List of 200+ Seafood Names with Pictures and Interesting Facts

Seafood is an important part of cuisines around the world and includes a wide variety of fish, shellfish, and other edible sea animals. Learning seafood names in English helps you to improve your vocabulary, understand different types of aquatic foods, and explore global food cultures. In this guide, you will discover different types of seafood, common seafood names with images, fish and shellfish names, freshwater and saltwater seafood varieties, and a detailed list of 200+ seafood names.

Table of Contents

• What is Seafood?
• Different Types of Seafood
• Common Seafood Names with Pictures
• List of 200+ Seafood Names
• Saltwater vs Freshwater Seafood Names
• Interesting Facts About Seafood
• Frequently Asked Questions About Seafood Names

What is Seafood?

Seafood refers to edible aquatic animals and plants that come from oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and other water bodies. It includes all kinds of fish, from tiny, silvery sardines to massive bluefin tuna, as well as shellfish like shrimp, lobster, and crab, and other sea creatures like squid, octopus, and clams. Seafood is rich in nutrients such as protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Many people include seafood in their meals because it is both healthy and delicious.

Why is seafood so popular?

• It is an outstanding source of lean, high-quality protein.

• It is packed with omega-3 fatty acids that are great for heart and brain health.

• It is rich in important vitamins like B12 and D, and minerals like iodine, zinc, and selenium.

• It cooks quickly and works well with a huge variety of flavours and cuisines.

• It is incredibly diverse, there are hundreds of edible species, each with its own unique taste and texture.
  
  

Different Types of Seafood

Seafood can be divided into different categories based on the type of aquatic animal.

Fish

Fish are the most common and diverse seafood items eaten around the world. They can be grouped based on their habitat such as saltwater fish and freshwater fish. 

Examples: Salmon, tuna, sardine, mackerel, and cod. 

Shellfish

Many shellfish belong to the crustacean group and have hard outer shells called exoskeletons. They are found in both saltwater and freshwater. 

Examples: Crab, lobster, shrimp, prawn, and oyster

Mollusks

Mollusks are soft-bodied sea creatures, often protected by shells.

Examples: Squid, octopus, mussel, clam, and scallop

 

Common Seafood Names with Pictures

Here are some commonly known seafood names that students often learn in vocabulary lessons.

Salmon 

Salmons are one of the world's most popular fish. It has rich, pink flesh with a buttery, slightly earthy flavour. You'll find it grilled, smoked, baked, in sushi, or on your bagel as cream cheese and lox. Salmon is a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with omega-3 fatty acids.

Tuna 

A large, powerful ocean fish with firm, meaty flesh that ranges from light pink to deep red. It is the fish behind sushi, sashimi, tuna steaks, and of course the humble canned tuna sandwich. Popular species include Bluefin, Yellowfin, Albacore, and Skipjack.

Cod

A mild, white, flaky fish that is enormously popular across Europe and North America. It is the classic fish in ‘fish and chips,’ and is also baked, poached, and used in fish stews. Atlantic Cod was once so abundant it shaped entire economies; today it is carefully managed due to past overfishing.

Prawn 

These small crustaceans are the world's most consumed shellfish. Sweet, tender, and incredibly versatile, stir-fried, grilled, curried, in pasta, or on a prawn cocktail plate. 

Shrimp

A small shellfish with sweet flavor, commonly grilled, fried, or added to pasta and curries.

Lobster 

Lobster is often known as king of luxury seafood. Lobster has sweet, tender meat and is usually served boiled, steamed, or grilled with melted butter. A ‘lobster thermidor’, lobster baked in a rich, creamy sauce is considered one of the great classic dishes of French cuisine.

Crab 

Sweet, delicate, and utterly delicious. There are many varieties of crab, including blue crab, king crab, Dungeness crab, snow crab, and mud crab. Crab is used in crab cakes, soups, sushi rolls, and eaten whole in messy, joyful feasts.

Oysters 

Flat-shelled bivalves often eaten raw with a squeeze of lemon. They have a briny, clean, oceanic taste. Oysters are also a rich source of zinc and are deeply associated with coastal food culture around the world.

Clams 

Bivalve mollusks with a sandy, briny, slightly sweet flavour. Used in iconic dishes like New England Clam Chowder, Italian pasta alle vongole, and steamed clams with garlic and white wine.

Squid (Calamari) 

A cephalopod with a mild, slightly sweet flavour. ‘Calamari’ is the Italian word for squid and usually refers to the prepared dish, most famously crispy, golden fried squid rings. It is also stuffed, grilled, added to paella, and used in ink-based pasta.

Octopus 

Eight arms, a bulbous head, and a surprisingly complex, meaty flavour. Octopus is hugely popular in Mediterranean and Asian cuisines, grilled over charcoal in Greece, braised in Korean stews, or sliced raw as sashimi in Japan.

Mackerel 

An oily, silver-blue fish with a strong, rich flavour. Widely grilled, smoked, or pickled. A great affordable fish that is genuinely excellent for your health.

Sardines 

Small, oily fish most often sold canned in oil, tomato sauce, or mustard. Fresh sardines grilled over charcoal are a staple of Portuguese and Spanish coastal cooking. Affordable, nutritious, and sustainable.

