Fish of Asia
From the Mekong to the rivers of Siberia, from rice paddies to the coral reefs of the southeast, Asia spans a range of waters no other continent approaches.
232 species documented
The Mekong supports one of the most productive freshwater fisheries in the world and holds some of the largest river fish on the planet. Further north, Siberian rivers frozen for much of the year carry a very different cold-water fauna, adapted to extreme seasons.
Southeast Asia is also the heart of the Coral Triangle, the most marine-diverse region on earth. A few kilometres of reef there hold more species than entire coastlines elsewhere, and many of those fish live nowhere else.
It is, finally, the continent with the longest history of fish farming. Some species raised for centuries have spread worldwide to the point that their origin is often forgotten — and they now turn up in the waters of other continents.

Adriatic grayling
Thymallus aeliani
Salmonids· 50 cm

African pompano
Alectis ciliaris
Coastal· 150 cm

Albacore
Thunnus alalunga
Big pelagics· 140 cm

Almaco jack
Seriola rivoliana
Coastal· 160 cm

Amago salmon
Oncorhynchus masou ishikawae
Salmonids· 44.2 cm

American eel
Anguilla rostrata
Migratory· 152 cm

Amur carp
Cyprinus rubrofuscus
Carp & coarse· 28 cm

Amur catfish
Silurus asotus
Catfish· 130 cm

Amur grayling
Thymallus grubii
Salmonids· 31 cm

Amur pike
Esox reichertii
Predators· 115 cm

Arawana
Osteoglossum bicirrhosum
Predators· 90 cm

Arctic char
Salvelinus alpinus
Salmonids· 107 cm

Arctic grayling
Thymallus arcticus
Salmonids· 76 cm

Asp
Leuciscus aspius
Carp & coarse· 120 cm

Atlantic bluefin tuna
Thunnus thynnus
Big pelagics· 458 cm

Atlantic bonito
Sarda sarda
Big pelagics· 91.4 cm

Atlantic tripletail
Lobotes surinamensis
Coastal· 110 cm

Axillary seabream
Pagellus acarne
Coastal· 36 cm

Baikal black grayling
Thymallus baicalensis
Salmonids· 38.2 cm

Balkhash perch
Perca schrenkii
Predators· 50 cm

Barramundi
Lates calcarifer
Predators· 200 cm

Bata
Labeo bata
Carp & coarse· 61 cm

Beluga sturgeon
Huso huso
Sturgeons· 700 cm

Bigeye scad
Selar crumenophthalmus
Coastal· 70 cm

Bigeye trevally
Caranx sexfasciatus
Coastal· 120 cm

Bigeye tuna
Thunnus obesus
Big pelagics· 250 cm

Bighead carp
Hypophthalmichthys nobilis
Carp & coarse· 146 cm

Black carp
Mylopharyngodon piceus
Carp & coarse· 180 cm

Black devil catfish
Hemibagrus wyckii
Catfish· 90 cm

Black jack
Caranx lugubris
Coastal· 100 cm

Black marlin
Istiompax indica
Coastal· 465 cm

Black Sea trout
Salmo labrax
Salmonids· 80 cm

Blackfin seabass
Lateolabrax latus
Coastal· 94 cm

Blackspot seabream
Pagellus bogaraveo
Coastal· 70 cm

Blacktip shark
Carcharhinus limbatus
Sharks & rays· 286 cm

Bleak
Alburnus alburnus
Carp & coarse· 18 cm

Blotched snakehead
Channa maculata
Predators· 20 cm

Blue marlin
Makaira nigricans
Coastal· 500 cm

Blue shark
Prionace glauca
Sharks & rays· 400 cm

Blue tilapia
Oreochromis aureus
Other· 46 cm

Bluefin trevally
Caranx melampygus
Coastal· 117 cm

Bluefish
Pomatomus saltatrix
Coastal· 130 cm

Bluegill
Lepomis macrochirus
Predators· 41 cm

Boxlip mullet
Oedalechilus labeo
Coastal· 25 cm

Bullet tuna
Auxis rochei
Big pelagics· 50 cm

Bullseye snakehead
Channa marulius
Predators· 183 cm

Burbot
Lota lota
Bottom fish· 152 cm

Butterfly peacock bass
Cichla ocellaris
Predators· 74 cm

Catla
Labeo catla
Carp & coarse· 182 cm

Channel catfish
Ictalurus punctatus
Catfish· 132 cm

Chinese seabass
Lateolabrax spilonotus
Coastal· 102 cm

Chub mackerel
Scomber japonicus
Big pelagics· 64 cm

Chum salmon
Oncorhynchus keta
Salmonids· 100 cm

Cobia
Rachycentron canadum
Coastal· 200 cm

Coho salmon
Oncorhynchus kisutch
Salmonids· 108 cm

Comber
Serranus cabrilla
Coastal· 40 cm

Common carp
Cyprinus carpio
Carp & coarse· 129 cm

Common dace
Leuciscus leuciscus
Carp & coarse· 40 cm

Common dentex
Dentex dentex
Coastal· 100 cm

Common dolphinfish
Coryphaena hippurus
Big pelagics· 210 cm

Common pandora
Pagellus erythrinus
Coastal· 60 cm

Common sole
Solea solea
Flatfish· 70 cm

Common two-banded seabream
Diplodus vulgaris
Coastal· 45 cm

Copper mahseer
Neolissochilus hexagonolepis
