Are there horses at the aquarium too?

At Tokyo Sea Life Park 's New Year's event, "Aquarium New Year 2026," we handed out the aquarium's original fortune-telling slips, "Kasarin Fortune-telling Slips," which have been well-received every year. Did you all have a chance to draw one?

The Kasarin fortune slips feature animals related to the Chinese zodiac each year, and this year, being the Year of the Horse, they included a "Tengu Hagi" (a type of snake) and a "Horseshoe Leather Jacket."

So what is "horse" about them? In this article, we will introduce fish with names related to the horse. The names of the aquariums in which they are displayed are written next to the species names, so be sure to look for them.

Long-nosed surgeonfish, Tank No. 5, "South China Sea"

The unicornfish, a type of surgeonfish, is called "unicornfish" in English. As the name suggests, the unicornfish has a long projection in the middle of its head that resembles a unicorn (a legendary creature that looks like a horse with a horn on its forehead), and it is said to use this projection for courtship.

We also have a fish called the "Whitemargin Unicornfish" on display in the same tank. Whitemargin Unicornfish is larger, so please try to find other differences between it and the regular Unicornfish.

Horseshoe leather jacket, Tank No. 10 "Southern Australia"

Some filefish are bright blue or yellow and have a horseshoe-shaped pattern in the middle of their bodies. They have a distinctive swimming style in which they undulate their dorsal and anal fins, so be sure to pay attention to how they swim.

Domestic Horse scorpionfish Tank number 30 "Beach creatures"

It is characterized by its long, horse-like face, which is where its name comes from, and the blue color of its fins and parts of its body. Domestic Horse, which is also a type of filefish, has a spine on its head. This spine is a modified dorsal fin that it uses to anchor its body when hiding in crevices between rocks.

John Dory Tank Number 25 "Deep Sea Creatures 4"

There are two theories as to the origin of its name: Matou (馬頭), meaning "horse's head," because the shape of its head resembles a horse's head; or Matodai (的大), meaning "target," because the round markings look like a target.

They inhabit the seabed at depths of around 30 to 400 meters. They have a retractable mouth, which they quickly extend to suck in their prey and catch it.

Big Belly Seahorse, Tank No. 15, "Western Australia"

This is a type of seahorse. Seahorses are called "seahorses" in English. Males have a pouch on their stomachs for raising their young, where the female lays her eggs, and the male guards them until they hatch.

Be sure to look for fish related to the horse at the aquarium. You might get lucky if you find them all!

[Sophie Kato, Education and Outreach Tokyo Sea Life Park]