Italian Fish Names in English

Italian menus and fish markets use names that look nothing like the English ones. Orata is gilthead seabream, spigola or branzino is European seabass, and dentice is dentex. This list gives the Italian name of every species in our encyclopedia, with the English and scientific name next to it.

Italy has more local fish names than almost any other Mediterranean country, and the same fish can be called something different in Sicily, Naples, Liguria or Venice. We list the name understood across the country and add a second one only where both are in wide use.

Photo	Italian	English	Scientific name
A
	Acciuga also Alice	Anchovy	Engraulis encrasicolus
	Aguglia	Garfish	Belone belone
	Aguglia imperiale	Mediterranean Spearfish	Tetrapturus belone
	Alaccia	Round Sardinella	Sardinella aurita
	Alalunga	Albacore	Thunnus alalunga
	Anguilla	Eel	Anguilla anguilla
	Aquila di mare	Eagle Ray	Myliobatis aquila
B
	Boga	Bogue	Boops boops
C
	Calamaro	Squid	Loligo vulgaris
	Canesca	Tope Shark	Galeorhinus galeus
	Capopiatto	Bluntnose Sixgill Shark	Hexanchus griseus
	Carango mediterraneo	Blue Runner	Caranx crysos
	Castagnola	Mediterranean Damselfish	Chromis chromis
	Castagnola rossa	Swallowtail Seaperch	Anthias anthias
	Cavalluccio marino	Seahorse	Hippocampus guttulatus / Hippocampus hippocampus
	Cefalo also Muggine	Flathead Grey Mullet	Mugil cephalus / Chelon labrosus / Chelon ramada
	Cernia bianca	White Grouper	Epinephelus aeneus
	Cernia bruna	Dusky Grouper	Epinephelus marginatus
	Cernia di fondale	Wreckfish	Polyprion americanus
	Cernia dorata	Goldblotch Grouper	Epinephelus costae
	Cernia nera	Dogtooth Grouper	Epinephelus caninus
	Cernia rossa	Mottled Grouper	Mycteroperca rubra
	Cicirello	Mediterranean Sand Eel	Gymnammodytes cicerelus / Ammodytes tobianus
	Corvina	Brown Meagre	Sciaena umbra
D
	Dentice	Dentex	Dentex dentex
	Dentice gibboso	Pink Dentex	Dentex gibbosus
	Diavolo di mare	Giant Devil Ray	Mobula mobular
	Dragoncello	Dragonet	Callionymus lyra / Callionymus maculatus
F
	Fragolino	Pandora	Pagellus erythrinus
G
	Gallinella also Cappone	Gurnard	Chelidonichthys lucerna / Trigloporus lastoviza
	Gambusia	Eastern Mosquitofish	Gambusia holbrooki
	Gattopardo	Nursehound	Scyliorhinus stellaris
	Gattuccio	Small spotted Catshark	Scyliorhinus canicula
	Grongo	Conger	Conger conger
L
	Lampuga	Coryphaene	Coryphaena hippurus
	Latterino	Sand Smelt	Atherina hepsetus, Atherina boyeri, and Atherinomorus lacunosus
	Leccia	Leerfish	Lichia amia
	Luccio di mare	Barracuda	Sphyraena sphyraena / Sphyraena viridensis
M
	Maccarello reale	Narrow Barred Spanish Mackerel	Scomberomorus commerson
	Melù also Pesce molo	Blue Whiting	Micromesistius poutassou
	Menola	Blotched Picarel	Spicara maena
	Mormora	Sand Steenbras	Lithognathus mormyrus
	Murena	Mediterranean Moray	Muraena helena
	Musdea also Mostella	Forkbeard	Phycis phycis
N
	Nasello also Merluzzo	Hake	Merluccius merluccius
	Nono	Toothcarp	Aphanius fasciatus
O
	Occhialone	Blackspot Seabream	Pagellus bogaraveo
	Occhiata	Saddled Seabream	Oblada melanura
	Occhiverdi	Shortnose Greeneye	Chlorophthalmus agassizi
	Ombrina	Shi Drum	Umbrina cirrosa
	Orata	Gilthead Seabream	Sparus aurata
P
	Pagello bastardo	Axillary Seabream	Pagellus acarne
	Pagro comune	Red Seabream	Pagrus pagrus
	Palamita	Atlantic Bonito	Sarda sarda
	Palamita bianca	Plain Bonito	Orcynopsis unicolor
	Palombo	Smooth hound	Mustelus mustelus
	Pastinaca	Stingray	Dasyatis pastinaca / Bathytoshia centroura
	Perchia	Comber	Serranus cabrilla
