The varieties listed here are either of wide culinary interest or marketed in Southern California. Primary names are consistent with names used in Southern California fish markets. If you want more fish, Fishbase (F2) lists over 29,000 varieties under over 218,000 common names.
Please consider the IUCN Red List status when buying fish. In order of rising concern: LC = Least Concern, NT = Near Threatened, VU = Vulnerable, EN = Endangered, CR = Critically Endangered, EW = Extinct in the Wild, EX = Extinct. In addition there are DD = Data Deficient and NE = Not Evaluated. The Monterey Bay Aquarium ratings are more complex, rating not only the sustainability of the species, but also the fishery's effect on other species as bycatch.
Click on pictures for larger version and cooking info
Anchovy - [family Engraulidae]
A family of tiny fish that swim in large schools in temperate seas
worldwide. They are very important to the fish food chain and also for
production of fermented fish sauce, as essential to the cuisines of Southeast
Asia as it was to Imperial Romans.
The Anchovy Family now has its own
page. 
Bangus - See Milkfish.
Barracuda - [Sphyraenus species]
This very elongated fish is a fearsome predator with strong jaws and sharp teeth but very rarely attacks swimmers. It is found in tropical and subtropical seas. The photo is of a Pacific Barracuda (Sphyraena argentea) 33 inches long and weighing 4.4 pounds. This species can grow to almost 60 inches and 26 pounds. Florida barracuda can get up to 72 inches and 100 pounds.
Caution: barracuda can be highly toxic in tropical reef areas like Florida and the Indian Ocean, Hawaii and northern Australia. Pacific Barracuda (S. argentea) is generally safe. Details and Cooking
Basa - See Vietnamese Catfish.
BASS
"Bass" is a popular name applied to many fish that aren't really bass, but people call them "Bass" anyway, particularly the Black Bass (Smallmouth and Largemouth) which are actually Sunfish. Shown here are the real bass (even though one of them is called "Perch"), with links to some of the "not actually a bass" fish. The Bass Family now has its own page.
Belt Fish - [Ribbon Fish, Cutlass Fish, Largehead Hairtail (FishBase), Scabbard Fish, Trichiurus lepturus]
This fish is found worldwide and grows to over 7 feet long, but the photo specimen weighed 1-1/2 pounds and would have been 44 inches if the tip of its tail hadn't broken off. This is a highly commercial fish, primarily for Asian markets and is very common in Los Angeles. Beltfish have no scales and make no effort whatever to be kosher. Details and Cooking.
Bigeye - [Bullseye, Glasseye, family Priacanthidae (Bigeyes or catalufas)]
Bigeyes are a family of small tropical fish found all around the world. Few are fished commercially and those that are are fished mostly in the Indo-Pacific region. The photo specimen was labeled "Big Eye Snapper" in an Asian market but I have identified it as Moontail Bullseye (Priacanthus hamrur). This fish is found just about everywhere but the Atlantic (except for a few off the southwest tip of Africa). It can grow to almost 18 inches (large for a bigeye) but the photo specimen was 7-1/2 inches (not counting a thread extending from the tail) and weighed 3.5 ounces. Details and Cooking
Bighead - see Carp.
Blue Runner - see Jacks.
Bluefish - [Pomatomus saltatrix]
This fish which is found just about everywhere except in the Pacific Ocean
can grow to 51 inches and 31 pounds but the
photo specimen was 16-1/4 inches and weighed 1.5 pounds. Considered a good
eating fish it's highly commercial and now being farmed.
Details and Cooking.
Bonito - see Tuna.
Bream - not a useful term - generally describes a moderately deep bodied fish of moderate size but is applied to many completely unrelated fish from a number of families.
- Yellowfin Seabream - see Porgy.
Bumalo / Bombay Duck - [Bummalow, Bumla (India); Lutia (Bengal); Loitta (Bangladesh); Luli (Malay); Latia, Khô cá Khoai (Vietnam); Long tou yu (China); Harpadon nehereus]
A member of the lizzardfish family (Synodontidae), this Indo-West Pacific fish is native to the Gulf of Arabia, around India and through Southeast Asia and the South China Sea. It shares many characteristics of fish living at great depth: gaping jaw with many long sharp teeth, translucent, almost gelatinous flesh, uncalcified bones and nighttime phosphorescence, so it may be a deep benthic fish that returned to shallower waters. It inhabits moderate depth water along the coasts and sometimes enters estuaries. This fish is currently abundant, IUCN NE (Not Evaluated).
This fish is considered a delicacy, particularly in India and parts of southeastern China. Bumalo can grow to 16 inches but are commonly 10 inches or less. The photo specimen was 12 inches long and weighed 6 ounces, but looks unusually plump because it was in the middle of digesting another fish about half its length. The rest of the batch were around 10 inches and 2-3/4 ounces.
Salted and sun dried, this fish is called "Bombay Duck". Origin of that name is uncertain, but seems to be associated with the rank smell of cars in the Bombay mail train (Bombay Dak) during monsoon season. Details and Cooking.
Bumper - [Pacific Bumper, Yellowtail Bumper, Chloroscombrus orqueta | Atlantic Bumper, Chloroscombrus chrysurus]
This fish is closely related to Scad, but while there are scads of scad there are only two bumpers - Pacific and Atlantic, and even those two may prove to be different varieties of the same species. The photo specimen is a Pacific Bumper . Pacific Bumper can grow to nearly 12 inches but Atlantic Bumper can grow to 25 inches and supports a larger fishery. Pacific Bumper are found in the Eastern Pacific from Los Angeles south to Peru. Atlantic Bumper is found in the West Atlantic from Massachusetts south to Uruguay. Details and Cooking
Butterfish - [family Stromateidae]
A family of very deep bodied fish, many of which are called something
else and other fish which are not butterfish are called butterfish. see
Pompano, Sablefish,
Pomfret and others. One is even a
Piranha. The ones listed here are real
butterfish even though they may be called something else. The
Butterfish Family now has its own page.
Butterfish - a mislabeling of Pacu found in an Asian market in Los Angeles.
