TANAGO in Japan, categorized in 3 type of genus: "Tanakia", "Rhodeus" and "Acheilognathus", in the family: "Cyprinidae (Minnows or carps)" and in the order: "Cypriniformes (carps)". All the name of species in Japanese Bitterling: TANAGO are described as following table:
| "TANAGO" in Japan: | ||
| Genus name | Japanese standard name | Species (scientific name) |
| Tanakia | Yari-Tanago | Tanakia lanceolata |
| Abura-Bote | Tanakia limbata | |
| Miyako-Tanago* | Tanakia tanago* | |
| Rhodeus | Tairiku-Bara-Tanago** | Rhodeus ocellatus ocellatus** |
| Nippon-Bara-Tanago | Rhodeus ocellaus kurumeus | |
| Kazetoge-Tanago | Rhodeus atremius | |
| Suigen-Zeni-Tanago* | Rhodeus atremius suigensis* | |
| Acheilognathus | Zeni-Tanago | Acheilognathus typus |
| Kanehira | Acheilognathus rhombeus | |
| Ita-senpara* | Acheilognathus longipinnis* | |
| Ichimonji-Tanago | Acheilognathus cyanostigma | |
| Tanago | Acheilognathus melanogaster | |
| Shirohire-Tabira | Acheilognathus tabira tabira | |
| Seboshi-Tabira | Acheilognathus tabira nakamurae | |
| Akahire-Tabira | Acheilognathus tabira erythropterus | |
| Kitano-Akahire-Tabira | Acheilognathus tabira tohokuensis | |
| Minami-Akahire-Tabira | Acheilognathus tabira jordani | |
| Oo-Tanago** | Acheliognathus macropterus** | |
Remarks:
(1). Fishing and/or catching as to three species of "TANAGO" marked with an asterisk
(*) in the table is strictly forbidden
in order to effect keeping and maintenance of lives
in this three species of "TANAGO" in Japanese water-fields.
This is confirmed under Japanese law concerned.
(2). Two species of "TANAGO": "Tairiku-Bara-Tanago" and "Oo-Tanago" marked with two asterisks (**) in the table are imported from the mainland China or it's near erea, and are not Japanise native fish.
(3). A page against one specie of "TANAGO": "Kitano-Akahire-tabira" described in grey text is not released yet.
Reference links:
The Catalogue of Fishes :On-line index by California Academy of Sciences.
Photographs of "TANAGO" :Some pages with Photographs in this website.
• Fishes in shellfishes ??
"TANAGO come out Shellfishes!", TANAGO bear and attach their eggs into gill of shellfishes, then children of TANAGO are protected by shell within the period from bearing up to children's swimmable stage: about 1 month or 6 months from the date of bearing, depend on kind of tanago. This is a distinctiveness oddity system, and is superior system. By this bearing system, TANAGO shall bear few pieces of eggs in the order of 10 to 100, and TANAGO get an effection of high life-rest level in water field. We assert that TANAGO shall be alive with shellfishes in the meaning of stage of bearing to continue the species itself. By the other hand, shellfishes also alive with others lives including TANAGO. Environment around TANAGO shows a small living system in natural field. At the present, it is decreasing the number of TANAGO itself and habitats of TANAGO, as well as shallfishes, by pollution of water in their living erea, and unbalancing of natural system.
• The small, the honor ??
"The smallest is the best!", this is the fisherman's phrase in TANAGO fishing, showing his highest fishing skills and high precision in treatment of his fishing tackle. There are some delicate senses against tackles i.e. small rod with fine line and tippet, small float, micro indicator and micro hook, ... and high skill in investigation of fishing points, in setting of beit or food, looking indicators and getting the best hooking timing, and so on too! This odd fishing concept, that the honor exsist in fishing of smallest TANAGO, carried from Japanese tradition of TANAGO fishing, that is continued more than 100 years. In the case of fishing competition in the old time, it is competitive against the matter that how many number of fished TANAGO can be put on a palm. This is not competition of large-size of hand only small-size of TANAGO. Please acknowledge that the above mentioned matter was/is an odd honor in Japanese fishing!
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