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Fish or Fishes?
What Is the Difference between "Fish" and "Fishes"?
"Fish" and "fishes" are easy to confuse because the rules on which to use are not simple.- Fish. "Fish" is by far the most common plural of "fish," but "fishes" is also acceptable.
- I have three fish in my tank: Barney, Bob, and Brian.
- I have three fishes in my tank: Barney, Bob, and Brian.
- 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."
- I have three fishes in my tank: goldfish, guppies, and neon tetras.

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.
A Video Summary
Here is a 3-minute video summarizing when to use "fish" and "fishes."Ready for the Test?
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