All fish families

Browse the fish families by recognisable group — from perches and sharks to rays and flatfishes. 12,519 species across 487 families. Pick a family to see all its species with photos, identification details and distribution.

Anglerfishes 72 species

Antarctic icefishes 43 species

Barracudas 22 species

Breams, snappers & drums 715 species

Carps & minnows 1205 species

Catfishes 980 species

Characins, tetras & piranhas 721 species

Cichlids 845 species

Cods & hakes 99 species

Coral reef fishes 926 species

Dories 13 species

Dragonets 61 species

Eelpouts, wolffishes & gunnels 110 species

Eels & morays 327 species

Elephantfishes & knifefishes 124 species

Flatfishes 345 species

Gobies & blennies 1176 species

Gouramis & snakeheads 106 species

Herrings & anchovies 221 species

Killifishes & livebearers 549 species

Lampreys, sturgeons & primitive fishes 89 species

Mackerels, tunas & jacks 295 species

Mullets 52 species

Needlefishes, halfbeaks & flyingfishes 146 species

Perches & sea basses 577 species

Pikes & mudminnows 9 species

Pipefishes, seahorses & relatives 208 species

Pufferfishes, triggerfishes & boxfishes 260 species

Rays & skates 280 species

Salmon, trout & smelts 104 species

Scorpionfishes, gurnards & sculpins 574 species

Sharks 227 species

Silversides & rainbowfishes 122 species

Sticklebacks 13 species

Weevers, stargazers & sandlances 94 species

Wrasses & parrotfishes 376 species

Other families 433 families