Ca keo - See Gobies.
Ca bong cat - See Gobies
Carp - [Koi (Japanese), family Cyprinidae, order Cypriniformes]
The modern Carp family has been around for about 55 million years and the carp order (Cypriniforms) since the Jurrassic 150 million years ago. They are not considered a prime eating fish in the U.S. but are very popular on the menu in Asia and in Europe, particularly Poland.
Coming in many brilliant colors and patterns and happy to live in small freshwater ponds, carp is the primary fish displayed in decorative gardens. Call a fancy carp "Koi" and it can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Unprotected ponds need big submerged pipes for them to sleep in because they are definitely on the menu for raccoons. The Carp Family now has its own page.
Catfish - [order Siluriformes]
There are some 2200 species of catfish in as many as 40 families and many
genera. The greatest number of species is found Central and South America
(including one recently discovered in Mexico that may have been around since
dinosaur days). Some catfish are ocean fish but most live in fresh water.
Catfish do not have scales but some species are covered with overlapping
armor plates. The Catfish Family now
has its own page.
Char - [Family Salmonidae Genus Salvelinus]
Char are closely related to Salmon and Trout, and a number of species are popularly called "Trout". Among these are Brook trout (northeastern North America), Bull trout (northwestern North America), Dolly Varden trout (northern California around to Russia), and Lake trout (Alaska, Canada, northeastern U.S. and introduced to northern Europe and Asia). The lake trout is the largest char, growing to just over 100 pounds. The Char Family now has its own page. Photo by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service = public domain
China Sole - see Vietnamese Catfish.
Chilean Sea Bass - A made-up marketing name for Patagonian Toothfish which is not a bass at all.
Climbing Perch - [Anabas testudineus]
Not actually a perch, this fish is a member of family Anabantidae (Climbing gouramies - a different family from Gouramies proper). It can grow to over 9 inches but the photo specimen was 5-1/2 inches and weighed 2.3. ounces. Able to tolerate extremely bad water conditions, it's an air breathing fish that can survive for weeks out of the water if it's kept damp. It can't actually climb trees though - individuals found in trees were probably left by birds. Most climbing gourami species live in Africa and are too small to eat, but this large one is found from India to China and considered a delicacy in Southeast Asia. It's both caught wild and farmed. Details and Cooking
Cod, Haddock & Hake - [family Gadidae (Cods and haddocks)]
Cod fisheries have been so economically important on both sides of the Atlantic wars have been fought over them. There are many varieties of cod in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific, a number of which are economically important, but there are even more fish called "Cod" that aren't cod at all. The Cod Haddock & Hake now have their own page.
Croakers & Drums - Corvina - [Family Sciaenidae]
Croakers and Drums get their name from sounds they make underwater. Corvina is a Spanish name for many fish in this family, and has been adopted here in California to differentiate between two quite different "Yellow Croakers". The Croaker & Drum Family now has its own page.
Dace - [Dart, Dare, Leuciscus leuciscus] - See Carp.
Dollar Fish - see Pompano.
Dolphin (fish) - see Mahi-Mahi.
Dover Sole - There are two fish marketed as Dover Sole, Microstomus pacificus (fishbase: Dover Sole), actally a flounder, and Solea solea (fishbase: Common sole). Woe betide s/he who attempts to use pacificus in a recipe for real sole.
Drum - see Croakers & Drums.
Eel - [order Anguilliformes families Anguillidae (freshwater), Congridae (saltwater), Muraenidae (Morays), others, and order Synbranchiformes (Swamp Eels)]
Anguilliforms is a large order of fish that have become very elongated to the point of resembling snakes and worms. While related to other modern ray-finned fish they tend to be rather primitive and a bit simplified. Freshwater eels spawn at sea and die there. Their offspring enter rivers as juveniles and live there until time to spawn. Lacking scales in most cases and scales that can be scraped off without tearing the skin in all cases, eels are not kosher. The Eel Families now have their own page. Photo by Frieda distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported.
Emperor - [family Lethrinidae]
A moderate size family of Indo Pacific fish (only one species ventures into the Atlantic). Most are under 24 inches long and most support at least minor fisheries.
Pink Ear Emperor
An Indo - West Pacific fish found from the eastern coast of Africa through
the South Pacific islands. Some reports show them also along the coast of
Baja and Central America. The most commercial of the Emperors, this fish
can grow to 20 inches but the photo specimen was 10-3/4 inches and weighed
12 ounces. This fish is not listed as threatened.
Important: see
Details and Cooking for special
notes.
|
Flathead - [Bartail Flathead, Platycephalus indicus]
Flatheads are a fairly large family of fish but only this one is
commercially significant. The Bartail Flathead can grow to 39 inches and 7.7
pounds but the photo specimen was 14-1/2 inches and weighed 11 ounces, the
in a package of three frozen in China. This fish is found from the Atlantic
coast of southern Africa around through the Indian Ocean all the way to the
mid Pacific islands and has been introduced into the eastern Mediterranean.
It ranges from from southern Australia north to Korea and Japan and is now
also being farmed, particularly in Japan.
Prep & Cooking Details.
Featherback - [Clown featherback, Clown knifefish; Pla Grai (Thai); Ca Thac Lac (Viet); Chitala ornata (Mekong). Also Chitala chitala (Ganges - disorderly spots), Chitala lopis (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Borneo - no spots)]
Native to the Mekong Basin, this important food fish is thin, with flesh so tender it's nearly mushy, and so shot full of bones, spines and fin rays it's nearly impossible to eat whole or as fillets. It is, however, the preferred fish for fish cakes, fish balls and some kinds of pickled fish and fish sauce in Thailand and Vietnam.
This fish grows up to 39 inches and 11 pounds but the photo specimen was 17-1/2 inches long and weighed 1 pound 6-1/8 ounces, purchased from the freezer case of an Asian market in Los Angeles. Prep & Cooking Details.
