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Furukawa Namazu

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Tradition / Region: Japanese Mythology
Alternate Names: Furukawa Catfish
Category: Yōkai, Well dweller, Fish, Catfish

The Myth

In the Furukawa River area of Iguchi, there were many ancient wells whose origins were long forgotten. Each of these wells was said to be home to a great catfish, known as the master of the well.

One day, the young men of the village gathered together and spoke of a plan to catch these catfish. Among them sat a single young man no one recognized, who listened quietly as they talked.

That night, carrying torches, the young men went to the old wells to carry out their plan. Yet when they arrived, something was wrong. Though every well was known to have its master, not a single catfish could be found.

As they searched in confusion, one young man leaned over a large old well. Suddenly, he screamed. Startled, the others rushed to look inside, and there they saw many masters of the wells gathered together in one place.

The strangers’ secret had been revealed. One of the catfish had disguised itself as a human, slipped into the village, and overheard their discussion. The masters of the Furukawa wells had assembled to speak of the danger.

From that time on, it is said that the people of this region never again tried to catch catfish from wells.

Gallery

Sources

TYZ-Yokai Blog contributors. (n.d.). 一つ目小僧 (Hitotsume-kozo). In TYZ-Yokai Blog, from https://tyz-yokai.blog.jp/archives/1010655102.html

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Wenyao Fish

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Tradition / Region: Chinese mythology
Alternate Names: —
Category: Fish

The Myth

In the far western lands, at Mount Taiqi where the Guan River is born, there lives a strange fish known as the Wenyao. The river flows westward into the drifting sands, and within these waters the Wenyao make their home.

The Wenyao resembles a carp in shape, yet from its body grow wings like those of a bird. Blue-green patterns flow across its scales, its head is white as bone, and its mouth is red like fresh lacquer. By day it swims through rivers and seas; by night it takes to the air, flying between the Western Sea and the Eastern Sea.

When the Wenyao cries out, its voice is like that of a phoenix calling across the sky. Its flesh is sour and sweet to the taste, and those who eat it are cured of madness and falling sickness. It restores vital energy and replenishes the blood.

When Wenyao appear in abundance, it is taken as a sign that the year will be fruitful and the harvest great.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 文魯魚. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%96%87%E9%B3%90%E9%B1%BC

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Renyu

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Fish, Mermaid

The Myth

In ancient times, strange beings known as renyu, or human-fish, were said to live in rivers, seas, and distant waters across the world. These creatures were neither fully human nor fully fish, but something in between. They appeared in many regions, especially in remote mountains and waterways where ordinary people rarely traveled.

Some renyu were described as fish with human features, while others had four legs and moved like animals on land. Their voices were said to sound like crying infants, a sound that echoed eerily across rivers and valleys. Though strange and unsettling, renyu were not always hostile. In certain places, eating the flesh of a renyu was believed to cure illnesses of the mind, restoring clarity and reason to those afflicted.

One well-known renyu lived in the Bursting River near Dragon-Marquis Mountain. This creature resembled a large fish, yet possessed limbs and a human-like voice. It lingered in deep waters, surfacing only rarely. Those who heard its cry often mistook it for a child in distress.

Renyu were also said to produce a mysterious oil. This substance burned with an unusually steady flame, and lamps fueled by it were believed to last for an exceptionally long time. Because of this, renyu oil was treasured and used in sacred and imperial places.

Stories also tell of female renyu who appeared as beautiful women living on remote islands or cliffs by the sea. These beings could take human form and live among people. In one tale, a man married such a woman, lived peacefully with her, and fathered children. She protected him, taught him survival skills, and shielded him from danger. But when the man was taken away from the island against his will, the renyu revealed her true nature in grief and fury, casting their children into the sea and vanishing forever.

In another story, a traveler was captured by two mysterious women on an island. They fed him daily and kept him alive, yet he felt suspended between life and death. When he learned too much about their hidden powers, they fled into the sky, abandoning him. Though he escaped, he weakened and died soon after, unable to return fully to the human world.

Renyu were also known by other names, such as child-fish, reflecting both their voices and their unsettling resemblance to human infants. Some lived in rivers, others in the sea, and each variety possessed different forms and powers. All were regarded as beings that blurred the boundary between human and animal, land and water, life and death.

In legend, the renyu are reminders of a world where the natural and supernatural were deeply intertwined—where rivers spoke, fish cried like children, and the sea concealed beings who could heal, deceive, or destroy.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Merfolk. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merfolk

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Henggongyu

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Category: Fish, Shapeshifter

The Myth

In the far northern wilderness there lies a frozen lake called Shihu. For most of the year the lake is locked in ice, thawing only for fifty or sixty days around the time of the summer solstice. Within this lake lives a strange and dangerous being known as Henggongyu.

Henggongyu is said to be seven or eight feet long, shaped like a carp, and entirely red in color. During the daytime it remains hidden in the water beneath the ice. When night falls, however, it leaves the lake and transforms into a human, wandering the frozen land in human form before returning to the water by dawn.

The creature cannot be harmed by ordinary means. Needles cannot pierce it, and even boiling water cannot kill it. No matter how long it is cooked, Henggongyu survives—unless two dried plums are placed into the boiling water. Only then does the monster finally die.

