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

Culture and faith

Fish in festivals, faith, art and national symbols. 91 fish on EveryFish so far.

Fish swim through the art, faith and symbols of many peoples. They appear in myths of floods and creation, as signs of fertility and good fortune, as national and state emblems and at the centre of festivals and rites. In South Asia, fish are tied to Hindu, Buddhist and Bengali traditions, and in East Asia carp and goldfish stand for luck, strength and abundance.

Fish in South Asia

In Hindu tradition, Matsya, the fish, is the first avatar of Vishnu, who saves Manu from a great flood. The Pandya kings of Madurai used a fish emblem, and the fish insignia of the nawabs of Awadh still decorates buildings in Lucknow. A pair of golden fish is one of the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism. In Bengal, a whole rohu is sent to the bride's home before a wedding, and hilsa is cooked for festivals. Kerala's state fish is the pearlspot and Maharashtra's the silver pomfret.

Fish around the world

In Japan, carp-shaped streamers called koinobori fly for Children's Day on 5 May, because carp are said to swim upstream against the current. Goldfish are kept for good fortune in China. Early Christians used the fish, ichthys, as a secret sign. In Irish legend, the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill gains wisdom from the Salmon of Knowledge. The hilsa is Bangladesh's national fish, and Hawaii's state fish is the reef triggerfish, the humuhumunukunukuapuaa.

Famous culture and faith fish

IlishThe hilsa, Bangladesh's national fishRohuA fish of Bengali weddingsGreen chromideKarimeen, Kerala's state fishSilver pomfretSilver pomfret, Maharashtra's state fishKoiCarp of Japanese gardens and Children's DayGoldfishA symbol of good fortune in ChinaAtlantic salmonThe Salmon of Knowledge of Irish mythReef triggerfishThe state fish of Hawaii

Further reading

GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
WaterRivers and lakesEstuaries and mangrovesCoasts and shelvesCoral reefsOpen oceanDeep seaPolar and cold seasCaves and springsBetween sea and river
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
WorldCommon seahorse A small, spotted seahorse found in Indo-Pacific coastal waters.Other · Estuaries and mangroves 🇵🇭 Philippines and 4 moreMilkfish The sole living species of the family Chanidae, found across the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇯🇵 Japan and 2 moreAyu sweetfish Small amphidromous fish prized for its sweet flesh in East Asia.Other · Rivers and lakes · 1846 WorldSeahorse Small marine fish with horse-like heads and curled tails in the genus Hippocampus.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldGoatfish Benthic fish with chin barbels found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 🇦🇺 AustraliaLeafy seadragon A marine fish from southern Australia known for its leaf-like skin appendages used for camouflage.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1865 🇺🇸 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 WorldRed mullet Two species of goatfish found in the Mediterranean and Atlantic.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldBartail flathead A widespread marine flathead found across the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 Blackspotted croaker 🇦🇺 Australia and 4 moreBlackspotted croaker Large Indo-Pacific marine fish prized for its high market value.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1802 🇺🇸 United StatesAtlantic tarpon Large, acrobatic saltwater game fish of the Atlantic.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1847 🇳🇿 New Zealand and 3 moreCommon galaxias A small migratory fish of the Southern Hemisphere.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇳🇿 New ZealandBanded kōkopu A striped New Zealand galaxiid that climbs waterfalls.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇦🇺 Australia and 1 moreAustralian salmon South Pacific marine fish native to Australia and New Zealand coasts.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1801 🇦🇺 AustraliaEastern blue groper A large Australian wrasse that changes sex from female to male.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇳🇿 New ZealandNew Zealand grayling Extinct amphidromous fish endemic to New Zealand rivers and seas.Other · Rivers and lakes 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreLined seahorse A western Atlantic seahorse with white neck lines and male pregnancy.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1810 🇦🇺 Australia and 3 moreSpiny seahorse A small, thorn-covered marine fish from the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇺🇸 United States and 3 moreAtlantic goliath grouper A massive saltwater fish found in the Atlantic Ocean, known for its size and protected status.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGiant mudskipper Large amphibious goby found in Indo-Pacific mangroves.Other · 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

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.