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

All fish

1,147 fish so far, best known first. 16 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
🇪🇬 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 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 🇷🇺 Russia and 2 moreMasu salmon Pacific salmonid native to East Asian coasts and rivers.Salmonid · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreYellow perch Freshwater fish native to North America with distinctive vertical bars.Perch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1814 🇮🇷 Iran and 1 moreShabout A large freshwater carp native to the Tigris-Euphrates basin in Western Asia.Carp · 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 StatesShovelnose sturgeon Smallest North American freshwater sturgeon, known for its shovel-shaped snout and caviar production.Ancient · Rivers and lakes · 1820 🇺🇬 Uganda and 2 moreSilver cyprinid A small pelagic fish from Lake Victoria that supports regional food security.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇬 UgandaNangnang fish A small freshwater fish from the Nile basin, prized as a fried snack in Uganda.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 Brazil and 3 moreTambaqui A large freshwater fish from South America known for its heavy body and seed-eating habits.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇳🇿 New ZealandNew Zealand longfin eel A large, long-lived freshwater eel endemic to New Zealand, known for its extended dorsal fin and endangered status.Eel · Rivers and lakes · 1874 WorldSnakehead Elongated freshwater predators with air-breathing organs found in Asia and Africa.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreArapaima Large freshwater fish from the Amazon basin known for its size and air-breathing ability.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇷🇺 Russia and 4 moreSiberian sturgeon Large freshwater sturgeon native to Siberian riversAncient · Rivers and lakes Southeast AsiaGiant snakehead A large freshwater predator from Southeast Asia known for air breathing and invasive potential.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 1 moreMandarin fish Freshwater predatory perch native to East AsiaPerch-like · Rivers and lakes · 1855 🇦🇴 Angola and 3 moreMarbled lungfish African lungfish with the largest known animal genome, found in East and Central Africa.Ancient · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreArapaima Giant air-breathing freshwater fish of the AmazonOther · Rivers and lakes · 1822 🇨🇳 China and 3 moreAsian swamp eel A freshwater, air-breathing fish native to Asia and introduced elsewhere.Eel · Rivers and lakes 🇯🇵 JapanNigorobuna Wild carp from Lake Biwa used for fermented sushi.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇷 Argentina and 4 moreArgentinian silverside A large, adaptable silverside native to South America.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 4 moreMosquitofish Small North American fish introduced globally for mosquito control.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United StatesEastern mosquitofish A small livebearing fish native to the eastern US, now invasive in many regions.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes · 1859 🇧🇷 Brazil and 1 moreRed-bellied Pacu A large South American freshwater fish related to piranhas, farmed for food and kept in aquariums.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 China and 4 moreThree spot gourami Hardy freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia with distinct side spots.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇲🇽 Mexico and 2 moreMexican molly Small livebearing fish from Mexico and Central America.Livebearer · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 Brazil and 2 moreCardinal tetra Small freshwater fish with a bright red belly and iridescent blue stripe.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1956 🇲🇽 Mexico and 1 moreMayan cichlid A hardy cichlid from Mesoamerica with a distinctive tail spot.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes WorldMango tilapia A large cichlid native to Africa and the Levant.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes Middle EastRedbelly tilapia A hardy cichlid from Africa and the Middle East.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 BrazilDiscus Round, colourful cichlids from the Amazon basin.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes · 1840 Asian redtail catfish 🇹🇭 Thailand and 1 moreAsian redtail catfish Large Asian bagrid catfish with a bright red tail.Catfish · Rivers and lakes WorldPangasius A genus of shark catfishes from South and Southeast Asia, widely farmed for food.Catfish · Rivers and lakes · 1822 Vundu Sub-Saharan AfricaVundu A large air-breathing catfish native to African rivers and lakes.Catfish · Rivers and lakes 🇧🇷 Brazil and 3 moreSpotted sorubim A large South American catfish known for its spotted pattern and commercial value.Catfish · Rivers and lakes · 1829 🇧🇷 Brazil and 4 moreTiger shovelnose catfish Large striped South American river catfishCatfish · Rivers and lakes · 1862 WorldBronze corydoras Small armored catfish popular in home aquariumsCatfish · Rivers and lakes · 1858 🇹🇭 ThailandRed-tailed black shark A critically endangered Thai carp kept widely in aquariums for its black body and red tail.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1931 Sub-Saharan AfricaVictoria tilapia A cichlid native to Lake Victoria with unique colour patterns.Cichlid · Rivers and lakes 🇨🇳 ChinaWhite Cloud Mountain minnow A small, hardy freshwater fish native to China, popular in aquariums for its cold tolerance and peaceful nature.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1930 🇨🇳 ChinaWuchang bream A farmed freshwater fish native to the Yangtze basin in China.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇮🇷 Iran and 3 moreMangar Large cyprinid fish of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.Carp · Rivers and lakes · 1843 Caspian kutum 🇮🇷 Iran and 2 moreCaspian kutum A prized ray-finned fish from the Caspian Sea.Carp · Estuaries and mangroves · 1901 🇺🇸 United States and 1 moreGolden shiner A North American minnow used widely as bait and in pond culture.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇰🇭 Cambodia and 2 moreGiant barb The largest cyprinid fish, native to major river basins in Southeast Asia.Carp · Rivers and lakes 🇹🇭 Thailand and 2 moreEmpurau A large Southeast Asian river fish prized for its high market value.Carp · Rivers and lakes
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.