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Fish or Fishes?
Fish or Fishes?
What is the difference between "fish" and "fishes"?- Fish. "Fish" is by far the most common plural of "fish," but "fishes" is also acceptable.
- Fishes. "Fishes" is an acceptable plural, but it is rare in everyday language. The word "fishes" is most commonly used by marine biologists to mean "different species of fish." In other words, "fishes" best translates as "different types of fish."


A Video Summary
Here is a 3-minute video summarizing when to use "fish" and "fishes."Fish
Here are some examples with the word "fish":- A pike is a predatory fish.
- I caught three fish in the river yesterday – all pike.
- I caught three fish in the river yesterday – two pike and a perch.
Fishes
Here are some examples with the word "fishes":- I caught three fishes in the river yesterday – all pike.
- I caught three fishes in the river yesterday – two pike and a perch.
- There are several fishes in this river, including pike and perch.
- I caught two fishes in the river yesterday – five pike and six perch.
- Fishes live in the sea, as men do on land; the great ones eat up the little ones. (Playwright William Shakespeare)
- Ichthyology is the study of fishes.
Interactive Exercise
Here are three randomly selected questions from a larger exercise, which can be edited, printed to create an exercise worksheet, or sent via email to friends or students.- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?