Flounders - [families: Achiropsettidae (southern flounders), Bothidae (lefteye flounders), Paralichthyidae (large-tooth flounders), Pleuronectidae (righteye flounders)]
Flounders include a number of families of fish that have evolved to lie flat on the bottom. Their eyes have moved so both are on the side marked "up". They make their living by blending into the sea bottom, often partially covered with sand, and ambush their prey, but some of them also leave the bottom and hunt like regular fish.
In Europe "Sole" means fish of family Soleidae. In North America the name is applied haphazardly to various flounders that are not members of the Soleidae family - probably because "sole" sounds more European and sophisticated. The Flounder Family now has its own page.
Fugu - [Pufferfish, Blowfish, Boh-guh (korea), Family Tetraodontidae, usually some species of genus Takifugu (commonly Takifugu rubripes (photo)), Lagocephalus or Sphoeroides but also Diodon]
A family of fish that puff up to several times their normal size when threatened, common in tropical seas, particularly near reefs. Fugu is considered a great delicacy in Japan (and Korea) where it is extremely expensive and served raw in highly decorative arrangements. It's prepared only by trained and licensed fugu chefs - because the eyes and internals are so toxic one fish can kill 30 people.
Non-toxic fugu can be farm raised because they don't make the poison themselves, they have to consume certain bacteria to do it. Non-toxic fugu has generated little interest - without the risk of death it's just another fish. Puffers have long been eaten in Florida but are now banned taken from some waters due to a different bacterial toxin. Fugu is not considered threatened but is not generally marketed in North America. Details and Cooking Photo by Chris 73 distuributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike v3.0.
Fusiliers - [family Caesionidae]
Fusiliers are generally non-migratory reef fish found in tropical
seas. The Fusilier Family now has its
own page.
Goatfish / Red Mullet - [Mullet, Red Mullets; family Mullidae]
A family of tropical and temperate marine fish, Goatfish, often called "Mulllet", have always been a very popular eating fish in Western and Mediterranean Europe, but are little known in North America. Confusingly, they are not related to the Mullet family. The Goatfish Family now has its own page.
Gobies - [family Gobiidae]
Gobies constitute one of the largest fmailies of fish, but are among
the smallest fish, ranging from 3/8 inches long to 12 inches long, but only
a very few giant gobies are over 4 inches. Because of their size few gobies
are food fish, but a number of them are popular aquarium fish. The
Goby Family now has its own page.
Gouramies - [Osphronemidae (Gouramies)]
Gouramies are a family of generally very small fish (most 1 to 3 inches),
most living in Africa, but in Southeast Asia there are a few species of
edible size. Many gouramies have a leading ray of the pelvic fins elongated
into a tentacle which may extend beyond the tail. The
Gourami Family now has its own page.
Graylings - [Genus Thymallus]
These fish belong to the Salmon family along with Trout, Char and Whitefish.
They inhabit fresh waters in the far north and are easy to tell from trout by
their large scales and a very large and showy dorsal fin. The longest and
most commercialized (wild and farmed) is the Arctic Grayling (T. arcticus
arcticus) which may grow to 30 inches and over 8 pounds. The grayling
proper (T. thymallus,) is a European species that may grow to 24
inches and 15 pounds.
Drawing by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service = public domain.
Groupers - [family Serranidae]
A group of ocean fish of the same family as Sea Bass
and with very similar in characteristics. The most famous are the Giant and
Goliath Groupers which can grow to around 1000 pounds - pretty big bass.
All groupers meet kosher requirements but many species are Red Listed as
VU (vulnerable) or EN (Endangered).
The Grouper Family now has its own
page. 
Haddock - See Cod & Haddock.
Hake - [family Phycidae, family Merlucciidae, others]
Several families of long narrow fish of the same order as cod. Hake are popular in Europe but not widely in the U.S. where much of the New England catch is shipped to Europe. The main commercial species grow to about 39 inches. European hake (Merluccius merluccius) appears to be over-fished but is not yet on the threatened lists.
Halibut - see Flounders, righteye
Herring - [Family Clupeidae, various genera and species]
A family of generally small oily fish of tremendous commercial importance worldwide. Herring can grow to over 18 inches and 1.5 pounds but is generally caught and harvested much smaller. See also Sardine. The Herring Family now has its own page.
Idiot Fish - See Rock Fish - Idiot.
Jacks, Amberjacks & Trevally - [family Carangidae, various Genera]
Common names within family Carangidae are very disorderly, including Jacks, Amberjacks, Pompanos, Trevally, Bumpers and Scads, without clear deliniation as to which are which. This second deals with those most commonly called Jacks and Trevally, which tend to be some of the larger of the Carangidae, without too much regard as to what genus they belong to. The fish don't cooperate either, some change shape significantly as they mature. With 30 genera, this naming mess is impossible to make orderly. for other fish of this family see Pomponos, Scad and Bumpers.
Kilka - see Herring.
Lapu-Lapu - Philippine word for just about any Grouper, along with a few non-groupers.
Lingcod - [Ophiodon elongatus]
The only representative of genus Ophiodon, the Lingcod is not a
cod. It's found on the Pacific coast of North America from Ensenada, Mexico
to the Gulf of Alaska and along the Alutian islands. It is considered an
excellent eating fish and is a prized by sports fishermen along the Pacific
coast of North America. Lingcod can grow to nearly 60 inches and 130 pounds
but the photo specimen, purchased at an Asian market in Los Angeles, was
27-3/4 inches and weighed 6.91 pounds.
Details and Cooking.
Mackerel - [Seer Fish (India); family Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos)]
Mackerels are a large family including several genera of economically important fish ranging from a few ounces to nearly 100 pounds. Mackerel are in general oval fish, meaty, oily and strongly flavored. Tuna, which are flatter in shape, are technically mackerel but are treated separately. Fish called "horse mackerel" or "jack mackerel" are not mackerel but related to Jacks and Scads. Mackerel Family now has its own page.
Mahi-Mahi - [Dolphin, Dolphin-fish, Dorado Coryphaena hippurus]
This large fish is unrelated to the sea mammal also called "Dolphin" so the Hawaiian name Mahi-Mahi is now widely used to avoid confusion. This fish is found in tropical and subtropical seas the world around, including the deep ociean where few other fish venture. They are a short lived fish and are usually caught at about 20 pounds, though they can grow to 90 pounds. The flesh is firm and fine grained, and generally cut into steaks or fillets. It is often used as a kosher substitute for swordfish, Details and Cooking Photo © i0074.