Though fearsome, Henggongyu is also believed to possess powerful properties. Eating its flesh cures evil diseases, driving away illnesses caused by malignant forces. For this reason, it is both feared and sought after, a being that brings danger and healing alike.

Thus Henggongyu remains a creature of contradiction: living in a frozen lake, immune to harm, shifting between fish and human, and offering salvation only through great risk.

Gallery

Sources

Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). 橫公魚. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, from https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%A8%AA%E5%85%AC%E9%B1%BC

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The One-Eyed Fish of Lake Plöckensteiner

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Tradition / Region: Austrian Mythology
Category: Fish

The Myth

Lake Plöckensteiner was long believed to be lifeless, a dark mountain lake where no creature could survive. Doubting this belief, a group of men once went to the lake to test it by fishing. For many hours they caught nothing, until at last one man cried out in triumph: a large fish was writhing on his line. Though they continued fishing, no other fish appeared.

As evening fell, the men decided to cook their catch. They placed the fish into a pan of water over the fire. As the water began to heat, a strange sound rose from the lake—a low murmuring that grew louder and clearer. From the depths came a voice asking, “Is everyone there?” Another voice replied, “Everyone is here—except the bull.”

Horrified, the men looked at the pan and realized the fish was still alive. Worse still, they saw that it had only one eye. Overcome with fear, they threw the fish back into the lake. At once, the voices ceased, and the lake fell silent. Terrified, the men fled home.

Another tale tells of a time long ago, when kings once gathered near the lake to mark the borders of three lands. During this age, three men came to the lake in mischief and found that fish leapt willingly into their hands—trout with glowing red mouths and bodies speckled like sparks. They caught many and placed them into pans of water over a fire.

As night fell and the moon rose, the water began to boil, yet the fish did not die. Instead, they grew lively, almost joyful. Suddenly, a great roaring arose—trees seemed to thunder, and the lake roared as though whipped by a storm. Yet the air was still, the sky clear, and the water unbroken. From beneath the lake came voices murmuring, “Not everyone is home… not everyone…”

Stricken with terror, the men threw all the fish back into the lake. Immediately, the roaring ceased. Silence returned, and the moon shone calmly above the water. The men dared not move or speak until morning, when they fled and told what had happened. Upon hearing this, the kings departed and cursed the forest, condemning the place to remain desolate forever.

Thus the lake is remembered as a place where something watches, and where not all who dwell beneath the water may safely be taken.

Gallery

Sources

SAGEN.at contributors. (n.d.). Die Fische im Plöckensteiner See. In SAGEN.at, from https://www.sagen.at/texte/sagen/oesterreich/oberoesterreich/muehlviertel/ploeckensteinersee.html

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Heluo Zhi Yu

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Tradition / Region: Chinese Mythology
Alternate Names: Heluo-fish
Category: Fish

The Myth

The Heluo Zhi Yu, or Heluo Fish, is said to live in the waters of the Tower River. It is a strange and unsettling creature, described as having one head and ten bodies, all moving together as a single being. When it cries out, its voice does not sound like a fish at all, but like the barking of a dog.

The flesh of the Heluo Fish is believed to possess powerful healing qualities. Those who eat it are said to be cured of tumors and severe internal illnesses, making it a creature both feared and sought after.

According to legend, the Heluo Fish is not bound to a single form. At times, it is said to transform into a Never-Old Bird, a mysterious creature that steals grains of rice from threshing tools. The bird flutters down into a mortar while stealing grain and dies there, completing its strange cycle of transformation.

Thus, the Heluo Fish is remembered as a being of many bodies and shifting shapes, whose presence links water, land, and air, and whose flesh holds both strangeness and healing power.

Gallery

Sources

A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Heluo-zhi-yu. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/08/26/heluo-zhi-yu/

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Loðsilungur

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Tradition / Region: Icelandic folklore
Alternate Names: Shaggy Trout
Category: Fish, Trout

The Myth

The Loðsilungur, or Shaggy Trout, is feared throughout Iceland as one of the most deadly fish to dwell in lakes and rivers. Any person who eats its flesh is said to fall violently ill, and death often follows.

At first glance, the loðsilungur resembles an ordinary trout, but its body is twisted and unpleasant to look upon. Its shape is uneven, with a thick front and a narrow tail. The eyes are small and sunken, set beneath a swollen skull, and its short snout juts forward with a noticeable overbite. Its teeth are said to be black as pitch.

What truly marks the loðsilungur is its hair. Fine, pale, downy strands grow along its body, fins, jaw, and neck. Sometimes it appears as a beard; other times as a mane or scattered patches. This hair is difficult to see while the fish is alive, lying flat against the skin, and only becomes clearly visible after death—especially when the body is wet. Because of this, the loðsilungur is often mistaken for an edible trout, with fatal consequences.

The shaggy trout is usually small, sometimes no larger than an Arctic char, or even no thicker than a man’s finger. Despite its size, it carries powerful poison. Entire households have perished after sharing a single cooked loðsilungur. One well-known tale tells of a farm where all who ate the fish died, leaving only a young girl alive—she alone had not felt hungry that evening.

