Fishes
Fishes show a startling variety of body forms and behaviours.
Fish and their families
Fishes have a range of body sizes from the massive whale shark down to the smallest fish under a centimetre in length. Despite this diversity, all fish have a backbone or a notochord, and all breathe using gills. Worldwide there are over 32,000 described species of fish, with over 4,400 from Australia.
Fish are classified into two groups: cartilaginous fish or bony fish. Cartilaginous fish are characterised by their bones made of cartilage, this include sharks and rays. The majority of fish are considered bony fish, it is a much more diverse group with over 28,000 species. Bony fish include the Mackerel tuna and Eastern Australian salmon.
The Australian Museum Ichthyology Collection contains specimens of many of the species listed in the fact sheets.
Fish Factsheets
1149 Fact Sheets in this sectionAustraliasian Fishes project
Upload images and identify your own observations of fishes from Australia and New Zealand. We encourage anyone with an interest in fishes to become a part of the community.
Find out moreParts, dissection and identification
Fishes of Sydney Harbour
Explore some of the most familiar and iconic fishes of Sydney Harbour. Learn more about the unexpected discovery of the Sydney Scorpionfish and how it differs from other scorpionfish outside Australia. Find out what a tiger shark eats for dinner and why the Bluestriped Goatfish can glow in the dark.
Explore Sydney Harbour fishesCollection information
Deep sea fishes image gallery
People often think of deepsea fishes as having large teeth and light organs. Some deepsea fishes, like the fish in 'Finding Nemo' are indeed like that, but others are very different. This gallery shows just a few of them.
Interesting fish images
This gallery contains a small selection of interesting images that have been recently added to the site. The images have been sent from a wonderful community of keen divers, snorkelers, anglers, aquarists and fish enthusiasts. Thank you one and all!