As a coastal living foodie-gardener-blogger I read many, many recipes and sometimes get thoroughly confused “is that what I know as…..” often pops into my head. And then the tricky question of “I can’t get that fish locally”, let alone thinking about Sustainable Fishing (for more info on sustainable fishing check out the Marine Stewardship Council’s website – it has heaps of info, photos and even recipes).
I plan to cook and eat more fish – using what I have locally, cooking the kind of food I enjoy – simple and tasty and fresh. Here in Hastings the small boat launched fishing fleet sustainably catches Mackerel (Atlantic Mackerel) Herring and Dover sole (English Sole, Flounder or Gray Sole), – all delicious!
So for all you fishy foodies out there here’s a ‘comprehensive’ list of fish names and their alternatives by country and to make life even easier I’ve saved into a PDF Fish names and alternatives so you can download and print it.
Happy fishing …… and cooking!
List of names and types of fish by country – fish names and their alternatives
| UK | USA / Canada | Australia / New Zealand |
| Abalone | ||
| Anchovies | Anchovies | Anchovies |
| Brill | Petrale sole, Brill Sole | Sole, Flounder, Brill |
| Cod | Cod, Pacific Cod | Blue Cod |
| Coley | Haddock | Hoki |
| Conger Eel | Conger Eel | Blue Grenadier, Ribbon Fish |
| Dover Sole | English sole, Gray Sole | Sole, Flounder |
| Flounder | Flounder | Flounder |
| Garfish | Skipper | Garfish |
| Grey Mullet | Mullet, Striped Bass | Mullet |
| Gurnard | Searobin | Gurnard |
| Haddock | Haddock | Blue Cod, Hoki |
| Hake | Hake, Silver Hake | Hake, Gemfish |
| Herring | ||
| Huss | Spurdog | Flake |
| John Dory | John Dory, Oreo Dory | John Dory |
| Lemon Sole | English Sole, Flounder | Sole, Flounder |
| Ling | Cusk, Cobia | Ling |
| Mackerel | Atlantic Mackerel | Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel |
| Megrim Sole | Flounder | Flounder |
| Monkfish | Monkfish, Anglerfish | Monkfish, Stargazer |
| Plaice | ||
| Red Bream | Red Snapper | Snapper |
| Red Mullet | Goatfish | Red Mullet, Barbounia |
| Salmon | Salmon | Atlantic Salmon |
| Sardines | Sardines | Sardines, Pilchards |
| Sea Bass | Sea Bass | Jewfish |
| Sea Bream | Bream | Bream |
| Sea Trout | Steelhead Trout | Ocean Trout |
| Shark | Shark | Shark, Flake |
| Skate | Skate | Skate |
| Snapper | Snapper | Snapper |
| Sprats | ||
| Squid | Squid, calamari | Squid, Calamari |
| Swordfish | Swordfish | Swordfish, Broadbill |
| Tuna | Tuna | Tuna |
| Turbot | Flounder | Sole, John Dory, Flounder |
| Shellfish | ||
| Brown Crab | Dungeness Crab | Blue Swimming Crab |
| Clams | Hardshell Clams | Clams |
| Littleneck Clams | Littleneck Clams, Pipi | |
| Cherrystone Clams | Clams | |
| Cockles | Cockles | Pipi, Cockles |
| Crayfish, Crawfish | Crayfish, Spiny Lobster | Yabbies, Marron |
| Lobster | Lobster | Rock Lobster |
| Mussels | Blue Mussels | Mussels |
| Oysters | Oysters | Oysters |
| Prawns | Shrimp | Sea Scallop, Bay Scallop |
| Scallop | Sea Scallop, Bay Scallop | Sea Scallop, Bay Scallop |
| Spider Crab | Spider Crab, Snow Crab | Blue Swimming Crab, Salad Crab |
| Spiny Lobster | Spiny Lobster, Crawfish | Crayfish, Spiny Lobster |
Original list from Rick Stein Fruits of the Sea
Alternative Fish and Shellfish List
If you see a recipe for Mackerel but don’t have easy access to it then Herring is a good alternative, maybe you can’t get Cod or it’s not in season then you could use Haddock. I’ve saved the list as a PDF so you can use it at will or share it with a friend.
