What’s the Plural of Fish?

What’s the plural of “fish”?

Let’s dive deeper into these proverbial waters, and get a little more textual. Keep reading for the key points on today’s subject topic, “What’s the plural of fish?”

• The singular and plural of fish is fish (without the “es” at the end).

• Fishes can be used as a plural to refer to numerous fish species at once; this is more common in scientific contexts. E.g., “most lakes and oceans have all types of fishes, such as, cod, salmon, trout…“

	Examples: “fish” used in sentences
singular	I had a tropical pet fish with lots of colours when I was young.
plural	The Mediterranean diet, which includes fish, has been linked with a lower risk of depression and dementia.

Nouns that are the same singular/plural

singular	plural
sheep	sheep
moose	moose
fish	fish (sometimes fishes)
elk	elk
deer	deer
bison	bison (or bisons)

When is “fishes” the correct plural?

To refer to more than one fish, you say fish. Fishes applies when we want to refer to numerous fish species within the same sentence. To avoid possible confusion, you can stick to fish without the “es” (it’s correct in all cases).

Sentences using “fish” or “fishes” in the media

Elsewhere on the reef, small cleaner-fishes make their living by plucking parasites and algae from a variety of so-called client fishes who line up to wait their turn.

The New York Times

New research suggests that fish can recognize human faces, putting to bed a previous theory that only animals with large brains, like primates, can accomplish such a complex task.  

CBC

Furthermore, the Mediterranean diet, which includes plenty of fish, has been linked with a lower risk of depression and dementia.

Scientific American

Other example sentences with “fish”

He caught a huge fish!

We are having fish for dinner.

He keeps tropical fish in his aquarium.

Other plural nouns

Similar to fish, deer stays the same in both singular and plural forms. Unlike fish, however, it’s standard for deer to be used when referring to numerous types of deer within the deer family, at the same time. The correct plural for moose is moose. Similar to deer and fish, moose does not vary between singular and plural forms. Keep in mind that mooses is incorrect, whereas fishes is not. Deers is not commonly used, though it’s not technically incorrect, and can be used to refer to numerous species within the deer family at once.

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Phrases with the word “fish”

Phrase	Meaning
as crooked as a barrel of fish	to be unprincipled and deceptive
to be a big fish in a small pond	said of someone that stands out as successful or more experienced because they’re in a small group/business
to be a fish out of water	describes someone as uncomfortable in a new environment, or because they’re out of their element
a fish stinks from the head down	one who learns from one’s mistakes does not repeat them
only dead fish go with the flow	saying someone is attractive or appealing
to drink like a fish	a feigned state of sleep where you’re aware of your surroundings
to fish for compliments	to try and pull a compliment from someone
fish and guests smell after three days	meaning that you should not overstay your welcome
be neither fish nor fowl	said of something that’s difficult to categorize or define
to have bigger fish to fry	meaning that one has bigger issues to deal with than what’s currently being discussed
to have a memory like a goldfish	to have a terrible memory
to be a different kettle of fish	said of something completely unrelated to the topic at hand
to be a cold fish	describes someone that comes across as disinterested or unfriendly
teach a man to fish…	a clichéd phrase meaning teaching someone sets them up for the future rather than doing it for them
you need to bait the hook to catch the fish	you have to take the necessary steps to get what you want
all is fish that comes to his net	said of someone that’s able to make use of anything; resourceful

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Origin of the word fish

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Fish (noun) “a vertebrate which has gills and fins adapting it for living in the water,” derives from Old English and the Proto-Germanic languages.

Read more on plural nouns

• What’s the plural of bison?
• What’s the plural of moose?
• What’s the plural of sheep?
• What’s the plural of ox?
• What’s the plural of cactus?
• What’s the plural of crisis?

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Learn about other grammar topics

• What’re personal pronouns?
• What’s the difference between they’re, their, and there?
• Whose vs who’s?

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Sources

1. “All is fish that comes to his net.” Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. 2015. Farlex, Inc 18 Dec. 2023