Mandarin Fish - See Perch.
Milkfish - [Bangus (Philippine), Chanos chanos]
This Indo-Pacific warm water fish is an important food fish in India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, particularly the Philippines. Milkfish are extremely suspicious, strong and very fast so are difficult to catch in the wild but are a major farm fish in many tropical counties. While they can grow to almost 6 feet and over 30 pounds, farmed milkfish is generally marketed at 18 inches and smaller The fish in the photo was 18 inches and 2-1/4 pounds. The milkfish is durable, having survived the Cretaceous extinction that did in the dinosaurs, the ammonites and perhaps 50% of other marine species. Prep & Cooking Details
Monkfish - [Angler, Lophius americanus (North America), Lophius piscatorius (Europe)]
Monkfish is mostly a huge ugly inedible bony head with a small tail sticking out the back side of it. This explains why you'll never see a whole monkfish in the fish market - only the tail is sold. The American Monkfish can grow to 47 inches and 57 pounds, the European to 78 inches and 127 pounds but these figures are meaningless since most of the fish is inedible. The European Monkfish is considered heavily over-fished though not yet on the official endangered lists. Monkfish is not kosher. Prep & Cooking Details
Moonfish - [Mene maculata family Menidae]
This Indo - Pacific fish is found from the eastern coast of Africa through
the South Pacific islands and as far north as the southern tip of Japan. This
species, the only member of the Menidae (Moonfish) family, can grow to nearly
12 inches but the photo specimen was 8-1/4 inches and weighed 7.4 ounces. In
its home range moonfish is often dried and can be dried without salt. Having
no scales it is not kosher and is not listed as threatened.
Prep & Cooking Details.
Moonfish, Mexican - [Selene orstedii]
Related to Jacks and Pompanos, these fish are found along the East Pacific
coast from Baja California to Ecuador in South America. They can grow to 13
inches long, but the photo specimen, from Ecuador, was 10-1/2 inches long
(7-1/2 inches without the tail), 5-1/2 inches high and 7/8 inch thick. It
weighed 9-7/8 ounces. This is a typical size for those sold in Southern
California. Mexican Moonfish reproduce well and are not considered
threatened. They are not kosher due to lack of removable scales.
Details and Cooking.
Mudfish - see Snakehead.
Mullet Family - [Family Mugilidae]
Mullets are a fairly large family of salt water fish, They have always been very popular in the Mediterranean area and costal Europe but little used in North America, but they are now very common in the Asian markets here in Southern California. Confusingly, the best known "mullet", the Red Mullet, isn't a mullet at all but a Goatfish. The Mullet Family now has its own page.
Orange Roughy - [Hoplostethus atlanticus]
A member of the Slimehead family, this fish is caught in extremely deep cold waters, mainly off New Zealand. The fishery started in 1979 when gear was made available that could locate and catch them at such depth. They are extremely long lived (to 150 years) slow breeding fish and even at current reduced rates the fishery is probably not sustainable. Rated Do Not Eat by marine environmentalists and listed as threatened by the government of Australia. Average market size is about 2-1/4 pounds and they are so ugly they're always sold as fillets. The flesh is mild, almost shellfish like and has been compared to sole. Drawing by Robbie Cada contributed to the public domain.
Pacu - [Cachama, Pirapitinga (Spanish); Butterfish (Asian Market - wrong); Piaractus mesopotamicus (FB Pacu), Piaractus brachypomus (FB Pirapatinga), Colossoma macropomum (FB Cachama), others of family Characidae (Piranhas)]
Native to the rivers of South America, these fish are of the Piranha family (yes, they can bite), and related to Carp and Milkfish at the suborder level. The photo specimen was found in the frozen fish cases of a large Asian market here in Los Angeles, labeled "Butterfish", though it is entirely unrelated to the Butterfish family or to any other fish so called. The largest specimen I have purchased was 12-3/4 inches long and weighed 1 pound 12-3/4 ounces. Details and Cooking.
Paddlefish - [Spoonbill; Polyodon spathula (American); Psephurus gladius (Chinese)]
American paddlefish are native to the Mississippi drainage basin and can grow to over 7 feet and 200 pounds. They have recently been found in the Danube, probably escaped from fish farms, and have been seen in restaurant holding tanks in southern China. Chinese paddlefish were native to rivers in northern China and grew to nearly 10 feet and 660 pounds. They are now though extinct due to dam building, polution and overharvesting.
Paddlefish are related to Sturgeon, and like sturgeon produce valuable caviar. This has traditionally been harvested from wild caught fish, but the success of California sturgeon farms has encouraged aquaculture development for both caviar and meat. Illustration by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service = Public Domain.
Parrotfish - [Big Belly Parrotfish, Forsten's Parrotfish, Rainbow Parrotfish, Scarus forsteni]
Parrotfish are a large family but this is the only representative I've found yet so it's stand-alone for now. This West Pacific fish, found from the East edge of the Indian Ocean to the Pitcairn Islands, grows to 21 inches and 5.5 pounds but the photo specimen was 12-3/4 inches and weighed 1.1 pounds. Prep & Cooking Details.
Patagonian Toothfish - [Chilean Seabass, Merluza Negra (spanish), Mero (japan) Dissostichus eleginoides]
A large fish (up to 250 pounds) living at great depths in the southern oceans from Uruguay to the Antarctic Circle. It has very white flesh with a high fat content but rather little flavor. A single large fish can sell for $1000 in Japan. Though marketed as "Chilean Sea Bass" in the U.S. it is not a bass at all nor is it specific to Chile. This fish is endangered by pirate fishing and it's slow rate of maturing. While there is some properly licensed commercial fishing, the pirate take is thought to be five times as large. It is not possible to tell legal from pirated fish so consuming this fish should be avoided. Photo by US Federal Government = public domain.
