Few things are more awkward than pointing at a menu picture and hoping you didn’t just order mystery fish number three.
Good news: once you learn a handful of fish names in Spanish, plus how to say “grilled,” “fried,” and “I don’t do bones, thanks,” you suddenly sound like someone who knows what they’re doing at markets and seafood restaurants.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know the difference between pez /peθ/ or /pes/ — fish (alive) and pescado /pesˈka.ðo/ — fish (as food), how to name the most common fish you’ll see on menus, and how to ask for your fish exactly how you like it without miming a swimming motion.
Quick Primer: Pez vs. Pescado
Two core words first:
- Pez /peθ/ or /pes/ — fish (alive, in water or as an animal)
- Pescado /pesˈka.ðo/ — fish (caught, as food)
So:
- Hay muchos peces en el río. /aj ˈmu.tʃos ˈpe.ses en el ˈri.o/
There are many fish in the river. - Hoy comemos pescado. /oj koˈme.mos pesˈka.ðo/
Today we’re eating fish.
You’ll also see:
- Marisco /maˈɾis.ko/ — seafood (especially shellfish)
- Pescadería /peska.ðeˈɾi.a/ — fish shop / fishmonger
This article focuses on fish names, but we’ll nod at seafood friends where it makes sense, because menus love to mix them.
Core Fish Words You Need First
Before we jump into specific species, grab some basic “fishy” vocabulary.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Pescado | pesˈka.ðo | fish (food) |
| Pez | pes / peθ | fish (animal) |
| Filete de pescado | fiˈle.te ðe pesˈka.ðo | fish fillet |
| Lomo de pescado | ˈlo.mo ðe pesˈka.ðo | fish loin |
| Espina | esˈpi.na | fish bone |
| Sin espinas | sin esˈpi.nas | boneless, without bones |
| Pescado blanco | pesˈka.ðo ˈblaŋ.ko | white fish |
| Pescado azul | pesˈka.ðo aˈθul / aˈsul | oily/fatty fish (mackerel, sardine, etc.) |
Example sentences:
- Prefiero pescado sin espinas. /pɾeˈfje.ɾo pesˈka.ðo sin esˈpi.nas/
I prefer fish without bones. - Tienen pescado blanco hoy? /ˈtje.nen pesˈka.ðo ˈblaŋ.ko oj/
Do you have white fish today?
Now let’s name the usual suspects.
Common Edible Fish (Restaurant & Supermarket Essentials)
These are the fish you’ll see again and again on menus, labels, and freezer aisles.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Salmón | salˈmon | salmon |
| Atún | aˈtun | tuna |
| Bacalao | bakaˈla.o | cod (often salted) |
| Merluza | meɾˈlu.θa / meɾˈlu.sa | hake |
| Trucha | ˈtɾu.tʃa | trout |
| Sardina | saɾˈði.na / saɾˈdi.na | sardine |
| Anchoa | anˈtʃo.a | anchovy (as a product) |
| Boquerón | bokeˈɾon | fresh anchovy (Spain) |
| Dorada | ðoˈɾa.ða | gilthead sea bream |
| Lubina | luˈβi.na | sea bass |
| Tilapia | tiˈla.pja | tilapia |
| Corvina | koɾˈβi.na | croaker / corvina (popular in Latin America) |
Example sentences:
- Me encanta el salmón a la plancha. /me eŋˈkan.ta el salˈmon a la ˈplan.tʃa/
I love grilled salmon. - Hoy hay merluza y dorada. /oj aj meɾˈlu.sa i ðoˈɾa.ða/
Today we have hake and sea bream.
Usage note: Bacalao often refers to salt cod, especially in Spain and Portugal-influenced places. Fresh cod may appear as bacalao fresco /bakaˈla.o ˈfɾes.ko/.
Small Fish, Canned Fish And Seafood Friends
You’ll frequently meet fish inside cans, sandwiches, and tapas. Here’s that world.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Sardinas en lata | saɾˈði.nas en ˈla.ta | canned sardines |
| Atún en lata | aˈtun en ˈla.ta | canned tuna |
| Anchoas en aceite | anˈtʃo.as en aˈθej.te / aˈsej.te | anchovies in oil |
| Filetes de anchoa | fiˈle.tes ðe anˈtʃo.a | anchovy fillets |
| Mejillones | mexiˈʝo.nes | mussels (seafood friend) |
| Calamares | kalaˈma.ɾes | squid (seafood friend) |
| Pulpo | ˈpul.po | octopus (seafood friend) |
Example:
- Voy a comprar atún en lata para la ensalada. /boj a komˈpɾaɾ aˈtun en ˈla.ta ˈpa.ɾa la ensaˈla.ða/
I’m going to buy canned tuna for the salad.
