The Golden-ringed dragonfly (in Japanese Oniyanma) Anotogaster sieboldii is the biggest dragonfly in Japan. It is also known as jumbo dragonfly or Siebold’s dragonfly. It is the largest species of dragonfly in Eastern Asia (Japan, China and the Korean Peninsula). It can reach a lenght of 100 mm. The A. sieboldii nymph lives three to five years, moulting up to ten times and growing as long as five centimeters during the process.
Female, male (flying) and nymph.
This figure is the Common Goldfish, Carassius auratus, model number 17, from the second series. There are a couple of different ‘wild’ versions in Book 2, but for whatever reason I don’t have either one of them. Instead, this is the Secret domestic version, which is listed as number 17 in the series.
This figure is the Japanese Huchen, also known as Sakhalin taimen, Parahucho perryi (apparently, renamed from Hucho), number 06 from the first series. This primitive member of the trout and salmon family is found in limited areas of the northwest Pacific—Hokkaido island in Japan, the Russian Sakhelin Island, and far-eastern portions of mainland Russia.
This figure is the Japanese eel (nihon unagi in Japan), Anguilla japonica, model sculpt 23 and number 8 from the second series. This is the only freshwater eel found in Japan, although it is found throughout Eastern Asia as far south as Vietnam. Like many other freshwater eels, the Japanese Eel is catadromous, spawning and hatching at sea but living much of their life in freshwater habitats and brackish estuaries.
This figure is the Japanese Perch (also known as Aucha perch or Oyanirami in Japan), Coreoperca kawamebari), model 19 and number 4 from the second series, second release. This is a small-sized predatory perch that lives rivers and streams. Often in the middle parts of the water column hunting for invertebrates and anything else.
This figure is the Japanese Rice Fish (or Medaka or Japanese Killifish), Oryzias latipes, number 11 from the first series. This is the only beloniforme fish in the set; this order includes other surface-oriented fish like flying fish, needlefish and halfbeaks (but, not killifish—taxonomy can be weird). The Japanese Rice fish is found throughout Eastern Asia*, living in a wide range of shallow and slow-moving bodies of water like rice paddies, marshes, streams and tidal pools (it is a fresh- and brackish-water fish).
Note – a lot more information has become available since I first wrote this one!
This figure is the Japanese silver crucian carp (or Langsdorf’s Goldfish, or Ginbuna in Japan), Carassius langsdorfii (according to Fishbase; earlier sources refer to it as the subspecies Carassius auratus langsdorfii ), stamped number 16 and listed as figure 1 from the Book 2 series, second.
This figure is a second figure of the Japanese silver crucian carp (or Langsdorf’s Goldfish, or Ginbuna in Japan), Carassius langsdorfii. As before, it is stamped number 16 but being a secret figure from the Book 2 second release series, it is number 17 in that list.
This figure is the Japanese Spined Loach (or Japanese striped loach), Cobitis biwae , model 22, and number 7 from the second series. This is a small, long-bodied loach endemic to Japan, there are numerous potential subspecies but no distinction was made with the model. There are actually a number of similarly-patterned loach species in many parts of Japan, but so far this is the only species specifically identified on figures.
The only Jewel beetle, made by Yujin. For the ones new to animal figurine collecting; Yujin is an Japanese company that makes next to other types of toys outstanding animal figurines full of detail and always very realistic. They have produced a vast range of insects, fish and frogs, which I personally regard as one of the best fgurines around.
This figure is the Largemouth Bass, Micropterus salmoides, model number 25 and figure 10 from the second series. These are large freshwater bass naturally found in the Mississippi River system of North America. However, they are popular sport fish and have been released in many parts of the world, including, of course, Japan.
Review and images by JimoAi; edited by bmathison1972
When it comes to reef fish, no species is as distinct and instantly recognizable as the Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus). They are included on almost every ocean-related merchandise and media out there: from towels, utensils, coins and one even was a character in the 2003 Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo.
This figure is the Northern Snakehead, Channa argus , model 24 and figure 9 from the second series. These large, strictly freshwater predators are naturally found in the Korean Peninsula, China and Russia. Given the northern range, it is not surprising that they are cold tolerant, and have since been introduced to several other places including the US, Japan and parts of Europe (so far Canada has kept them out, but they are heading to the Great Lakes, so we’ll see how that goes) edit–at least no established populations since this was written.
This figure is the Pale Chub, known in Japan as Oikawa, Zacco platypus, number 08 from the first series. We appear to now be beyond the salmonids; the Pale Chub is another cyprinid (‘minnow’). The Pale chub is a small carnivore that is normally found along eastern Asia from the Korean peninsula south to Vietnam.
This figure is the Rainbow Trout, probably one of the most familiar North American game fish, Oncorhynchus mykiss, number 04 from the first series. This trout is widespread throughout North America, and parts of the Kamchatka peninsula; they are also introduced into many other places including, of course, Japan.