Perch [Genus Perca species; also Latidae (Lates perches)]
"Perch" is the prototype for Order Perciformes (Perch-like fishes) to which most of our familiar fish belong. Perch are properly fresh water fish of which there are two main members, Walleye and Yellow Perch. There are a number of ocean fish called "perch" but none are actually perch. I am, though, including Lates perches (Latidae) here for convenience.
Petrale Sole - see Flounders
Plaice - see Flounders
Pollock -
[Theragra species
(Alaska, Norwegian) | Pollachius species (true pollocks - northeastern
North America, northern Europe, a few as far south as Spain) - family
Gadidae (Cod)]
Native through the Sea of Japan, around Alaska and down to Carmel, California, the Alaska Pollock [walleye pollock; T. chalcogramma] is the largest fish harvest in the world at 3 million tons per year. Most is made into sirimi (artificial crab meat) and McDonald's fish sticks. This fish can grow to 35 inches and 8-1/2 pounds, but the photo specimen was 16-1/4 inches and 1 pound 4 ounces. Alaska Pollock is considered a sustainable catch by marine ecologists, IUCN Red List NE (Not Evaluated). Details and Cooking.
Pomfret - [family Bramidae]
Yes, there actually are real pomfret, but the fish called "Pomfret" in the market aren't. They're Butterfish and Pompano. Black Pomfret Taractes rubescens, Atlantic Pomfret Brama brama and Pacific Pomfret Brama japonica are real pomfrets but I have yet to find any in the markets. Drawing of Brama brama by U.S. Federal Government = public domain.
Pomfret, Black (Gray) - see under Pompanos Black Pomfret. There is actually a Black Pomfret that's a real Pomfret (Taractes rubescens), but the pompano is what you'll find called "black pomfret" in the markets.
Silver Pomfret - see under Butterfish Chinese Silver Pomfret.
White Pomfret - see under Butterfish Chinese Silver Pomfret.
Pompanos - [Genus Trachinotus, Parastromateus and others]
These are deep bodied ocean fish of family Carangidae (Jacks and Pompanos). and are prized eating fish worldwide. The family is, however, a bit confusing because some pompanos are called Butterfish and Pomfret while some fish from those families are called "Pompano". The Pompano Family now has its own page.
Pony Fish - [Slip Mouth; Sap Sap (Philippine); Leiognathus equulus]
This tropical Indo-Pacific fish is found from the east coast of Africa to the Pacific Islands and as far south as the north coast of Australia. The fish gets its name from its strange extensible mouth which looks like a pony's nose when extended.
Pony Fish can grow to 11 inches but the photo specimen was 9-1/2 inches and weighed 8.1 oz, caught wild off Thailand. Living near river mouths and in mangrove areas they are both farmed and caught wild and sold both fresh and dried. They have no scales I could find so they probably aren't kosher, but they're not considered threatened. Prep & Cooking Details.
Porgy / Seabream - [family Sparidae]
Porgies and Seabreams are deep bodied fish that subsist mainly by crushing shellfish and crustacians. On the east coasts of North and South America the "Common Seabream", is the Red Porgy (Pagrus pagrus), but this fish is now considered endangered and should not be caught or eaten. Pagrus pagrus is also found on the coasts of southern Europe and North Africa, but the "Common Seabream" in Europe is the Red Seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo). Here in California the familiar Porgies and Seabreams are all from Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the Pacific Porgy (Calamus brachysomus) not being common in the markets. The Porgy / Seabream Family now has its own page.
Pufferfish - see FUGU.
Rabbitfish / Spinefoot - [family Siganidae]
Rabbitfish are tropical reef dwelling fish that, unlike most fish, are vegetarian, living on seaweeds (algae). Incidental to their diet they eat bacteria and other organisms adhering to the seaweed, and some of these contain ciguatera toxins. Predatory fish that eat Rabbitfish can concentrate these toxins to a dangerous degree, but Rabbitfish themselves contain only low, non-dangerous levels.
Rex Sole - see Flounders.
Robalo - see Snook.
Rock Cod, Red - see Rockfish.
Rock Cod (true) - [Lotella rhacina]
Members of the cod family (Gadidae) living mainly off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand.
Rockfish, Scorpionfish - [Pacific Rockfish, family Scorpaenidae, family Sebastidae]
Some biologists lump all these fish under Scorpaenidae (Scorpionfishes) and some assign a number of genera to Sebastidae, a family not recognized at all by the first group. They are mostly venomous (poisoned spines) ranging from extremely to not much. Fortunately those off the Pacific coast of California fall in the "not much" range.
Popularly, rockfish are called names like "Sculpin" and "Rock Cod" but none are members of those families. They are popular eating fish ranging from mid-Baja California to Kodiak Island Alaska, though each species has a more limited range. The Rockfish / Scorpionfish Family now has its own page.
Sablefish / Black Cod - [Coalfish, Butterfish; Blue CodAnoplopoma fimbria]
This fish is currently a darling of the fancy chef set, under the name "Black Cod". Sablefish is not at all related to real Cod, nor much of anything else - there's only one other fish in the entire Anoplopomatidae family. Sablefish are found off the North Pacific coast in deep water with sandy bottoms. They range from mid Baja California all the way around to mid China, though they're scarce south of Los Angeles and Korea. Most of the catch on this side of the Pacific is sold to Japan. This fish can grow to 47 inches and 125 pounds, but the photo specimen was 23 inches and weighed 3 pounds 6 ounces, about normal for market size. Details and Cooking.
Salay Salay - Philippine - a number of small deep bodied Scad varieties - see Yellowstripe Scad Alepes melanoptera, Blackfin Scad Alepes melanoptera, Herring Scad Alepes vari, Shrimp Scad Alepes djedaba.
SALMON - [Family Salmonidae, Genus Oncorhynchus (Pacific) and Salmo (Atlantic) species]
Salmon are large seagoing Trout. Actually all Trout are Salmonidae but we've broken out those not called Salmon to other headings (See Trout) for a list.
