穴子

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 穴子 is read as あなご and is a noun for anago, a marine conger eel, or for the fish used as an ingredient.
• Basic usage: The fish appears in 穴子を捕る, while a prepared dish appears in 穴子丼を食べる.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Fish and dish
  • 穴子 names the fish or ingredient; a specific preparation is identified with a dish name such as 穴子丼.
• Difference from 鰻
  • Both are elongated fish used in Japanese cooking, but 穴子 and 鰻 are distinct ingredients and are listed separately on menus.