Tunisian Fish Names in English
50 Mediterranean fish with their Tunisian, English and scientific names.
Tunisian fishermen and markets use Arabic names for fish, often alongside French ones. This list gives the Tunisian Arabic name, written in Latin letters, for every species in our encyclopedia with a recorded Tunisian name.
Arabic has no single way of writing its words in Latin letters, so the same name can be spelled in more than one way. Where we could not find a recorded Tunisian name for a species, we left it out rather than guess.
| Photo | Tunisian | English | Scientific name |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | |||
|
Baghla | Shi Drum | Umbrina cirrosa |
|
Bou chaïra | Sand Smelt | Atherina hepsetus, Atherina boyeri, and Atherinomorus lacunosus |
|
Bourkach | Brown Comber | Serranus hepatus |
|
Boussenna | Skipjack Tuna | Katsuwonus pelamis |
|
Boussif | Swordfish | Xiphias gladius |
| C | |||
|
Chabata | Leerfish | Lichia amia |
|
Chelba | Salema Porgy | Sarpa salpa |
|
Chourou | Horse Mackerel | Trachurus trachurus / Trachurus mediterraneus |
| D | |||
|
Dentik | Dentex | Dentex dentex |
| G | |||
|
Gerali | Red Seabream | Pagrus pagrus |
|
Gerraf | Gilthead Seabream | Sparus aurata |
|
Ghrab | Brown Meagre | Sciaena umbra |
|
Ghzel | Albacore | Thunnus alalunga |
| H | |||
|
Hallouf bahr | Grey Triggerfish | Balistes capriscus |
|
Hancha | Eel | Anguilla anguilla |
| K | |||
|
Kahlaia | Saddled Seabream | Oblada melanura |
|
Kannuta | Black Seabream | Spondyliosoma cantharus |
|
Karus | Seabass | Dicentrarchus labrax |
|
Kelb bahr | Spiny Dogfish | Squalus acanthias / Squalus blainvillei |
|
Kelb bahr | Nursehound | Scyliorhinus stellaris |
|
Kelb bhar | Bluntnose Sixgill Shark | Hexanchus griseus |
|
Kheddir | Wrasse | Symphodus tinca / Labrus viridis / Labrus merula |
|
Ktat | Small spotted Catshark | Scyliorhinus canicula |
| L | |||
|
Lambouqa | Coryphaene | Coryphaena hippurus |
|
Lefâa | Mediterranean Moray | Muraena helena |
| M | |||
|
Menkous | Sand Steenbras | Lithognathus mormyrus |
|
Mennani abiad | White Grouper | Epinephelus aeneus |
|
Mennen | Wreckfish | Polyprion americanus |
|
Mettik | Squid | Loligo vulgaris |
|
Misella | Garfish | Belone belone |
|
Mourjane | Pandora | Pagellus erythrinus |
|
Mourjane | Axillary Seabream | Pagellus acarne |
| N | |||
|
Nasalli | Hake | Merluccius merluccius |
|
Nazalli azraq | Blue Whiting | Micromesistius poutassou |
| O | |||
|
Ouarka | White Seabream | Diplodus sargus |
| Q | |||
|
Qalaqt | Plain Bonito | Orcynopsis unicolor |
|
Qarnit kbir | Octopus | Octopus vulgaris |
| R | |||
|
R'zem | Little Tunny | Euthynnus alletteratus |
| S | |||
|
Sardina | Pilchard | Sardina pilchardus |
|
Sbouga | Bogue | Boops boops |
|
Seche | Cuttlefish | Sepia officinalis |
|
Serdouk | Painted Comber | Serranus scriba |
|
Sibri | Annular Seabream | Diplodus annularis |
|
Skoumbri | Chub Mackerel | Scomber japonicus |
|
Soultan | Mediterranean Rainbow Wrasse | Coris julis |
|
Squomri | Atlantic Mackerel | Scomber scombrus |
| T | |||
|
Tchouya | Sharpsnout Seabream | Diplodus puntazzo |
|
Tebrelli | Bullet Tuna | Auxis rochei |
|
Tinar | Two banded Seabream | Diplodus vulgaris |
|
Toun ahmar | Atlantic Bluefin Tuna | Thunnus thynnus |
Where these names come from
Each name was checked against the official lists of commercial fish names that EU countries publish, the FishBase database and Wikidata. A species only appears here when a source records a name for it in this country.
Spotted a name that is wrong or missing? Let us know.