Salmon live most of their lives in the deep oceans but return to the river of their birth to spawn - and then die. Why they die I do not know, other fish of the same genus, even seagoing ones, survive spawning (so are called Trout). Atlantic salmon have a high mortality at spawning but some survive.
Details and Cooking
Sand Dab - See Flounders.
Sandfish - [Sailfin Sandfish, Arctoscopus japonicus]
This fish is found in sandy-muddy bottom areas of the Asian side of the North
Pacific. In Japan these fish are cultured in captivity, then released for the
fishery. They grow to as long as 11 inches and 7 ounces. The photo specimen
was by far the largest from a tray of frozen fish purchased from a Korean
grocery and was 10 inches long and just over 4 oz.
Prep & Cooking Details.
Sardines - [Herring family Clupeidae]
There are many varieties of Sardine, all members of the Herring Family, and each variety is likely to be known by a number of local names. Larger fish may be sold fresh but many millions are canned every year, packed in water, oil, mustard sauce and tomato sauce, with and without hot chilis. Morocco is the largest producer of canned sardines in the world, providing 41% of the world's exports. Unfortunately, in my opinion, those canned just about anywhere else are better. The Sardine Family now has its own page.
Saury, Pacific Saury - see Mackerel Pike.
Scad - [family Carangidae]
Scad belong to the same family (Carangidae) as the mild and delectable Pompanos and the stronger flavored Jacks. They resemble mackerel in flavor, but a little milder and without so much oil. These fish are popular in the Philippines, so are most likely to be found in a fish market serving a Filipino community. The Scad Family now has its own page.
Scorpionfish - see Rockfish.
Sculpin - [family Cottidae (Sculpins)]
Sculpins are a large family of small fish, but in California when someone says "Sculpin" they really mean the California Scorpionfish, a member of the Rockfish / Scorpionfish family(s) that looks rather like a very fat sculpin.
Sea Bream - [family Sparidae (most), family Lethrinidae, others]
A catch-all name for a number of deep bodied fish of various names that resemble fresh water bream. Most of them are Sparidae (Porgies) or Lethrinidae (Emperors) but other families are represented.
Seer Fish - [Neymeen, Aiykoora (Kerala); Vanjaram (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh); family Scombridae]
Various Mackerel, including King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel and Wahoo/Ono, used in India both fresh and dried.
. Shark - [class Chondrichthyes subclass Elasmobranchii superorder Selachimorpha]
Sharks are very different from other fish. When the modern fish (teleosts - bony fish) came on the scene, they rapidly pushed their predecessors toward extinction. Under severe stress some of these older fish back evolved features of their own primitive ancestors while adding some very advanced features as well. So successful were these adaptions the following era is called "The Age of Sharks" and modern fish had to struggle to survive. Photo © i0089.
Sharks have much larger brains than modern fish and a more complex social structure. They generally give live birth instead of laying eggs and many are warm blooded and very energetic. They have no bones but a skeleton of light weight cartilage, allowing them to grow very large and still float. Their scales are formed like teeth rather than the removable flakes on modern fish (thus shark is not kosher).
Many sharks are now IUCN Red Listed as VU (Vulnerable) due to slow birth rates and Chinese demand for shark fins. Finning sharks is illegal in US waters and posession of shark fins or shark fin products is now illegal in California and Hawaii, states with the largest Chinese communities. The Shark Family.now has its own page.
Sheephead / Sheepshead a name applied to an number of unrelated fish. See:
California Sheephead - see Wrasse
Sheepshead Seabream - see Porgies
Freshwater Drum - see Croakers & Drums
Sild - see Herring.
Sillago - [family Sillaginidae (smelt-whitings)]
A modest size family of Indo - West Pacific fish, very slender and most under 15 inches long.
Silver Sillago - [Whiting, Common Whiting,
Northern Whiting, Sand Whiting, Silago-whiting, Silver Whiting
(Australia); Sillago sihama]
An Indo - West Pacific fish found from the east coast of Africa to the Pacific islands and from the southern tip of Japan to the north and west coasts of Australia. A few have gotten into the eastern Mediterranean through the Red Sea. They can grow to 13 inches but the photo specimen was 5-1/4 inches and weighed 0.6 ounce. Both caught wild and farmed, this is considered a good eating fish and is not endangered. Prep & Cooking Details |
Silver Fish - []
These appear to be juveniles, and may be of a variety of fresh
water herring, but I'm not sure. They're sold in Asian markets as frozen
blocks of random sized fish, generally from 1/2 inch to 2 inches long,
labeled "Silver Fish". They're also sold dried in tubs or bags labeled
"Silver Anchovy", but I don't know for sure if they are actually anchovies.
Prep & Cooking Details.
Skates & Rays - [order Rajiformes (skates & Rays): family Rajidae (skates) Dasyatidae (stingrays) and others. Alternate: order Rajiformes (skates), Myliobatiformes (Rays)]
These mostly bottom dwelling fish are related to sharks but have pectoral fins so enlarged they are referred to as "wings". Like sharks skates have no bones but a skeleton of cartilage. Skate is generally sold as cuts from the wings and is prepared quite differently from other fish. I haven't seen ray for sale anywhere but skate wing, and sometimes whole skate can be found in Asian fish markets.
For how to tell Skates from Rays see Note F21. Note: I accept the FishBase taxonomy so I can lump skates and rays into the same paragraph, not from malice against biologists who support the "alternate" taxonomy. Some skates are listed as endangered (Common Skate, Thornback and Roker) but it's impossible to tell in the market what skate they are selling if it's just wings. No skate or ray is kosher. Skates & Rays now have their own page. Photo of Little Skate (Leucoraja erinacea) by Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory contributed to the public domain.
Smelt - [family Osmeridae, several genera]
These tiny fish are related to Salmon, with some freshwater species, some saltwater and some that are freshwater and coastal brakish. . Various species are native to Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the U.S. and Canada, some as far south as Southern California but most in northern waters. Smelt are also found along the coasts of Europe and the western Pacific. A variety native to the U.S. northeast coast was introduced to the U.S. Great Lakes in about 1918 and became an important catch there, but the population is currently in decline. The Smelt Family now has its own page.
