News
SpeciesScientists 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-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliamentSpeciesScientists 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-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliament
EveryFish

All fish

151 fish so far, best known first. 1,047 more are on the list to be written.

#ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
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
WorldGreat white shark A large, globally distributed predator known for its size and apex status in marine ecosystems.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇪🇬 Egypt and 4 moreNile tilapia A hardy cichlid farmed globally for food.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreRohu A large silver carp from South Asian rivers, farmed for food and prized as a game fish.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreSea lamprey A jawless, parasitic fish native to the Northern Hemisphere that attacks other fish.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1758 WorldNile perch Large freshwater predator native to Africa, now invasive in many lakes.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇿🇦 South Africa and 4 moreAfrican sharptooth catfish Large airbreathing catfish farmed across Africa and AsiaCatfish · Rivers and lakes 🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreMilkfish The sole living species of the family Chanidae, found across the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreSockeye salmon Anadromous Pacific salmon known for red spawning colour and zooplankton diet.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes · 1792 WorldHairy angler A deep-sea anglerfish with thread-like fins found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.Shark · Deep sea · 1930 WorldViperfish Deep-sea fish with fang-like teeth and bioluminescent lures in the genus Chauliodus.Other · Open ocean · 1801 🇦🇺 AustraliaLungfish Ancient freshwater fish that breathe air and have lobed fins.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇷🇺 RussiaSterlet A small Eurasian sturgeon found in rivers flowing to the Black, Azov, and Caspian seas.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreLake sturgeon A large, long-lived freshwater fish native to North America.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreAtlantic sturgeon A large anadromous fish native to the western Atlantic Ocean and its river systems.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreShortnose sturgeon A small, endangered North American sturgeon with a short snout.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1818 🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreKaluga A massive semi-anadromous sturgeon from the Amur River basin hunted for caviar.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1872 🇺🇸 United StatesShovelnose sturgeon Smallest North American freshwater sturgeon, known for its shovel-shaped snout and caviar production.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1820 🇺🇸 United StatesPallid sturgeon An endangered North American sturgeon species native to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1905 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreLongnose gar A primitive ray-finned fish with a long snout and armored scales found in North America.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreTropical gar A small freshwater predator from Central America known for its armored scales and air-breathing ability.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreGar Ancient armored fish with lung-like swim bladders found in North American waters.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1758 🇧🇯 Benin and 4 moreSaddled bichir A large African freshwater fish with primitive lungs and multiple dorsal finlets.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1845 WorldBichir Ancient African ray-finned fish with multiple dorsal finlets and lung-like air breathing organs.Ancient · Rivers and lakes WorldLamprey Jawless fish with a sucking mouth found in temperate waters worldwide.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesMooneye A family of large-eyed North American fish known for their metallic eye shine.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1819 WorldMegalodon Extinct giant mackerel shark from the Miocene to Pliocene epochs.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1843 🇺🇸 United StatesCladoselache Extinct Late Devonian shark-like fish known for well-preserved fossils and streamlined body.Shark · Coasts and shelves WorldGuiyu oneiros An early bony fish fossil from the Silurian period of China.Ancient · 2009 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreMawsonia Extinct giant coelacanth from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1907 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreStethacanthus Extinct Devonian-Carboniferous shark with a distinctive anvil-shaped dorsal fin.Shark · Coasts and shelves · 1874 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreKnightia Extinct herring-like fish from the Green River Formation, famous for its abundant fossils.Herring · Rivers and lakes · 1856 🇧🇼 Botswana and 1 moreAfrican tigerfish Predatory freshwater fish known for sharp teeth and leaping hunting behaviour.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1861 🇳🇬 NigeriaGymnarchus African electric fish with a long dorsal fin used for swimming and sensing prey.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1829 🇺🇬 Uganda and 2 moreSilver cyprinid A small pelagic fish from Lake Victoria that supports regional food security.Other · Rivers and lakes WorldLeopard bush fish A freshwater labyrinth fish from the Congo River basin kept in home aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇸🇳 SenegalNile bichir An ancient African fish with lungs and armour-like scales.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇬 UgandaNangnang fish A small freshwater fish from the Nile basin, prized as a fried snack in Uganda.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇰🇪 Kenya and 4 moreRipon barbel A large freshwater cyprinid from East African lakes and rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1900 Sub-Saharan AfricaSynodontis A large African genus of spotted catfish known for squeaking sounds and belly-up swimming.Catfish · Rivers and lakes WorldHaplochromis A large ray-finned fish genus from East Africa known for rapid evolution and aquarium popularity.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes · 1888 🇲🇼 Malawi and 2 moreMalawi eyebiter Predatory cichlid from Lake Malawi known for its narrow body and unique feeding habits.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreLargemouth bass A large freshwater predator native to North America, prized by anglers and invasive in many regions.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1802 🇺🇸 United StatesSpotted bass A North American freshwater fish known for dark spots below its lateral line.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesGuadalupe bass A rare Texas endemic black bass prized by anglers for its fighting spirit.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 2 morePumpkinseed A small freshwater fish native to eastern North America, known for its bright colours and red ear flap.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1793 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreBlack crappie A spotted freshwater sunfish native to North America, prized by anglers for its sport and table fare.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1856 🇺🇸 United States and 2 moreGreen sunfish A small, aggressive freshwater fish native to North America, known for its blue-green colour and invasive potential in nPerch-like · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreSauger A freshwater perch species native to North American rivers.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1834
More 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.