How to Write 鲎 (hòu) — Meaning “Horseshoe crab”

Picture a horseshoe crab wearing a little graduation cap (like the top of 学) while swimming in the sea (鱼). The three dots on top of 学 look like the crab's small eyes or bumps on its shell.

Pay attention to the order: write the left side 鱼 first, then the right side 学. On the right, the three dots on top must be evenly spaced, and the bottom part of 学 should not be too wide – keep it balanced with the fish radical.

鲎 has 学 on the right and means horseshoe crab. 鱿 has 尤 on the right and means squid. 鲁 has 日 below 鱼 and is a surname or means 'dull'.

鲎 appears mostly in scientific or marine biology discussions about horseshoe crabs. It is also used in medical terms like 鲎血 (horseshoe crab blood), which is important for testing bacterial contamination. You will not see it in everyday conversation.

Common words containing 鲎 include: 鲎鱼 (hòu yú) — Horseshoe crab; 鲎壳 (hòu ké) — Horseshoe crab shell; 鲎血 (hòu xuè) — Horseshoe crab blood.