Confusion in Black Sea Bream Recognition

I have compiled literature featuring "Kurodai"(black sea bream). Since I noticed that the authors' activity areas had significant influence, I've included their places of origin.

Wamyō Ruijushō (930s) - Author: Minamoto Shitagō - Origin: Kinai region
The term "Kurodai" first appears in literature in the dictionary "Wamyō Ruijushō" compiled in the 930s as "Kurotahi(久呂太比)". The entry quotes the Chinese fish name "Bōgyo(尨魚)" and states that this is "Kurotahi(久呂太比)", describing it as resembling a sea bream with a gray color. Thus, it was written as "Bōgyo(尨魚)" but read as "Kurotahi."

However, a different species called "Chinu" appears shortly after.
Later, Motoori Norinaga explained in the Kojikiden that "Chinu and Kurodahi are different, but not far apart."
Since this is clearly incorrect, it is clear that there was no conclusive information. Based on what is written immediately afterwards, they probably judged it to be "not far off."

However, if it is not a black porgy, then what is this Kurodahi?
Of course, there is no word in modern Chinese to refer to black porgy, "尨魚."
It is not known whether the Chinese word "尨魚" referred to black porgy, but this description would have an impact that would last for many years to come.


Ruiju Myōgishō (late 11th to 12th century) - Editor: Unknown
This is a dictionary for looking up Chinese characters.
It contains the entry Kurodahi(尨魚).


Honchō Shokkan (1690) - Author: Hitomi Hitsudai - Origin: Likely Edo
This was a general guide to food. Under the entry "Kurodai(黒鯛)" it mentions "Bōgyo(尨魚)" and notes a theory that its smaller specimens are called "Chinu." It also introduces the term "海鯽魚(sea-funa-fish)" from Nihon Shoki. As explained here , this fish is undoubtedly black sea bream.

Actually, black sea bream is a 'growth fish' (fish that changes names as it grows).
The current naming convention is:
  (Kanto)  Chin → Chinchin → Kaizu → Kurodai
  (Kansai) Chin → Babatare → Chinu → Oosuke

Since the author of Honchō Shokkan was likely from Edo, it supports the hypothesis that in Edo, small black sea bream were initially called "Chinu," which later evolved into "Chin."




Yamato Honzō (1709) - Compiler: Kaibara Ekiken - Origin: Kyushu
While originally intended as a medical encyclopedia, it contains information about various organisms. Though detailed for most entries, for Chinu(海鯽) it simply states:

  • Resembles sea bream with a blue-black color
  • Though 黒鯛(Kurodai) and ヘ鯛(goldlined sea bream) have similar shapes, they are different fish, and all fish of this type are inferior in taste to sea bream"

Goldlined sea bream



The description of 'blue-black color' makes sense.

Black sea bream (silver) Black sea bream (black)

 
As shown in the image above, the face and fins can have a bluish tint. It's also possible that "Chinu(海鯽)" referred to silvery black sea bream while "Kurodai(黒鯛)" referred to darker ones. The coloration of black sea bream varies significantly depending on their habitat.


Though this book has no entry for "Kurodai(黒鯛)," it does include "Sumiyaki/Kurodahi(烏頰魚)" which is described as "highly poisonous" and unlikely to be black sea bream. Many scholars identify this as Stereolepis doederleini/Striped giant seabass. It's still sometimes called "Sumiyakidai" today, and its liver is known to cause food poisoning.

Striped giant seabass

(Source: Toshi Toshi Web Aquarium & Fish Encyclopedia )

With striped giant seabass growing over 100 kg, such a misidentification would be impossible today with the availability of photographs.


Wakan Sansai Zue (1712) - Compiler: Terashima Ryōan - Origin: Tohoku region, Active in: Osaka
This is an encyclopedia. It gives "Chinutahi/Kurotahi" as the reading for "海鯽(sea funa)." The included illustration clearly indicates that it refers to black sea bream.

It completely equates "Kurotahi" with "Chinu" and also references the Nihon Shoki. It explains that the name "海鯽"(sea funa) comes from its black color and resemblance to "Funa"(crucian carp), and that it's called "Chinu" because it's abundant in the Chinu region of Izumi province. Curiously, it mentions the fish having slight toxicity, which appears in other literature as well. Since black sea bream is omnivorous, those caught in river mouths might have had hygiene-related issues - in the era before developed sewage systems, filth was discharged directly into rivers, and black sea bream would gather in such areas.

While the understanding is almost the same as today's, here again it lists "Bōgyo(尨魚)" with the Japanese name "Kurotahi(久呂太比)." The simple inheritance of the term "Bōgyo(尨魚)" remains questionable.


Suizokushi (1827) - Author: Kuroda Suizan - Origin: Wakayama
This is a well-classified encyclopedia, though without illustrations. It explains that the fish called "黒鯮(Kurodahi)" refers to 'large male red sea bream' mentioned in Yamato Honzō's sea bream entry. Indeed, mature male red sea bream do become darker, losing their reddish color.

Furthermore, in this text, three types of fish are listed under "Sumiyaki(烏頰魚)," one of which is "Kurodahi." It states that this is being confused with "Chinu" despite being a different species, and appears to be referring to "Bōgyo(尨魚).

From these two assertions, we can see an attempt to clarify the confusion over the name "Kurodai" that began with Wamyō Ruijushō. The author likely wanted to point out that this confusion existed not only among scholars but also among common people.

There is also an entry for "Chinu," which correctly describes the true black sea bream. However, it states that "Kurodahi" is merely a regional name for "Chinu" from Innoshima, suggesting that "Kurodai" was not considered a common name.

Being from Wakayama, the author might have had no way of knowing the names used in the Kanto region.



In this article, we've introduced many historical texts. In an era without photographs and where walking was the only means of transportation, such classification must have been an extremely difficult task. Authors would naturally tend to follow previous literature, and once confusion set in, it would have been no easy feat to correct it.



This article contains many of the author's speculations. Also, since the purpose of this article is to generate interest in Infigo online, I will not list any references. Thank you for your understanding.