Gonzui- Striped Catfish — ゴンズイ

The Gonzui (striped catfish; ゴンズイ; Plotosus japonicus) is a small, venomous saltwater catfish found in rocky coastal waters around Japan, recognizable by its distinctive white stripes running along a dark brown body. Though small in size, the gonzui is capable of inflicting painful stings from the spines of its dorsal and pectoral fins, giving it a reputation disproportionate to its modest scale. Bakufu's meticulous rendering captures both the graphic beauty of the striped pattern and the warning it encodes in nature.