Here is an imperfect list of fish names: we would do better just using the Latin names for them, since that's the only way to know if they are really the same fish. Dictionary writers aren't fish experts and often give the wrong translation (if there is one given at all). In addition, the fish species vary from place to place. Anyway, I have tried to find some equivalent (or near-equivalent) names for some fish in four languages (of the places I've lived). They are grouped into categories with their relatives, and usually you can cook these fish in a similar way. This is helpful, since you can't often find recipes for that extremely fresh fish they had available today in the market.
I am sure many of the translations are still wrong, no matter how hard I tried to get them right. Corrections are welcome!
| Fish (English) | Vis (Nederlands) | Pescado (Español) | Poisson (Français) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefish | |||
| anchovy | ansjovis | boquerón, anchoa | anchois |
| sardine | sardine | sardina | sardine |
| mackerel | makreel | caballa | maquereau |
| bonito | echte bonito | bonito | thon rouge (bonite) |
| tunny, tuna | tonijn | atún | thon blanc |
| albacore | albacora | thon blanc, germon | |
| yellowfin tuna | albacore | ||
| amberjack | pez de limón | ||
| pompano | gewone pompano | palometa blanca | |
| smelt | spiering | eperlan | |
| sprat | sprot | espadin | brisling, sprat, esprot |
| herring | haring | arenque | hareng |
| whitebait | zeebliek | chanquete | goujon |
| Bream or Porgy | |||
| gilt-head | dorada | dorade royale, daurade royale | |
| red bream | rode brasem? | besugo | béryx commun, béryx rouge |
| dentex | dentón | denté, denti | |
| redfish | blauwrugzalm | sébaste | |
| scorpion fish | schorpioenvis | cabracho, rascacio | rascasse |
| pomfret, Ray's bream | braam | palometa negra | grande castagnole, brème de mer |
| sea bream, porgy | zeebrasem | dorade, daurade | |
| Couch's sea bream, porgy | pagre | ||
| Seabass family | |||
| seabass | zeebaars | lubina | loup de mer (Mediterranean), bar (Atlantic) |
| meagre, croaker | ombervis | corvina | |
| grouper, sea perch | tandbaars, zaagbaars, nijlbaars | mero | mérou |
| red snapper | rode snapper | huachinango | vivaneau |
| Mullet | |||
| red mullet | mul | salmonete | rouget-barbet |
| grey mullet | harder | lisa | mulet, muges |
| Flat fish | |||
| turbot | tarbot | rodaballo | turbot |
| whiff, megrim | bot | gallo | |
| halibut | heilbot | hipogloso | flétan |
| brill | griet | rombo, rémol | barbue |
| plaice | schol | solla | plie |
| flounder | bot | platija | flet |
| sole | tong | lenguado | sole |
| angler, monkfish | zeeduivel | rape | lotte |
| John Dory | zonnevis | pez de San Pedro, gallo | Saint Pierre |
| dab | schar | limande | |
| skate, ray | rog | raya | raie |
| Hake and its relatives | |||
| hake | heek | merluza | merlu, colin |
| cod | kabeljauw | bacalao | cabillaud, morue |
| saltcod | stokvis, zoutvis | bacalao | morue salée |
| haddock | schelvis | eglefino | haddock, églefin |
| whiting | wijting | merlán | merlan |
| pollack | koolvis | carbonero o fogonero | lieu noir, colin noir |
| ling | leng | maruca | lingue |
| Freshwater fish | |||
| pike | snoek | lucio | brochet |
| perch | baars | perca | perche |
| trout | forel | trucha | truite |
| carp | karper | carpa | carpe |
| eel | paling | anguila | anguille |
| salmon | zalm | salmón | saumon |
| pike perch (zander) | snoekbaars | sandre | |
| salmon trout | zalmforel | trucha asalmonada | truite saumonée |
| Other fish | |||
| gurnard, tubfish | rode poon | perlón, rubio | grondin |
| weever | pieterman | vive | |
| catfish | meerval | pez gato | poisson chat |
| dogfish | hondshaai/doornvis | pez perro | roussette |
| swordfish | zwaardvis | pez espada | espadon |
| louvar | emperador | ||
| sailfish | pez vela | ||
| Smoked fish | |||
| smoked | gerookte | ahumado | fumé |
| buckling (smoked herring) | bokking | hareng fumé | |
| kipper | gerookte haring | ||
| Roe | |||
| roe | kuit | hueva | oeuf de poisson |
| caviar | kaviaar | caviar | caviar |
| salmon roe | zalmkuit | hueva de salmón | Oeuf de saumon |
| Crustaceans | |||
| jumbo shrimp, prawn | steurgarnaal | langostino | |
| shrimp | garnaal | gamba | crevette |
| langoustine | langostine | cigala | langoustine |
| lobster | kreeft | bogavante | homard |
| rock lobster | langoest | langosta | langouste |
| crab | krab | cangrejo | crabe |
| freshwater crayfish | rivierkreeft | cangrejo de río | écrevisse |
| Molluscs | |||
| oyster | oester | ostra | huître |
| clam | schelp | almeja | clovisse |
| cockle | kokkel | berberecho | coque |
| mussel | mossel | mejillón | moule |
| venus shell | venusschelp | concha fina | |
| wedge shell | coquina | olive de mer, haricot-de-mer, flion, vanneau | |
| razor-shell, razor clam | messchede, mes heft, zwaardschede | navaja | couteaux |
| scallop | Sint-Jacobsschelp | vieira | coquille St.Jacques |
| winkle | alikruik | bígaro | bigorneau |
| whelk | wulk | caracola | buccin |
| Others | |||
| sea urchin | zeeëgel | erizo de mar | oursin |
| squid | pijlinktvis | calamar | calmar |
| tiny squid | kleine pijlinktvis | chipirón, chopito | |
| cuttlefish | inktvis, sepia | jibia, sepia | seiche |
| octopus | octopus | pulpo | poulpe |
| snail | slak | caracol | escargot |