Knife-Fish Character

A rare character for a knife-shaped fish.

Chinese references use 魛 for fish names such as 刀魚 and 帶魚; its Mandarin reading is dāo. Japanese references use it as a rare one-character spelling for たちうお, a long, narrow cutlassfish usually written 太刀魚.

The early Chinese character dictionary 說文 records 鮆 as a name for 刀魚 from 九江, a place in China. Later dictionaries such as 玉篇 and 集韻 list 魛; Taiwan's Ministry of Education dictionary links it to that older fish name as a later popular form.

How do I type 魛?

Choose an input method for the language you are typing in.

Chinese input searches by the Mandarin sound; Japanese input uses the fish's Japanese name. If the rare form is missing from suggestions, handwriting or radical-and-stroke search can help.

Why does 魛 look different in another font?

Different Han fonts can draw the same character differently.

Stroke details and proportions vary by font; without a font that covers 魛, it may appear as a box. The character combines 魚 (fish) and 刀 (knife), which can help identify its intended form.