Héluóyú

何羅魚Heluoyu

The ten-bodied fish of Mount Qiaoming in the Shan Hai Jing: bearing one head and ten bodies, barking like a dog and curing carbuncles.《山海经》记载谯明山异鱼：一首而十身，其音如吠犬，食之已痈。

Body身形

One head, ten bodies独头长有十躯

一首而十身

Voice鸣声

Barks like a dog发声汪汪似狗

其音如吠犬

Cure疗效

Cures carbuncles食其肉疗痈疽

食之已癰

Home栖息

Jiao River生于谯水之中

譙水出焉

Woodblock print from Gujin Tushu Jicheng showing Heluoyu, a fish with one head and ten fanning bodies in turbulent waters一首而十身Single round head一首圆颅一首而十身Single round head一首圆颅一首而十身Radiating fish bodies十身分列一首而十身Radiating fish bodies十身分列譙水出焉Serrated dorsal fins背鳍鳞甲譙水出焉Serrated dorsal fins背鳍鳞甲一首而十身Spreading fish torsos群尾攒聚一首而十身Spreading fish torsos群尾攒聚
其中多何羅之魚

Here abound Heluo fish.

山海經·北山經
Heluo Yu Tu 何羅魚圖, the one-headed ten-bodied fish that cures carbuncles. Gujin Tushu Jicheng 古今圖書集成, Animal Kingdom, juan 415, woodblock print, 1726清·陈梦雷等编《古今图书集成·禽虫典》卷四百一十五“何罗鱼图”，雍正四年（1726）铜活字印本 · Public domain公有领域

Highlighted words: anatomy part · feature · form type — tap to jump标色词：形态部位 · 特征 · 形态类别，点击可跳转

The texts原文

Original Text & Translation原文与译文

山海經·北山經 · Shan Hai Jing · Wikisource

其中多何羅之魚，一首而十身，其音如吠犬，食之已癰。
Here abound Heluo fish, having one head and ten bodies. Their sound is like a barking dog; eating them cures carbuncles.

山海經·北山經 · Shan Hai Jing · Wikisource

譙水出焉，西流注于河。其中多何羅之魚
The Jiao River emerges from here and flows west into the Yellow River; in it abound Heluo fish.

Comparing the Books典籍对比

The Shan Hai Jing records Heluoyu as an extraordinary ten-bodied fish whose flesh possesses potent medicinal remedies against festering carbuncles.

The story来历与故事

The ten-bodied fish of Mount Qiaoming in the Shan Hai Jing: bearing one single head radiating into ten bodies, barking like a dog and curing carbuncles.

The Multi-Bodied Fish of Mount Qiaoming谯明之山：其名曰何罗

Heluoyu is a ten-bodied fish dwelling in the Jiao River.《北山经》记载谯明之山谯水多产何罗之鱼，西流注于黄河。

In the Classic of the Northern Mountains, Heluoyu thrives within the Jiao River flowing from Mount Qiaoming westward into the Yellow River.

The mountain stream abounds with this uncanny aquatic creature, celebrated for its unique manifold physiology.

Single Head, Ten Bodies, and Healing Power一首十身：食之已痈

It has one head and ten bodies, barks like a dog, and cures sores.经文记其一首而十身，其音如吠犬，食之已痈。

The Shan Hai Jing describes Heluoyu as possessing a single centralized head that branches into ten fully formed fish bodies.

Its voice barks sharply like a dog, and consuming its flesh was celebrated in ancient medicine as an infallible remedy for carbuncles and ulcerous sores.

The Gujin Tushu Jicheng Woodblock Print清代图谱：十身何罗

Woodblock prints illustrate it with ten radiating scaly bodies.《古今图书集成》画其为一头单首分化、十条鱼身如扇形舒展于波涛间的异鱼。

The 1726 imperial encyclopedia Gujin Tushu Jicheng depicts Heluoyu as a fan of ten scaly fish bodies radiating upwards from a round central head.

The woodblock illustration depicts jagged waves flowing around its splayed bodies, capturing its rhythmic underwater posture.

Record档案

Record Card档案卡

TypeTen-Bodied Fish (one-headed ten-bodied fish of Mount Qiaoming)
Also known asHéluóyú 何羅魚; Heluo Fish (何羅之魚)
HabitatMount Qiaoming (譙明之山) in the Northern Mountains, where Jiao waters flow to the Yellow River
EffectEating its flesh heals swellings, sores, and carbuncles (食之已癰)
Earliest source山海經·北山經
Source books山海經·北山經
Image sourceChen Menglei 陳夢雷 (ed.) · Wikimedia Commons
LicensePublic domain
Dragons & SerpentsShan Hai JingMulti-tailed多尾

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Heluoyu look like in the Shan Hai Jing?

The classic describes it as an extraordinary fish with one head and ten bodies ('one head and ten bodies').

What sound does Heluoyu make?

Ancient text notes that its call sounds like a barking dog ('its sound is like a barking dog').

What medicinal property is attributed to Heluoyu?

The Shan Hai Jing records that eating its flesh cures carbuncles and sores ('eating it cures carbuncles').

One more?再看一只？

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