Alternative Fish List PDF
| Brown Crab – Spider Crab |
| Clams – Cockles or Mussels |
| Cod – Haddock |
| Conger Eel – Shark, Swordfish or Tuna |
| Dover Sole – Megrim Sole, Lemon Sole, Sand Sole |
| Garfish – Grey Mullet, Gurnard or Dover Sole |
| Grey Mullet – Bass or Gurnard |
| Gurnard – Sea Bass or Weaver Fish |
| Haddock – Cod or Hake |
| Hake – Haddock or Cod |
| Huss – Tope or Shark |
| John Dory – Turbot or Brill |
| Lemon Sole – Megrim Sole, Plaice |
| Ling – Monkfish |
| Lobster – Spiny Lobster |
| Mackerel – Herring |
| Monkfish – Swordfish or Turbot/john Dory |
| Ocean Perch – Snapper or Grey Mullet |
| Oysters – Mussels or Clams |
| Plaice – Lemon Sole, Dabs, Flounder |
| Prawns – |
| Red Mullet – Bream or Sea Bass |
| Salmon – Sea Trout |
| Sardines – Sprats |
| Scallops – Monkfish |
| Sea Bream – Bass or Snapper |
| Sea Trout – Salmon or Trout |
| Shark – Tuna, Swordfish, Conger eel |
| Skate – angel Shark, |
| Spider Crab – Brown Crab |
| Squid – Cuttlefish |
| Tuna – Swordfish or Monkfish |
| Turbot – Brill, Dabs or John Dory |
Original list from Rick Stein ‘Fruits of the Sea’
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If you spot anything that is missing or wrong please let me know and I’ll do my best to make the changes!
Fishy Promenade recipes include –
Thai Fish Cakes South Indian Fried Fish Classic Kedgeree
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This is fantastic Claire, and bookmarkable (is that a word?). I so often come across fish types in the blogs I peruse and scratch my head. Some of the names on your list are lovely (particularly stargazer, goatfish and sea robin).
PS. We have a great website in Australia too, called Good Fish Bad Fish that offers alternatives for unsustainable fish.
It’s a word now !
I’m off to look at the website you menton – thanks for letting me (and others) know
This is great, Claire. I’ve a similar app and refer to it whenever I’m out shopping for seafood. Of course, you really have to have a reputable fish monger, one who will tell you things like where and how the fish was caught. Thanks for gathering the info for us.
I’ve been trying to find an app for here John, still searching….
And you are spot on about a good fishmonger!
Fantastic, thanks Claire 🙂
I was wondering what he South African variations and names were Tandy…
Mostly the same as the UK names. But we don’t get the same type of fish here 🙂
True!! Stil tasty though I bet 🙂
Oh how helpful is that. It’s going straight to my desktop. My only squabble would be replacing scallops with monkfish. Let’s face- it a scallop is a scallop Rick!
Thanks for putting this together Claire. cheers… wendy
I suppose the replacements are sometimes in terms of texture or how the fish would cook up in a recipe. Scallops are easy for me to get, they are caught locally – Rye Bay. The one thing I do struggle with is finding a repacement for prawns….. I try so hard not to eat those blasted ones from fish farms but I love eating them! A mere human am I 🙂
I here that. I unfortunately googled shrimp from Vietnam. I do try to scout out good shrimp when I buy it for home. Our favorite around here are spotted prawns especially in season early summer I think. But that’s not always the case.
To have local prawns must be a real treat – sweet and fresh!
Quite a lesson for one in a landlocked location. It is good we have access to fresher fish than in days gone by when fresh used to mean at least a week old. I am sure it will shock you that I never developed a taste for most seafood–although I am expanding my fish experiences.
Hi Alice, I don’t think you are alone on this one, Iknow quite a few people who eithe rdon’t like fish or only like a few kinds of fishy dishes. Each to their own I say! Mind you living by the coast it would be rud eof me not to like good old Fish and Chips, not forgetting the mushy peas 🙂
Fish, I like most. Sea creatures, not. Mushy peas… actually sound yummy.
Mushy peas seem to divide people, you eithe rlove them or hate them! I like mine with lots of vinegar 🙂
Great post on a timely subject Claire! I live 15 miles inland from Monterey Bay in California. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a web site and has developed an “app” for smart phones through their Seafood Watch program that is fabulous: http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/cr_seafoodwatch/sfw_whatsnew.aspx
Thank you and thank you for the link, that’s a great resource, I’ve been looking for something similar here in the UK/ Europe….. but can’t seem to find one!