Carp & coarse· 120 cm

Crimson jobfish
Pristipomoides filamentosus
Coastal· 100 cm

Crucian carp
Carassius carassius
Carp & coarse· 64 cm

Danube bleak
Alburnus chalcoides
Carp & coarse· 40 cm

Deepwater longtail red snapper
Etelis coruscans
Coastal· 120 cm

Dogtooth tuna
Gymnosarda unicolor
Big pelagics· 248 cm

Dolly Varden
Salvelinus malma
Salmonids· 127 cm

Doublespotted queenfish
Scomberoides lysan
Coastal· 110 cm

Dusky grouper
Epinephelus marginatus
Coastal· 150 cm

Dusky shark
Carcharhinus obscurus
Sharks & rays· 420 cm

Emperor red snapper
Lutjanus sebae
Coastal· 116 cm

European barracuda
Sphyraena sphyraena
Coastal· 165 cm

European grayling
Thymallus thymallus
Salmonids· 60 cm

European hake
Merluccius merluccius
Bottom fish· 140 cm

European perch
Perca fluviatilis
Predators· 50 cm

European seabass
Dicentrarchus labrax
Coastal· 103 cm

European whitefish
Coregonus lavaretus
Salmonids· 73 cm

Flathead catfish
Pylodictis olivaris
Catfish· 155 cm

Flathead grey mullet
Mugil cephalus
Coastal· 100 cm

Flathead trout
Salmo platycephalus
Salmonids· 55 cm

Freshwater bream
Abramis brama
Carp & coarse· 82 cm

Frigate tuna
Auxis thazard
Big pelagics· 65 cm

Giant pangasius
Pangasius sanitwongsei
Catfish· 300 cm

Giant trevally
Caranx ignobilis
Coastal· 170 cm

Gilthead seabream
Sparus aurata
Coastal· 70 cm

Goldblotch grouper
Epinephelus costae
Coastal· 140 cm

Golden grey mullet
Chelon auratus
Coastal· 61 cm

Golden trevally
Gnathanodon speciosus
Coastal· 120 cm

Goldfish
Carassius auratus
Carp & coarse· 48 cm

Goonch catfish
Bagarius yarrelli
Catfish· 230 cm

Goujon de l'Amour
Perccottus glenii
Predators· 25 cm

Grass carp
Ctenopharyngodon idella
Carp & coarse· 150 cm

Great barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
Coastal· 200 cm

Great hammerhead
Sphyrna mokarran
Sharks & rays· 610 cm

Great white shark
Carcharodon carcharias
Sharks & rays· 640 cm

Greater amberjack
Seriola dumerili
Coastal· 190 cm

Green humphead parrotfish
Bolbometopon muricatum
Coastal· 130 cm

Green sunfish
Lepomis cyanellus
Predators· 31 cm

Humpback red snapper
Lutjanus gibbus
Coastal· 56.8 cm

Ide
Leuciscus idus
Carp & coarse· 80 cm

Indo-Pacific sailfish
Istiophorus platypterus
Coastal· 348 cm

Indo-Pacific tarpon
Megalops cyprinoides
Migratory· 150 cm

Indonesian snakehead
Channa micropeltes
Predators· 130 cm

Island trevally
Carangoides orthogrammus
Coastal· 75 cm

Italian barbel
Barbus plebejus
Carp & coarse· 70 cm

Iwame trout
Oncorhynchus iwame
Salmonids· 25 cm

Japanese amberjack
Seriola quinqueradiata
Coastal· 150 cm

Japanese eel
Anguilla japonica
Migratory· 150 cm

Japanese seabass
Lateolabrax japonicus
Coastal· 102 cm

Javanese snakehead
Channa lucius
Predators· 53 cm

John Dory
Zeus faber
Coastal· 90 cm

Kawakawa
Euthynnus affinis
Big pelagics· 100 cm

Korean grayling
Thymallus yaluensis
Salmonids· 20 cm

Ladyfish
Elops saurus
Migratory· 100 cm

Lake bleak
Alburnus mento
Carp & coarse· 40 cm

Largemouth bass
Micropterus salmoides
Predators· 97 cm

Leaping mullet
Chelon saliens
Coastal· 40 cm

Lenok
Brachymystax lenok
Salmonids· 70 cm

Little tunny
Euthynnus alletteratus
Big pelagics· 122 cm

Longbill spearfish
Tetrapturus pfluegeri
Big pelagics· 254 cm

Longfin mako
Isurus paucus
Sharks & rays· 427 cm

Longrakered trevally
Ulua mentalis
Coastal· 100 cm

Longtail tuna
Thunnus tonggol
Big pelagics· 145 cm

Mackerel scad
Decapterus macarellus
Coastal· 46 cm

Mango tilapia
Sarotherodon galilaeus
Other· 40 cm

Mangrove red snapper
Lutjanus argentimaculatus
Coastal· 150 cm

Masu salmon
Oncorhynchus masou
Salmonids· 79 cm

Meagre
Argyrosomus regius
Coastal· 230 cm

Milkfish
Chanos chanos
Coastal· 180 cm

Mirror carp
Cyprinus carpio (forme miroir)
Carp & coarse· 129 cm

Mongolian grayling
Thymallus brevirostris
Salmonids· 39 cm

Mottled grouper
Mycteroperca rubra
Coastal· 144 cm

Mozambique tilapia
Oreochromis mossambicus
Other· 39 cm

Mrigal carp
Cirrhinus mrigala
Carp & coarse· 99 cm

Mud carp
Cirrhinus molitorella
Carp & coarse· 55 cm

Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel
Scomberomorus commerson
Big pelagics· 240 cm