Snakehead - [Mudfish, Snakehed murrel; Dalag (Phil.); Murrel (India); Channa striata]
This is one of the most important food fish in Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, and popular in India and the Philippines. Both wild and farmed snakeheads are popular live in Asia but are highly illegal in North America. They can grow to 40 inches (larger in Hawaii) and 6.6 pounds but the photo specimen was 17 inches and 1-1/2 pounds. It's a fresh water fish preferring muddy water, and like the walking catifish it can survive extreme conditions and take off over land to exploit new ponds and rivers. Like the walking catfish It's a voracious predator but can survive in colder climates Prep & Cooking Details.
Snappers - [family Lutjanidae (Snappers)]
Snappers, particularly the Pacific Red Snapper, are very highly regarded as food fish and demand a premium price. For this reason various other fish, many not even in the Snapper family, are marketed as "Snapper" and even as "Red Snapper". The Snapper Family now has its own page.
Snook - [Robalo, Black Snook Centropomus nigrescens (west coast), Common Snook C. undecimalis (east coast), family Centropomidae (Snooks)]
The Common Snook, found on the eastern coast of the Americas from North Carolina to Brazil, grows to 4-1/2 feet and 53 pounds. Black Snook, found on the western coast of the Americas from southern Baja California to northern Columbia, grows to 4 feet and 57 pounds, but the photo specimen was 16-3/4 inches and 1-1/4 pounds (factory cleaned). These two snooks look very similar except the Black is darker above the centerline. Prep & Cooking Details.
Sole - [Common Sole, Dover Sole; Solea solea]
"Sole" without a qualifier means Common Sole, a fish also known as "Dover Sole" that's very popular in Europe. Unfortunately there's another by that name - see Dover Sole for an explanation of the confusion and subterfuge created by that name. This fish is native to the North Atlantic from Norway to the northwest coast of Africa, and is most numerous around the British Isles, the north coast of Germany and the coast of France. To a lesser extent it inhabits the Mediterranean and parts of the Black Sea. This fish can grow to 27 inches and 6.6 pounds but is more commonly about 12 inches.
See also Flounder and Tongue Sole. In North America a number of flounders are called "Sole" to make them seem more sophisticated and European. While there are other true soles, Common Sole is most common and preferred when available. The Marine Stewardship Council has certified the Hastings Fleet Dover Sole fishery as sustainable, but that may not apply to other fisheries. This fish is now also being farmed. As a Pacific Coast substitute use Petrale Sole (actually a flounder). Details and Cooking. Photo by Hans Hillewaert distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0.
Spiny Eel - [Ca Chach (Viet), Peacock Eel (fishbase) Macrognathus siamensis]
Spiny Eels are a separate order (Synbranchiformes) from eels proper and eels improper ( Anguilliformes). There are a fair number of spiny eel species but this one, found in the rivers of Vietnam and Southeastern Thailand, is commercially significant (and a popular aquarium fish). Infesting freshwater rivers, streams, rice paddies and flooded forests they can grow to almost 12 inches but the photo specimen was 7.5 inches and weighed 1.1 ounces, the largest in a tray of frozen eels from Vietnam. The "spiny" part is tiny sharp stickers along the back and a couple on the bottom in front of the fins. Prep & Cooking Details.
Sprats - [family Clupeidae (herring family) Spratus spratus]
This small fish is a little slimmer than the herring and is particularly important to the economies of Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.
Sprats are smoked, beheaded (to fit in the can better) and packed with sunflower seed oil and salt in 4" diameter by 1" high cans for the enjoyment of persons of taste. Definitely not for the baby spinach set, they go exceptionally well with ice cold vodka and strong Russian tea. Fortunately plenty are now exported to the U.S. and I have a good stock stashed away.
Sturgeon - [family Acipenseridae]
Sturgeon is an ancient fish, highly successful and little changed for
something like 200 million years. Today most species face extinction due to
the absurd prices show-offs and "gourmets" will pay for their eggs (caviar),
and from degradation of habitat. Sturgeon are the largest fish found in fresh
water with the Russian Beluga (A. Huso huso) reaching 19 feet and and
over 4500 pounds while the more slender Pacific White Sturgeon (A.
Acipenser transmontanus) reaches 20 feet and 1800 pounds. The photo
specimen (smoked, not yet positively identified but possibly Atlantic
(A. Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus)) was 27 inches and 1.6 pounds,
typical for whole smoked sturgeon found in markets serving Russian
communities.Russian caviar, particularly Beluga, should be avoided - the fish are critically endangered and the trade largely controlled by Russia's murderous organized crime syndicates. Purchasing or eating it makes you an accessory to crime and contributes materially to species extinction. Pacific White Sturgeon and Lake Sturgeon (A. Acipenser fulvescens) are the only commercially important sturgeon not listed as "Threatened" or "Endangered". Top grade "chef approved" caviar is produced in California where the white sturgeon is heavily farmed (the meat is sold through markets serving Russian communities). Lake Sturgeon are caught wild, mostly in Canada, and also produce marketable caviar. Prep & Cooking Details.
Sunfish - [Freshwater Sunfish; family Centrarchidae (Sunfishes)]
This family of freshwater fish is native to North America. Most members are called something else, particularly "bass" and "perch". Some species of Black Bass (genus Micropterus) have been introduced worldwide and are both caught wild and farmed. Japan has been attempting to erradicate Black Bass which have been introduced there, but so far without success. The Sunfish Family now has its own page. Illustration of Flier (Centrarchus macropterus) by Duane Raver for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service = public domain.
Swordfish - [Xiphias gladius]
A large, ferocious predatory fish that uses it's long sharp beak as
a weapon to spear prey, which includes even Orcas, and to defend against
Maco Sharks, the only predator big enough, fast enough and ferocious enough
to take on a swordfish. They grow to 14 feet and over 1000 pounds. Swordfish
have scales but not the kind that scrape off so they are not kosher.
Swordfish are not considered an endangered species.
Prep & Cooking Details.
Illustration by U.S. National Oceanic and Atsmopheric Administration =
public domain.