Hi, SeaChoice.ca has a list of sustainable seafood. I am in Canada (Vancouver). The grocery stores have a colour code system. I love all fish and especially love shellfish. My current favourites are scallops and sablefish aka black cod. Oh and always wild Pacific salmon over farmed Atlantic.
This is terrific! Being here smack dab in the middle of Lake Michigan, I rarely eat ocean fish (except for the occasional treat of shellfish) but this is a handy guide for the names, as you say, when they occur in a recipe. It helps to know what I can substitute. Thank you!
I’m the opposite Cindy, I rarely get to eat fresh water fish – I did have some wonderful Perch from Lac Leman when in France, totally delcious, and lucky you!
Wow this is so informative my friend – I had no idea about fish shopping and their names haha 😀
Got to learn this all!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
You’re a good ‘un Choc Chip, I know you are a veggie so it’s appreciated !
Great comprehensive list!
very useful thanks claire 🙂
A very informative post! Thank you Claire!
Thanks Tessa !
Thank you! This is hugely helpful to someone living Down Under! Never would have associated ‘coley/haddock’ with ‘hoki’! Similarly would not have known that sea bass so oft mentioned is simply our ‘jewfish’ 🙂 ! The one line I cannot understand states ‘prawns/shrimp’ equals sea/bay scallops – surely there is a mistake there? We love our prawns!!!!
Does sound like a mistake, I really can’t think of anything that replaces prawns. So I nee dto have a look/ask around
Happy to help with the Jewfish 🙂
What a very good and clever idea Miss Promenade! Very useful indeed. We ate a wonderful fish dish last night…I bought a mix to make fish pie and ended up turning it into a pil pil 🙂 Are you settling back into “real” life?
What a great idea – I like the pie mix too!
Will be in touch next week – waiting for things to calm down a little here…..
No rush – we’re here still!
What a great post Claire, I just saw a post from Ireland that used prawns but their prawns have claws and tails, kind of like a very tiny, thin lobster. Our prawns are just extra large shrimp.
Hi Eva, I’m wondering i fthe prawns used were what is also known as Langoustine in France ? Delicious !
Yes, that’s it! Thanks.
You forgotten to post the Swedish … names *smile – what a job .. and no wonder I was lost when I just moved to UK .. brilliant post – so much fish out there in names, not to much in the oceans anymore.
Ha ha, yes the Swedish names……..
So true about the declining fish populations – it’s all about management and not over fishing!!
I know .. fish is so expensive those days! I wish I could afford to eat fish everyday.
Dover Sole – Sjötunga
Cod – Torsk
Salmon – Lax
Herring – Strömming
Halibut- Hälleflundra
Turbot – Piggvar
Plaice – Spätta
Lobster – Hummer
Shrimps – Räkor
Oysters – Ostron
Munkfish – Kattfisk
… we start with this …
🙂 🙂 🙂
This is a great list…I’m sure we could all add some strange names that certain seafood is called in our areas. Crawfish is also called crawdads in the southern part of the U.S. and believe it or not but you can find them living in mud instead of water. Growing up in Texas, many times you would find them crawling out of their mud holes into your garden.
I’m used to birds, maybe squireels or the odd fox in my garden but Crawfish that would be incredible Karen !!
Great little list Claire. What is your favorite kind of fish?
Oh my goodness my favourite? I love scallops – we have local ones from Rye Bay, adore proper fish and chips (cod), clams, lobster, love the dark meat on oily fish, any kind of fish – I love them all I don’t think I could choose
Wow, this is a lot of fish, many of which I don’t know. Whenever I come across a recipe that calls for a fish that is not available, I substitute and that usually works out pretty well. Just had lots of good seafood in Vietnam.
I bet th efood you hav ebeen eating in S E Asia has been fabulous – fresh and tasty, oh I’m trying not to be too jealous 🙂 Happy travels!
What a great resource! Now when I did a semester abroad in Dublin (ages ago) I used to get ray at the local fish & chips place–never knew exactly what it was but liked it enormously. It was seasonal–available in fall but not spring.
To find a good and I mean GOOD fish and chip shop is a real treasure Inger. We have a couple of good ones here in Hastings and you’d be amazed at how parochial we all are with our own personal favourites!
This is my first time pay a visit at here and i am actually happy to read everthing at alone place.
Greetings! I’ve been following your weblog for a while now
and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you
a shout out from Atascocita Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the good work!
What about Luderick ? (black fish)