Nile perch
Lates niloticus
Predators· 200 cm

Nile tilapia
Oreochromis niloticus
Other· 60 cm

North African catfish
Clarias gariepinus
Catfish· 170 cm

Northern pike
Esox lucius
Predators· 137 cm

Northern snakehead
Channa argus
Predators· 100 cm

Ocellated snakehead
Channa pleurophthalma
Predators· 40 cm

Oilfish
Ruvettus pretiosus
Big pelagics· 300 cm

Olive barb
Systomus sarana
Carp & coarse· 42 cm

Orangefin labeo
Labeo calbasu
Carp & coarse· 90 cm

Orangespotted sunfish
Lepomis humilis
Predators· 18 cm

Pacific bluefin tuna
Thunnus orientalis
Big pelagics· 300 cm

Pacific cod
Gadus macrocephalus
Bottom fish· 119 cm

Painted comber
Serranus scriba
Coastal· 36 cm

Pickhandle barracuda
Sphyraena jello
Coastal· 150 cm

Pike-perch
Sander lucioperca
Predators· 100 cm

Pilotfish
Naucrates ductor
Coastal· 70 cm

Pink dentex
Dentex gibbosus
Coastal· 106 cm

Pink salmon
Oncorhynchus gorbuscha
Salmonids· 76 cm

Pompano
Trachinotus ovatus
Coastal· 70 cm

Pompano dolphinfish
Coryphaena equiselis
Coastal· 146 cm

Prussian carp
Carassius gibelio
Carp & coarse· 47 cm

Putitor mahseer
Tor putitora
Carp & coarse· 275 cm

Qinling lenok
Brachymystax tsinlingensis
Salmonids

Rainbow runner
Elagatis bipinnulata
Coastal· 180 cm

Rainbow trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Salmonids· 123 cm

Red porgy
Pagrus pagrus
Coastal· 91 cm

Redbelly tilapia
Coptodon zillii
Other· 40 cm

Roach
Rutilus rutilus
Carp & coarse· 50 cm

Rohu
Labeo rohita
Carp & coarse· 200 cm

Rudd
Scardinius erythrophthalmus
Carp & coarse· 45 cm

Ruffe
Gymnocephalus cernua
Predators· 29 cm

Russian sturgeon
Acipenser gueldenstaedtii
Sturgeons· 236 cm

Rusty jobfish
Aphareus rutilans
Coastal· 110 cm

Saddled seabream
Oblada melanura
Coastal· 37 cm

Sakhalin taimen
Parahucho perryi
Salmonids· 200 cm

Salema
Sarpa salpa
Coastal· 51 cm

Sand steenbras
Lithognathus mormyrus
Coastal· 55 cm

Sandbar shark
Carcharhinus plumbeus
Sharks & rays· 300 cm

Sawtooth barracuda
Sphyraena putnamae
Coastal· 90 cm

Scalloped hammerhead
Sphyrna lewini
Sharks & rays· 430 cm

Schneider
Alburnoides bipunctatus
Carp & coarse· 15 cm

Sharpsnout seabream
Diplodus puntazzo
Coastal· 60 cm

Shortbill spearfish
Tetrapturus angustirostris
Coastal· 230 cm

Shortfin mako
Isurus oxyrinchus
Sharks & rays· 445 cm

Siberian sturgeon
Acipenser baerii
Sturgeons· 200 cm

Sichel
Pelecus cultratus
Carp & coarse· 60 cm

Silky shark
Carcharhinus falciformis
