Cutlassfish Coloring Pages

A Shiny Silver Fish Like a Sword

The Cutlassfish is a shiny silver fish with a flat, long body.
Many of them grow to about 1 meter long, and big ones can even reach nearly 1 meter 50 centimeters.
In Japanese, its name is written as "Tachiuo" using Chinese characters. A tachi is a long sword used by samurai long ago.
Its flat, sparkling body really looks like a sword blade pulled from its sheath!

No Tail Fin!

Usually, fish have a tail fin at the back of their body, right?
But the Cutlassfish does not have a tail fin. Its body gets thinner toward the back, and ends sharp and thin like a thread.
It does not have belly fins either. Instead, it has one long dorsal fin running from behind its head all the way to near its tail.
On the first coloring page, try tracing with your finger to see where its dorsal fin starts and ends!

Big Eyes and Sharp Teeth

If you look at the Cutlassfish's head, you will see big eyes and sharp, fang-like teeth.
Its big eyes help it find prey even in the dark ocean.
It catches and eats small fish, squid, and shrimp with its sharp teeth.
Its lower jaw sticks out further than its upper jaw, which is another special feature of the Cutlassfish.

2 Coloring Pages

The first picture shows one Cutlassfish from the side, drawn from a photo. You can clearly see its long dorsal fin and the thread-like tip of its tail.
The second picture shows a school of Cutlassfish swimming standing up with their heads facing up in the ocean on a moonlit night.
They stay still in the water while waving their dorsal fin like little waves.
For another coloring page of delicious fish in autumn, check out Salt-Grilled Pacific Saury!

Why Does It Swim Standing Up?

Sometimes, the Cutlassfish floats still in the water with its head pointing up and its body straight up and down.
When it does this, it moves its long dorsal fin in tiny waves to stay right in one spot.
People think it does this so it can look up with its big eyes, spot small fish swimming above, and attack them quickly.
It is also said that holding its thin silver body upright makes it hard for prey to see!

Cutlassfish on the Dinner Table

The Cutlassfish is a white-fleshed fish that is soft and has a mild taste.
You can eat it grilled with salt, as meunière, or even as fresh sashimi when it is very fresh.
It becomes fatty and extra delicious from summer to autumn!

Color the body silver and white

Color the Cutlassfish's body silver.
If you do not have silver, color it light gray or light sky blue, and leave some parts white. That will make its body look shiny!
Making the back a little darker and the belly lighter makes its flat body look 3D.

Color the dorsal fin with light colors

Try coloring the long dorsal fin with light yellow or light gray.
The trick is to use light colors so it looks see-through.
If you move your colored pencil along the lines of the fin, it will look like a real fin!

Make the eyes big and clear

For the big eyes, color around the pupils with dark gray or gold, and leave the shiny spots white.
If you leave the teeth white, they will look very sharp!

For the second picture, use night sea colors

Color the sea in the second picture with dark blue or indigo to make it a night sea.
Color the moon light yellow. Leave the moonbeams white or color them light yellow to make them shine nicely!
Making the Cutlassfish's body a silvery white makes it glow in the dark sea.

Color the fish further away lighter

For the big Cutlassfish in front in the second picture, color its silver edges clearly with gray.
For the small Cutlassfish in the back, mix in a little of the sea's color to make them bluish gray. This makes them look far away.
If you leave the bubbles white, they will look like little lights in the night sea.

Two Stories About Its Name

There are two stories about how the Cutlassfish got its Japanese name, Tachi-uo.
One story says it became "long sword fish" because its body looks like a Japanese long sword.
The other story says it became "standing fish" because it swims standing up with its head at the top.
Both stories show the special features of the Cutlassfish very well.

No Scales

The body of a Cutlassfish has no scales.
It shines silver thanks to a silver powder-like layer that covers its body.
A long time ago, people even used this silver powder to make fake pearls.

Size Is Measured in "Fingers"

People who catch Cutlassfish sometimes measure their size by how many fingers wide the body is, instead of how long it is.
They say "3 fingers" or "4 fingers." The wider it is, the bigger the fish!
Very big Cutlassfish are sometimes called dragons.

Going to Shallow Places at Night

During the day, Cutlassfish stay deep in the sea. From evening to night, they swim up to shallow places to hunt for food.
That is why people often go fishing for Cutlassfish in the evening or at night.