【Reading】いけす

【English Name】Live Fish Tank

An ikesu is a facility or installation for temporarily storing landed fish and shellfish in a living state until they are cooked or sold. It is also written as "ikesu" or "生籀."

It is divided into various types depending on the installation environment. In saltwater areas, there are surface ikesu constructed in coastal shallows as well as land-based ikesu with tanks set up on land. In the case of freshwater, there are also types that utilize lakes, marshes, and reservoir ponds. As classifications by shape and material, there are box ikesu, basket ikesu, boat ikesu, dug ikesu, and net ikesu. The live-fish holds of fishing boats, as well as live-fish transport vessels and live-fish trucks, are also equipped with similar storage facilities.

The fish and shellfish held are mainly fish such as madai (red sea bream), buri/hamachi (yellowtail), kanpachi (greater amberjack), suzuki (sea bass), torafugu (tiger pufferfish), hirame (flounder), and koi (carp), and kuruma-ebi (kuruma prawn), ise-ebi (spiny lobster), awabi (abalone), sazae (turban shell), and madako (octopus) are also held.

At sushi restaurants and ryotei, an ikesu may be placed within the floor space to scoop up live fish before the customer's eyes, functioning as a presentation that lets them directly experience the certainty of freshness. In recent years, net ikesu have also become widely used at aquaculture sites, playing an active role in such things as the holding of sardines used as feed.