Sharks & rays· 350 cm

Silver barb
Barbonymus gonionotus
Carp & coarse· 43 cm

Silver carp
Hypophthalmichthys molitrix
Carp & coarse· 110 cm

Skipjack tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis
Big pelagics· 110 cm

Smallmouth bass
Micropterus dolomieu
Predators· 69 cm

Smooth hammerhead
Sphyrna zygaena
Sharks & rays· 500 cm

Snubnose pompano
Trachinotus blochii
Coastal· 110 cm

So-iuy mullet
Planiliza haematocheilus
Coastal· 80 cm

Sockeye salmon
Oncorhynchus nerka
Salmonids· 84 cm

Southern catfish
Silurus meridionalis
Catfish· 114 cm

Spotted seabass
Dicentrarchus punctatus
Coastal· 70 cm

Sterlet
Acipenser ruthenus
Sturgeons· 125 cm

Striped bonito
Sarda orientalis
Big pelagics· 102 cm

Striped catfish
Pangasianodon hypophthalmus
Catfish· 130 cm

Striped snakehead
Channa striata
Predators· 100 cm

Taimen
Hucho taimen
Salmonids· 200 cm

Talang queenfish
Scomberoides commersonnianus
Coastal· 120 cm

Tench
Tinca tinca
Carp & coarse· 60 cm

Thicklip grey mullet
Chelon labrosus
Coastal· 75 cm

Thinlip grey mullet
Chelon ramada
Coastal· 70 cm

Tiger shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
Sharks & rays· 750 cm

Tiger-fish
Hydrocynus brevis
Predators· 86 cm

Tor barb
Tor tor
Carp & coarse· 200 cm

Torpedo scad
Megalaspis cordyla
Coastal· 80 cm

Tumen lenok
Brachymystax tumensis
Salmonids

Turbot
Scophthalmus maximus
Flatfish· 100 cm

Two-spot red snapper
Lutjanus bohar
Coastal· 90 cm

Vendace
Coregonus albula
Salmonids· 48 cm

Vimba bream
Vimba vimba
Carp & coarse· 50 cm

Volga pikeperch
Sander volgensis
Predators· 40 cm

Wahoo
Acanthocybium solandri
Big pelagics· 250 cm

Waigieu seaperch
Psammoperca waigiensis
Coastal· 47 cm

Walking catfish
Clarias batrachus
Catfish· 47 cm

Wallago catfish
Wallago attu
Catfish· 240 cm

Wels catfish
Silurus glanis
Catfish· 273 cm

White bream
Blicca bjoerkna
Carp & coarse· 46 cm

White grouper
Epinephelus aeneus
Coastal· 120 cm

White seabream
Diplodus sargus
Coastal· 45 cm

White trevally
Pseudocaranx dentex
Coastal· 122 cm

White-eye bream
Ballerus sapa
Carp & coarse· 35 cm

Whitespotted char
Salvelinus leucomaenis
Salmonids· 120 cm

Yellowfin tuna
Thunnus albacares
Big pelagics· 239 cm

Yellowspotted trevally
Carangoides fulvoguttatus
Coastal· 120 cm

Yellowtail amberjack
Seriola lalandi
Coastal· 250 cm

Yellowtail scad
Atule mate
Coastal· 30 cm

Zebra seabream
Diplodus cervinus
Coastal· 55 cm

Zope
Ballerus ballerus
Carp & coarse· 40 cm