Even though mejillones, calamares, and pulpo aren’t fish, they travel in the same food conversations, so your brain might as well invite them to the party.
How Your Fish Is Cooked: Verbs And Styles
Knowing what fish is good. Knowing what happens to it is even better.
Key cooking verbs:
- Freír /fɾeˈiɾ/ — to fry
- Hornear /oɾneˈaɾ/ — to bake
- Asar /aˈsaɾ/ — to roast / grill
- Guisar /ɡiˈsaɾ/ — to stew
And menu phrases:
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| A la plancha | a la ˈplan.tʃa | grilled on a flat griddle |
| A la parrilla | a la paˈri.ʝa | grilled (over flame) |
| Frito | ˈfɾi.to | fried |
| Al horno | al ˈoɾ.no | baked |
| En salsa | en ˈsal.sa | in sauce |
| Empanizado / rebozado | empa.niˈsa.ðo / reβoˈsa.ðo | breaded, battered |
| A la romana | a la roˈma.na | battered and fried (Roman style) |
Mini combos you’ll see a lot:
- Salmón a la plancha /salˈmon a la ˈplan.tʃa/ — grilled salmon
- Bacalao al horno /bakaˈla.o al ˈoɾ.no/ — baked cod
- Calamares a la romana /kalaˈma.ɾes a la roˈma.na/ — battered fried squid rings
Example sentence:
- Quiero filete de pescado a la plancha, por favor. /ˈkje.ɾo fiˈle.te ðe pesˈka.ðo a la ˈplan.tʃa poɾ faˈβoɾ/
I’d like grilled fish fillet, please.
Usage Notes And Common Mistakes
A few details that will make you sound less “tourist-menu” and more natural.
1. Remember pez vs pescado
- Use pez for the living animal:
Hay peces de colores en el acuario. /aj ˈpe.ses ðe koˈlo.ɾes en el aˈkwa.ɾjo/ — There are colorful fish in the aquarium. - Use pescado for food:
No como pescado. /no ˈko.mo pesˈka.ðo/ — I don’t eat fish.
2. Singular/plural with gustar
- Me gusta el salmón. /me ˈɡus.ta el salˈmon/ — I like salmon.
- Me gustan las sardinas. /me ˈɡus.tan las saɾˈði.nas/ — I like sardines.
Fish obey the same grammar rules as everything else, sadly.
3. Don’t confuse marisco and pescado
If you’re allergic, this matters:
- No como marisco. /no ˈko.mo maˈɾis.ko/ — I don’t eat shellfish/seafood.
- No como pescado. — I don’t eat fish.
You can combine:
- No como pescado ni marisco. /no ˈko.mo pesˈka.ðo ni maˈɾis.ko/ — I don’t eat fish or seafood.
4. Asking about bones
If you’re not a fan of surprise bones:
- Es con espinas? /es kon esˈpi.nas/ — Does it have bones?
- Es sin espinas. /es sin esˈpi.nas/ — It’s boneless.
5. Filete vs lomo
Both can be translated as fillet, but:
- Filete de pescado — generic “fillet,” any cut.
- Lomo de pescado — thicker, central part of the fish, often nicer piece.
Most of the time, you just need filete de pescado to survive.
Region Notes
Fish names travel, but some regional flavors are worth noting.
- Spain
You’ll see merluza, bacalao, dorada, lubina, boquerones all the time. Sardines and anchovies are tapas royalty. Boquerones en vinagre /bokeˈɾones en βiˈna.ɣɾe/ — anchovies in vinegar — is a classic. - Mexico
Pescado blanco, atún, tilapia, salmón, trucha are common. For seafood dishes, you’ll hear ceviche de pescado /seˈβi.tʃe ðe pesˈka.ðo/ a lot, with different fish depending on the region. - Peru & Pacific Latin America
Corvina is a star fish for ceviche. Trucha in highland areas. Many local species appear, but salmón, atún, tilapia still show up in supermarkets and chain restaurants. - Caribbean & Coastal Areas
You’ll hear more local fish names, but the “international set” (salmón, atún, bacalao, tilapia) is usually understood. When in doubt, you can always ask:
Qué tipo de pescado es? /ke ˈti.po ðe pesˈka.ðo es/ — What kind of fish is it?
Mini Dialogues
Each line: Spanish, IPA, then natural English.
- At A Restaurant: Choosing A Fish Dish
Qué tipo de pescado tienen hoy?
/ke ˈti.po ðe pesˈka.ðo ˈtje.nen oj/
What kind of fish do you have today?