Other stories tell of hunters found dead beside their meals, plates still resting on their knees. Wherever the loðsilungur appears, tragedy follows.

Animals seem to sense the danger. Dogs and birds of prey refuse to eat it, no matter how hungry they are. The fish itself is stubbornly difficult to kill. Fishermen once left a pile of freshly caught fish overnight, only to find a loðsilungur still alive atop the heap by morning. Horrified, they threw the entire catch away and abandoned the lake.

The loðsilungur remains a warning hidden in clear water: a creature that looks harmless, but carries death beneath its skin.

Gallery

Sources

A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Lodsilungur. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/07/15/lodsilungur/

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Öfuguggi

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Tradition / Region: Icelandic folklore
Alternate Names: Reverse-Fin Trout
Category: Fish, Trout

The Myth

The Öfuguggi, known as the Reverse-Fin Trout, is one of the most feared fish in Icelandic lore. Its name alone carries dread, for the creature is said to be lethally poisonous, more dangerous than any ordinary fish of lake or river.

At first glance, the öfuguggi resembles a normal brown trout. Only on closer inspection does its true nature reveal itself. Its fins are reversed, and it swims backward, moving tail-first with its head following behind. Some say only a single fin is reversed, but this is enough to mark it as unnatural. Its body is jet-black, dark as coal, while its flesh is deep red, a sign that it feeds on the bodies of the drowned.

The öfuguggi lives in the cold depths of freshwater lakes, far from light. Though rarely seen, it is sometimes caught by unsuspecting fishermen. When cooked and eaten, it brings terrible death. Those who consume its flesh are said to swell violently, their bodies bloating until the stomach bursts, leaving a cross-shaped wound behind.

One of the most dreadful stories tells of a farm where nearly everyone who shared a meal of trout fell ill and died. Only one girl survived—the lone person who had eaten nothing.

Stories of the reverse-fin trout are known throughout Iceland, and certain lakes and pools bear names that warn of its presence. These places are remembered as cursed waters, where the öfuguggi once swam—or may still swim—waiting in the dark below.

The öfuguggi remains a symbol of hidden danger, a fish that looks ordinary yet carries death within, reminding people that not all that comes from clear water is safe to eat.

Gallery

Sources

A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Ofuguggi. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2019/05/13/ofuguggi/

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Quauhxouilin

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Tradition / Region: Mexican Mythology
Category: Fish, Eagle, Bird

The Myth

The Quauhxouilin, known as the Eagle-Fish, is a remarkable fish spoken of in Mexican tradition. Its name joins two ideas into one being: quauhtli, meaning eagle, and xouilin, a kind of fish.

This creature bears the head of an eagle, with a curved snout shining golden-yellow, giving it the look of a bird of prey risen from the water. Its body is long, large, and smooth, moving through the water with the same effortless grace as an eagle gliding through the sky.

Unlike ordinary fish, the Quauhxouilin has no scales and no bones. Its flesh is soft throughout, and for this reason it is considered good to eat, valued not only for its strange form but also for its taste.

The Quauhxouilin stands as a fusion of sky and water—a fish shaped like a bird, uniting the domains of river and air in a single living form.

Gallery

Sources

Bestiary.us contributors. (n.d.). Eterari. In Bestiary.us, from https://www.bestiary.us/eterari/

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Trebius Niger

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Tradition / Region: Roman Mythology, Medieval European Mythology
Category: Fish, Swordfish

The Myth

The Trebius Niger, or Black Trebius, is a strange and powerful fish known for defying the natural order of the sea. Though small—only about a foot long—it possesses abilities far beyond its size.

The Trebius can halt ships upon the water, clinging to their hulls and robbing them of all movement. Even the strongest vessel, once touched by it, becomes helpless, as if the sea itself has turned solid beneath it. Sailors fear its presence, for no oar or sail can overcome its grip.

The fish is said to change color with the seasons, turning black in summer and white in winter, marking the passage of time as clearly as the sky or the tides.

Most wondrous of all is its power over gold. If a Trebius is preserved in salt, even a small piece of it can be lowered into a deep well and will draw lost gold upward, as though the metal itself longs to return to the surface. For this reason, the fish is both coveted and dangerous, tempting the greedy while punishing the careless.

Unlike other fish, the Trebius does not scatter its eggs in water. Instead, it builds a nest, carefully constructing it before laying its eggs within. Some tales say it gathers seaweed for this purpose; others describe nests found in impossible places, even above the water, defying all expectation.

Later legends add that the Trebius is armed, bearing a sharp beak or pointed snout with which it can pierce ships, sinking them outright despite its small size. In some depictions it appears almost monstrous, with clawed feet, a bearded face, and a strange intelligence in its eyes.

Thus the Trebius Niger is remembered as a creature born of the sea but not bound by its rules:
a fish that stops ships, commands gold, builds nests like a bird, and carries ruin far greater than its form suggests.

Gallery

Sources

A Book of Creatures contributors. (n.d.). Trebius. In A Book of Creatures, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2020/05/15/trebius/

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