noun
Refers specifically to the species Engraulis japonica, a small fish used in Japanese cuisine (e.g., dried as niboshi or eaten as shirasu).
カタクチイワシは煮干しの原料としてよく使われる。
Japanese anchovies are often used as an ingredient for dried sardines (niboshi).
この辺りの海では、春になるとカタクチイワシがたくさん獲れる。
In the sea around here, many Japanese anchovies are caught in spring.