News
RiversEl Niño seen disrupting fish migration patternsSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaRiversEl Niño seen disrupting fish migration patternsSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-Nicola
EveryFish

Medium: 20 to 60 cm

Hilsa, mackerel, trout, tilapia and most food fish. 265 fish.

TinySmallMediumLargeVery largeGiant
GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
UseFood fishFarmedAquarium fishSport fishingCulture and faithVenomous or dangerousInvasiveScience and research
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
Sub-Saharan AfricaVictoria tilapia A cichlid native to Lake Victoria with unique colour patterns.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaPrzewalskii's naked carp Endemic cyprinid of China's Qinghai Lake basinCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇶 IraqBinni A plant-eating barbel from the Tigris and Euphrates marshes.Carp · Rivers and lakes EuropeCommon nase A migratory European cyprinid with orange tail fins.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreGolden shiner A North American minnow used widely as bait and in pond culture.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇫🇷 FranceCommon bleak A small, silvery freshwater fish found across Europe and Western Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 4 moreTinfoil barb A large Southeast Asian freshwater fish known for its red fins and silvery body.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1853 🇷🇺 RussiaOmul A whitefish species endemic to Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaGoldfish A domesticated freshwater carp from China, kept worldwide as a pet and aquarium fish.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 AustraliaCommon roach A widespread European freshwater fish with red fins.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 morePebbly fish A silver characin from African rivers and lakes.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇷 Turkey and 4 moreAnchovy Small, oily forage fish found in oceans and some rivers worldwide.Herring · Coasts and shelves 🇹🇿 Tanzania and 2 moreSleek lates A freshwater perch found only in Lake Tanganyika, valued by local fisheries.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreEulachon A small anadromous smelt known for its high fat content and cultural importance in Pacific North America.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇩🇪 Germany and 4 moreEuropean smelt Small coastal fish with a cucumber scentOther · Rivers and lakes 🇫🇮 Finland and 4 moreVendace Small freshwater whitefish of northern EuropeSalmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇿🇦 South Africa and 4 moreMozambique tilapia A hardy cichlid from southeastern Africa, now farmed globally and listed as a major invasive species.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇪 IrelandTwait shad Anadromous herring-like fish with flank spotsHerring · Rivers and lakes WorldNorthern whiting A widespread marine fish found in the Indo-Pacific, known for its silvery body and ability to bury itself in sand.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1775 Common ponyfish WorldCommon ponyfish A small, silvery marine fish found in Indo-Pacific coastal waters.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldBloch's gizzard shad Small anadromous fish found across the Indo-West Pacific.Herring · Rivers and lakes · 1795 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreClimbing perch Amphibious freshwater fish capable of breathing air and moving on land.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1792 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreAsian stinging catfish A small freshwater catfish with a painful stingCatfish · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 IndiaSun catfish A yellow catfish with a black shoulder spot from India.Catfish · Rivers and lakes WorldJarbua terapon A striped Indo-Pacific fish found in seas and rivers.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1775 🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 4 moreSpotted snakehead Small carnivorous fish from South AsiaOther · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇩 Indonesia and 4 moreWalking catfish A Southeast Asian air-breathing catfish known for moving across land and surviving out of water.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreStriped dwarf catfish Small Asian catfish found in brackish waters and swamps.Catfish · Estuaries and mangroves 🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 4 morePabdah catfish Small spotted freshwater catfish from South AsiaCatfish · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 1 moreBata A slow-moving freshwater carp native to India and Bangladesh.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇫🇷 France and 3 moreEuropean whitefish A widespread freshwater salmonid with a tapered body and silvery flanks.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇳🇿 New ZealandGiant kōkopu New Zealand's largest freshwater fish, known for its amphidromous life cycle and traditional food value.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1789 🇳🇿 New ZealandBanded kōkopu A striped New Zealand galaxiid that climbs waterfalls.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇳🇿 New ZealandNew Zealand grayling Extinct amphidromous fish endemic to New Zealand rivers and seas.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇯 Benin and 2 moreReedfish A lung-breathing, snake-like fish from West Africa.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇫🇮 Finland and 4 moreEuropean river lamprey A parasitic freshwater and marine fish found across Europe.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 2 moreFreshwater garfish A slender, toothed needlefish from Asian fresh waters.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldTank goby Large subtropical goby found in fresh and salt waterOther · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 3 moreTrout barb A slender carp living in fresh waters near the Bay of BengalCarp · Rivers and lakes 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreMola carplet A small freshwater fish from the Indian subcontinent valued as food.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇫 Afghanistan and 4 moreOlive barb A cyprinid fish native to South and Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSmelt Small fish of the northern hemisphere known for spring runs and culinary traditions.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGiant mudskipper Large amphibious goby found in Indo-Pacific mangroves.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreChacunda gizzard shad A small clupeid fish found across the Indo-West Pacific region.Herring · Coasts and shelves WorldPerch Freshwater fish from the genus Perca in the family Percidae.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreStriped bass Anadromous marine fish native to the Atlantic coast of North America, known for sport fishing and culinary use.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇵🇰 Pakistan and 4 moreParadise threadfin A yellow-finned ray-finned fish from South and Southeast Asia.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldPufferfish Toxic fish that inflate into spiny spheres for defence.Other · Rivers and lakes
PreviousMore fish

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: the fish of the day, new pages on EveryFish, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.