Tenemos salmón, merluza y dorada.
/teˈne.mos salˈmon meɾˈlu.sa i ðoˈɾa.ða/
We have salmon, hake, and sea bream.
Quiero salmón a la plancha, por favor.
/ˈkje.ɾo salˈmon a la ˈplan.tʃa poɾ faˈβoɾ/
I’d like grilled salmon, please.
- Asking About Bones
El filete de merluza es sin espinas?
/el fiˈle.te ðe meɾˈlu.sa es sin esˈpi.nas/
Is the hake fillet boneless?
Sí, es sin espinas, sólo lomo.
/si es sin esˈpi.nas ˈso.lo ˈlo.mo/
Yes, it’s boneless, just loin.
Perfecto, entonces me lo llevo.
/peɾˈfek.to enˈton.ses me lo ˈʝe.βo/
Perfect, then I’ll take it.
- At The Fishmonger
Buenos días, cuánto cuesta la merluza?
/ˈbwe.nos ˈði.as ˈkwan.to ˈkwes.ta la meɾˈlu.sa/
Good morning, how much is the hake?
Doce euros el kilo.
/ˈdo.θe ˈeu.ɾos el ˈki.lo/
Twelve euros per kilo.
Póngame medio kilo de filetes de merluza, por favor.
/ˈpon.ɡa.me ˈme.ðjo ˈki.lo ðe fiˈle.tes ðe meɾˈlu.sa poɾ faˈβoɾ/
Give me half a kilo of hake fillets, please.
- Saying What You Like
Te gusta el pescado?
/te ˈɡus.ta el pesˈka.ðo/
Do you like fish?
Me encanta el salmón, pero no me gusta el bacalao.
/me eŋˈkan.ta el salˈmon ˈpe.ɾo no me ˈɡus.ta el bakaˈla.o/
I love salmon, but I don’t like cod.
Quick Reference
Screenshot-friendly fish name list.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Pez | pes / peθ | fish (animal) |
| Pescado | pesˈka.ðo | fish (food) |
| Salmón | salˈmon | salmon |
| Atún | aˈtun | tuna |
| Bacalao | bakaˈla.o | cod (often salted) |
| Merluza | meɾˈlu.sa | hake |
| Trucha | ˈtɾu.tʃa | trout |
| Sardina | saɾˈdi.na | sardine |
| Anchoa | anˈtʃo.a | anchovy (product) |
| Dorada | ðoˈɾa.ða | gilthead sea bream |
| Lubina | luˈβi.na | sea bass |
| Tilapia | tiˈla.pja | tilapia |
| Corvina | koɾˈβi.na | corvina / croaker |
| Filete de pescado | fiˈle.te ðe pesˈka.ðo | fish fillet |
| Sin espinas | sin esˈpi.nas | boneless |
| A la plancha | a la ˈplan.tʃa | grilled (on a griddle) |
| Frito | ˈfɾi.to | fried |
| Al horno | al ˈoɾ.no | baked |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- Name-Your-Favorites (1 minute)
Say three real sentences about your tastes:
- Me encanta el…
- Me gusta el…
- No me gusta el…
Fill in with salmón, atún, merluza, bacalao, sardina, etc.
- Me encanta el…
- Menu Builder (1 minute)
Create three fake dishes in Spanish using fish + cooking style:
- salmón a la plancha
- bacalao al horno
- filete de tilapia frito
Say each one out loud like you’re the waiter.
- salmón a la plancha
- Pez vs Pescado Drill (1 minute)
Make one sentence with pez and one with pescado:
- En el acuario hay muchos peces.
- Hoy comemos pescado con ensalada.
- En el acuario hay muchos peces.
- Ask Three Questions (1 minute)
Practice asking:
- Qué tipo de pescado tienen hoy?
- Es sin espinas?
- Cómo lo preparan?
- Qué tipo de pescado tienen hoy?
- Mini-Dialogue Shadowing (1 minute)
Pick one Mini Dialogue and read both parts aloud, copying rhythm. Then close your eyes and try to repeat it from memory. - Real-Life Mission
Next time you see a fish counter, a menu, or even a picture online, try to name at least one fish in Spanish and one cooking style: “Eso parece salmón a la plancha.” Tiny reps add up.
From Tank To Table: Final Splash
Learning fish names in Spanish isn’t just about ordering dinner; it’s about feeling calm when you see a sea of mysterious words on a menu and realizing, “Oh, I actually know what’s going on here.” With salmón, merluza, bacalao, dorada, atún and friends in your vocabulary net, you can talk recipes, shop at markets, and survive seafood restaurants without panic pointing—just confident, slightly smug Spanish.