Tench - [Tinca tinca] A Eurasian fish closely related to Carp and of similar habits and appearance except with much smaller scales. It can grow to 25 inches and is an estemed eating fish in Europe though largely unavailable in the North America. Substitute Carp. Photo by Karelj contributed to the pubic domain.
Threadfin - [family Polynemidae]
A family of fish where several rays of the pectoral fins are detached
and elongated, sometimes greatly elongated. These "pectoral rays" are thought
useful for feeling out food. Threadfins are found in the Indo Pacific and
the Atlantic, several along the east coast of the U.S.. Most are salt water
fish but a few live in rivers and others may enter rivers at times.
The Threadfin Family now has its own
page. 
Threadfin Bream - [Whiptail Breams, False Snappers; family Nemipteridae]
This medium size family of tropical Indo-Pacific fish can most commonly be
found in the West Pacific, from the northern coast of Australia up to
southern Japan. Some species are found instead in the Indian Ocean from East
Africa to Malaysia, while a few species extend across both ranges. While
small (up to about 13 inches), some of these fish are important food fish
in the West Pacific region.
The Threadfin Bream Family now has its
own page. 
Tigerfish - [Unidentified]
At first this fish looks a lot like the common Tilapia, but you'll
quickly notice it's comparitively thick and rather heavy. This fish was
grown in Taiwan and purchased at an Asian market in Los Angeles labeled
"Tiger Fish". It was 12 inches long and weighed 1-1/2 pounds.
Details and Cooking.
Tilapia - [Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus niloticus]
This fish native to the Nile can grow to 23 inches but is generally marketed here at about 12 inches and 1-1/4 pounds like the photo specimen, Tilapia was already being farm raised in Egypt probably over 4000 years ago. It has since been transported to fresh water rivers and lakes in many countries. Tolerant of water quality, fast growing, cheap to feed and tasty to eat, Tilapia is an ideal aquaculture fish for warmer climates and is produced in great quantity in Southern California and Arizona, but most still comes from Mexico and South America. Details & Cooking.
Tilefish - [family Malacanthidae (tilefish)]
Tilefish are a worldwide family that eats either plankton or forages on the bottom for invertebrates. These fish live in burrows of their own construction.
Mercury: Tilefish are at the top of the FDA's list of mercury containing fish. This is based on a 1978 study of a few fish from a single location in the Gulf of Mexico. Tilefish do not at all fit the profile for high mercury fish/ T test results are either an abberation or simply defective, and the FDA's own 2002 figures show low mercury - but don't expect them to change the list any time soon. The Tilefish Family now has its own page.
Tounge Sole - [family Cynoglossidae: Cynoglossus bilineatus (Fourlined tonguesole); Cynoglossus arel Largescale tonguefish; and Others]
These Indo-Pacific fish are not actually sole, but Tonguefish (family Cynoglossidae). Tongue Sole can grow to around 16 inches are more commonly around 12 inches.The photo specimens were very like C. bilineatus, but I'm not completely confident that's what it is. The upper specimen was 14-1/2 inches long, 4-1/2 inches wide, 7/8 inch thick and weighed 10 ounces Details and Cooking.
Trout - [family Salmonidae - Genus Salmo (Atlantic) and Oncorhynchus (Pacific)]
Only Salmo and Oncorhynchus are offically trout, but a number of related fish are called "trout" (see below).
Among Oncorhynchus are Pacific Salmon, Apache trout (Arizona), Cutthroat trout (western North America), Gila trout (Arizona, New Mexico), Rainbow trout / Steelhead (western North America, northeast Asia and introduced everywhere).
Among Salmo are Atlantic Salmon, Adriatic trout, Brown trout (Europe and Asia), Marble Trout (southeastern Europe), Ohrid trout (Macedonia, Albania), Sevan trout (Armenia (native) and Kyrgyzstan (introduced)).
Salmo and Oncorhynchus now have their own Trout Family page. Other fish popularly called trout are:
- Char - Salvelinus - including brook trout, lake trout and others.called "trout".
- Graylings - Genus Thymallus
- Hucho - Huchen (Danube), Taimen (Russian rivers, Amur river). These are often called Danube and Siberian Salmon from their size, but they don't go to sea.
- Salmon - officially Trout, but we treat them separately anyway.
- Whitefish - genus Coregonus
Tuna - [family Scombridae (Mackerels)]
Tuna include the largest members of the Mackerel family. Unlike those called "Mackerel", tunas have deep flattened bodies. Most have scales only in a few places but that's enough to be kosher. Bluefin Tuna (all varieties) is to be avoided as all Bluefins are critically endangered. Yellowfin, Bonito, Tongal, Skipjack, Bigeye and Albacore are acceptable for eating. The Tuna Family now has its own page.
Turbots / Brill - [family Scophthalmidae]
Turbot and Brill are flat fish called for in many European recipes, but none of these fish get any farther west than Iceland. They inhabit the coasts of Europe below the arctic circle, thorugh the Mediterranean, into the Black Sea and on the northwest corner of Africa. Suggested substitute, Petrale Sole (called "brill" in western Canada). The Turbots / Brill family now has its own page. Photo by Luc Viatour distuributed under license Creative Commons Share-Alike v3.0 Unported.
Walleye - see Perch.
Whitebait - see Herring.
Whitefish - [genus Coregonus C. clupeaformis. C. lavaretus (Europe) and other species]
Arctic and subarctic estuary, river and lake fish related to the salmon, whitefish can grow to about 30 inches and about 20 pounds but the one in the photo is 19-3/4 inches and weighed 2-1/2 pounds factory cleaned. They are generally caught wild but are also farmed.
Whitefish are often smoked but are also an important fresh fish in the Frozen North, particularly in Russia, Alaska, Canada and the U.S. Great Lakes area. The roe is valued as a pretty good caviar. Prep & Cooking Details
Whitefish - Ocean Whitefish - see Tilefish.
Whiting Atlantic and Pacific - see Cod.
Whiting Indo Pacific & Australia - Smelt Whitings - see Sillago
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