Han character 鯺

Chinese dictionaries link it to a creature-name; Japanese dictionaries use it for fugu.

The Chinese entry links 鯺 to 蠩, found in the old compounds 蜛蠩 and 蜛鯺. The historical Chinese dictionary 集韻 calls 蜛蠩 an animal name and glosses it as a frog. A later citation in the Kangxi Dictionary, another Chinese character dictionary, describes 蜛鯺 as an edible aquatic creature with many tails, side legs, and a silkworm-like shape. These old glosses do not identify a modern species.

Japanese dictionaries list 鯺 as a rare kanji spelling of ふぐ (fugu), the pufferfish. The usual spellings are 河豚 and フグ; choosing 鯺 is an unusual spelling choice.

How should you read 鯺 in a message?

Ask which language or source supplied it before translating.

A message with only 鯺 does not settle the meaning: Chinese references link it to the creature-name associated with 蠩, while Japanese dictionaries use it for the pufferfish. Ask for surrounding words or the source language; the fish component alone cannot decide between them.