	Pesce armato rosso	Redcoat Squirrelfish	Sargocentron rubrum
	Pesce balestra	Grey Triggerfish	Balistes capriscus
	Pesce castagna	Atlantic Pomfret	Brama brama
	Pesce chitarra	Guitarfish	Rhinobatos rhinobatos / Glaucostegus cemiculus
	Pesce civetta	Flying Gurnard	Dactylopterus volitans
	Pesce coniglio	Rabbitfish	Siganus rivulatus and Siganus luridus
	Pesce fettuccia	Red Bandfish	Cepola macrophthalma
	Pesce flauto	Bluespotted Cornetfish	Fistularia commersonii
	Pesce foglia	Atlantic Tripletail	Lobotes surinamensis
	Pesce lucertola	Atlantic Lizardfish	Synodus saurus
	Pesce martello	Smooth Hammerhead	Sphyrna zygaena
	Pesce palla argenteo	Silver cheeked Toadfish	Lagocephalus sceleratus
	Pesce pappagallo	Mediterranean Parrotfish	Sparisoma cretense
	Pesce pettine	Pearly Razorfish	Xyrichtys novacula
	Pesce pilota	Pilot Fish	Naucrates ductor
	Pesce porco	Angular Roughshark	Oxynotus centrina
	Pesce prete	Atlantic Stargazer	Uranoscopus scaber
	Pesce San Pietro	John Dory	Zeus faber
	Pesce serra	Bluefish	Pomatomus saltatrix
	Pesce spada	Swordfish	Xiphias gladius
	Pesce trombetta	Longspine Snipefish	Macroramphosus scolopax
	Polpo comune	Octopus	Octopus vulgaris
R
	Rana pescatrice also Rospo	Anglerfish	Lophius piscatorius / Lophius budegassa
	Razza chiodata	Thornback Ray	Raja clavata
	Re di triglie	Cardinalfish	Apogon imberbis
	Ricciola	Greater Amberjack	Seriola dumerili
	Rombo chiodato	Turbot	Scophthalmus maximus
	Rombo liscio	Brill	Scophthalmus rhombus
	Rondone di mare	Flying Fish	Cheilopogon heterurus / Parexocoetus mento
	Ruvetto	Oilfish	Ruvettus pretiosus
S
	Sacchetto	Brown Comber	Serranus hepatus
	Sarago faraone	Zebra Seabream	Diplodus cervinus
	Sarago fasciato	Two banded Seabream	Diplodus vulgaris
	Sarago maggiore	White Seabream	Diplodus sargus
	Sarago pizzuto	Sharpsnout Seabream	Diplodus puntazzo
	Sardina	Pilchard	Sardina pilchardus
	Sarpa	Salema Porgy	Sarpa salpa
	Sciarrano	Painted Comber	Serranus scriba
	Scorfano di fondale	Blackbelly Rosefish	Helicolenus dactylopterus
	Scorfano rosso also Scorfano nero	Scorpionfish	Scorpaena scrofa / Scorpaena porcus
	Seppia	Cuttlefish	Sepia officinalis
	Sgombro	Atlantic Mackerel	Scomber scombrus
	Sgombro occhione also Lanzardo	Chub Mackerel	Scomber japonicus
	Sogliola	Sole	Solea solea
	Sparaglione	Annular Seabream	Diplodus annularis
	Spigola also Branzino	Seabass	Dicentrarchus labrax
	Spinarolo	Spiny Dogfish	Squalus acanthias / Squalus blainvillei
	Squalo volpe	Thresher Shark	Alopias vulpinus / Alopias superciliosus / Alopias pelagicus
	Suacia also Zanchetta	Scaldback	Arnoglossus laterna
	Suro also Sugarello	Horse Mackerel	Trachurus trachurus / Trachurus mediterraneus
T
	Tanuta	Black Seabream	Spondyliosoma cantharus
	Tombarello	Bullet Tuna	Auxis rochei
	Tonnetto alletterato	Little Tunny	Euthynnus alletteratus
	Tonnetto striato	Skipjack Tuna	Katsuwonus pelamis
	Tonno rosso	Atlantic Bluefin Tuna	Thunnus thynnus
	Tordo pavone also Tordo nero	Wrasse	Symphodus tinca / Labrus viridis / Labrus merula
	Torpedine	Electric Ray	Torpedo marmorata / Torpedo torpedo
	Totano	Broadtail Shortfin Squid	Illex coindetii / Todarodes sagittatus
	Tracina	Greater Weever	Trachinus draco
	Triglia di fango	Red Mullet	Mullus barbatus
	Triglia di scoglio	Striped Red Mullet	Mullus surmuletus
	Triglia dorata	Goldband Goatfish	Upeneus moluccensis
V
	Viola	Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse	Coris julis
Z
	Zerro	Picarel	Spicara smaris
	Zerro musillo	Curled Picarel	Centracanthus cirrus

No fish found with that name.

Fish names in other Mediterranean countries