Fish and fisheries

This section covers:

See also Animal diseases.

Australian conventions and resources

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority maintains a list of Commonwealth fish resources.

Terms to watch out for:

fish, fishes

See all terms

Aquatic species names

Names of fish and other aquatic animal species, including common names, follow standard rules:

blue mackerel     redbait     Australian sardine     Thunnus maccoyii     southern bluefin tuna     Pacific bluefin tuna

See Animal names for further details.

The biological definition of a fish is a vertebrate animal with gills and fins (also called true fish or finfish). Many other aquatic animals also have common names ending in fish (eg shellfish). In these cases, the names are set solid:

shellfish     cuttlefish     jellyfish     starfish

In fisheries terminology, however, other aquatic animals that are harvested for food (including molluscs and crustaceans) are also referred to as ‘fish’.

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Names of fisheries

Australian conventions and resources

Names of fisheries managed by states and territories can be found on the websites of state and territory government fisheries departments.

Use initial capitals for the names of Australia’s fisheries:

Commonwealth Trawl Sector     Western Tuna and Billfish Fishery     Bass Strait Central Zone Scallop Fishery
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