Sea Bass 

A broad term covering several related fish. European Sea Bass also called Branzino or Loup de Mer and Chilean Sea Bass actually Patagonian Toothfish are both prized for their buttery, flavourful white meat

 

List of 200+ Seafood Names

Here is a list of 200+ seafood names, organised into three key categories: 

• Fish names used in seafood
• Shellfish names used in seafood
• Mollusk names used in seafood

Fish Names Used in Seafood

1. Salmon

2. Tuna

3. Cod

4. Haddock

5. Mackerel

6. Sardine

7. Anchovy

8. Halibut

9. Snapper

10. Sea Bass

11. Grouper

12. Mahi-Mahi

13. Swordfish

14. Marlin

15. Flounder

16. Sole

17. Turbot

18. Herring

19. Pollock

20. Rockfish

21. Monkfish

22. John Dory

23. Barramundi

24. Pompano

25. Amberjack

26. Bream

27. Grey Mullet

28. Whiting

29. Sprat

30. Capelin

31. Smelt

32. Bluefish

33. Red Drum

34. Lingcod

35. Wolffish

36. Gurnard

37. Horse Mackerel

38. Pomfret

39. Kingfish

40. Rawas

41. Emperor Fish

42. Barracuda

43. Sailfish

44. Triggerfish

45. Pufferfish

46. Skate

47. Sturgeon

48. Orange Roughy

49. Dab

50. Trout

51. Catfish

52. Tilapia

53. Carp

54. Perch

55. Pike

56. Walleye

57. Bluegill

58. Crappie

59. Rohu

60. Hilsa

61. Catla

62. Mrigal

63. Pangasius

64. Basa

65. Milkfish

66. Eel

67. Snakehead Fish

68. Crucian Carp

69. Tench

70. Rudd

71. Vendace

72. Inconnu

73. Arctic Char

74. Grayling

75. Whitefish

76. Cobia

77. Trevally

78. Yellowtail

79. Bonito

80. Garfish

81. Needlefish

82. Tilefish

83. Chub Mackerel

84. Opah

85. Escolar

86. Sablefish

87. Bluefin Tuna

88. Yellowfin Tuna

89. Albacore Tuna

90. Skipjack Tuna

91. Rainbow Trout

92. Brook Trout

93. Lake Trout

94. Chinook Salmon

95. Sockeye Salmon

96. Coho Salmon

97. Pink Salmon

98. Chum Salmon

99. Koi Carp

100. Peacock Bass

101. Tarpon

102. Sheepshead

103. Drum Fish

104. Croaker

105. Threadfin

106. Ribbonfish

107. Flying Fish

108. Rabbitfish

109. Goatfish

110. Leatherjacket Fish

111. Scad

112. Butterfish

113. Ladyfish

114. Mudskipper

115. Anchoveta

116. Pacific Cod

117. Black Cod

118. Red Snapper

119. Vermilion Snapper

120. Lane Snapper

Shellfish Names Used in Seafood

121. Shrimp

122. Prawn

123. Lobster

124. Crab

125. Langoustine

126. Crayfish

127. Krill

128. Mantis Shrimp

129. Barnacle

130. Sand Crab

131. Yabby

132. Marron

133. Dungeness Crab

134. Snow Crab

135. King Crab

136. Blue Crab

137. Mud Crab

138. Soft-Shell Crab

139. Spider Crab

140. Stone Crab

141. Coconut Crab

142. Tiger Prawn

143. Banana Prawn

144. Whiteleg Shrimp

145. Brown Shrimp

146. Pink Shrimp

147. Rock Lobster

148. Spiny Lobster

149. Slipper Lobster

150. Norway Lobster

151. Freshwater Prawn

152. Ghost Shrimp

153. Cleaner Shrimp

154. River Shrimp

155. Red Swamp Crayfish

156. Signal Crayfish

157. Velvet Crab

158. Hermit Crab

159. Shore Crab

160. Swimming Crab

Mollusk Names Used in Seafood

161. Oyster

162. Clam

163. Mussel

164. Scallop

165. Cockle

166. Pipi

167. Pismo Clam

168. Pen Shell

169. Date Mussel

170. Abalone

171. Whelk

172. Periwinkle

173. Conch

174. Limpet

175. Turban Shell

176. Top Shell

177. Moon Snail

178. Squid

179. Octopus

180. Cuttlefish

181. Nautilus

182. Razor Clam

183. Geoduck

184. Razor Shell

185. Ark Clam

186. Surf Clam

187. Manila Clam

188. Quahog

189. Blood Clam

190. Giant Clam

191. Razor Mussel

192. Green Mussel

193. Blue Mussel

194. Zebra Mussel

195. Pacific Oyster

196. Pearl Oyster

197. Sea Hare

198. Chiton

199. Scungilli

200. Baby Octopus

Other Edible Seafood

201. Sea Urchin

202. Sea Cucumber

203. Jellyfish

204. Sea Grapes

205. Kelp

206. Nori

207. Wakame

208. Dulse

209. Irish Moss

210. Kombu

211. Hijiki

212. Agar Seaweed

213. Uni (Sea Urchin Roe)

214. Fish Roe

215. Caviar

216. Tobiko

217. Masago

218. Flying Fish Roe

219. Salmon Roe

220. Cod Roe

 

Saltwater vs Freshwater Seafood Names

Seafood can also be grouped according to the type of water it lives in.

• Saltwater seafood comes from oceans and seas, which have a high salt concentration. These fish and shellfish are adapted to marine environments and often have a more pronounced, ocean-like flavour.

• Freshwater seafood comes from rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams, where the water contains little to no salt. Freshwater seafood is generally milder and slightly earthier in flavour.

 

Interesting Facts About Seafood

Here are some interesting facts about seafoods: 

• Octopuses have three hearts.

• Salmon can travel thousands of kilometres during migration.

• Oysters help clean ocean water naturally.

• Lobsters can regrow lost claws.

• Tuna are among the fastest swimming fish.

• Some fish can glow in the dark underwater.

• Seaweed is also considered a type of seafood in many countries.

• Shrimp is the world's most eaten seafood.

• Salmon can be both freshwater and saltwater fish

• Oysters can change their sex

• Cuttlefish have three hearts and blue-green blood. 

• Calamari (squid) can camouflage itself in milliseconds.