French Fish Names
What’s that fish called in French?
Deciphering a French fish and seafood menu. Do you know your Églefin from your Espadon?
at Le Denti in Annecy
This is a question I have been asked many times when going through a french menu trying to identify the fish dish. So I thought I’d put together a glossary of some of the more popular french fish names and common vocabulary associated with fish and seafood with the translation into English. Scroll down to find the English fish name translated into French. Hope you find this useful next time you shop for fish or eat out in France.
Shellfish – Crustaces
English to French Shellfish Names
| English Name | French Name |
| Brown Crab | Tourteaux or Dormeur |
| Clams | Palourdes |
| Cockles | Coques |
| Crayfish | écrevisse |
| Dog Cockle (Clam) | Amandes de Mer |
| King Prawns | Gambas |
| Langoustine | Langoustine |
| Prawns – large | Crevettes Royale |
| Prawns – large | Grosses Crevette |
| Limpets | Patelle |
| Lobster | Homard |
| Mussels | Moules |
| Oyster | Huître |
| Razor clam | Couteau |
| Scallops | Coquilles St. Jacques |
| Shrimps/small prawn | Crevettes (roses) |
| Shrimp – small brown | Crevette grises |
| Spider crab | Araignee de mer |
| Whelks | Bulots |
| Winkles | Bigorneaux |
Fish – Poisson
English to French Fish Names
| English Name | French Name |
| Anchovies | Anchois |
| Barracuda | Brochet de la Mer |
| Bass (Atlantic) | Bar |
| Black Bream | Daurade grise |
| Brill | Barbue |
| Brown Trout | Truite Fario ou Brune |
| Catfish | Silure |
| Cod | Cabillaud |
| Croaker, Meagre, Drum fish or Salmon Bass | Maigre |
| Dog Fish | Roussette |
| Dover Sole | Sole commune |
| Flounder | Limande |
| Fresh water Char | Omble Chevalier |
| Gilthead Bream | Daurade Royale |
| Grouper | Merou |
| Gurnard | Grondin |
| Haddock | Eglefin |
| Hake | Merlu/Colin |
| Halibut | Flétan |
| Herring | Hareng |
| John Dory | Saint-Pierre |
| Lake fish from Lac Leman | Fera du Leman |
| Lemon sole | Limande sole |
| Ling | Julienne |
| Mackerel | maquereau |
| Monkfish | Lotte |
| Perch | Perche |
| English Name | French Name |
| Pike | Brochet |
| Plaice | Plie |
| Pollack | Lieu Jaune |
| Pollack | Lieu Noir |
| Rainbow Trout | Truite Arc-en-Ciel |
| Red Mullet | Rouget |
| Red Bream | Daurade commune |
| Salmon | Saumon |
| Salt Cod | Morue |
| Sardine | Sardine |
| Scorpion Fish | Rascasse |
| Sea Bass (Mediterranean) | Loup de mer |
| Sea Bream | Daurade |
| Shark | Requin |
| Skate | Aigle de mer |
| Skate wings | Ailes de Raie |
| perch fillets – small lake fish | Filets de Perche |
| Sturgeon | Esturgeon |
| Swordfish | Espadon |
| Trout | Truite |
| Tuna | Thon |
| Turbot | Turbot |
| Sea bass | Abadèche rouge |
| Sea smelt | Abusseau |
| Whitebait | Friture |
| Whiting | Merlan |
| Pike – young | Brocheton |
| Zander | Sandre |
Molluscs – Mollusques and friends!
English to French Seafood names
| English Names | French Names |
| Conger Eel | Congre |
| Cuttlefish | Seiche |
| Eel | Anguille |
| Fish | Poisson |
| Octopus | Poulpe |
| seafood | fruits de mer |
| Seaweed | Algue de Mer |
| Squid | Calamar, Chipirons |
| Whale | Baleine |
General English to French vocabulary used may help when ordering, shopping for or cooking
fish and seafood in France
| English Word | French Word |
| bone | l’arête |
| boned | sans arêtes |
| cleaned | préparé |
| cooked in paper in oven (steamed) | en papillote |
| descaled | écaillé |
| fillet | filet |
| Fish steak | Darnes de poisson |
| fresh | frais |
| frozen | surgelé |
| loin | longe |
| peeled or shelled | Decortiqué |
| Shellfish | Crustacés |
| skinned | Sans peau |
| slice | tranche |
| smoked | fumé |
| tail | queue |
| to gut | vider |
| boned | l’arête |
Classic French Seafood Dishes
There are many classic french fish and seafood dishes in France. I’ve picked out a few of the most popular that you will likely find on a French menu when touring around France.
| French Name | British Name |
| Nicoise Salad | a salad typically made with Tuna, egg and new potatoes that originates from Nice |
| Bourride | Fish stew from Languedoc-Roussillon made with fish, seafood, vegetables, aioli and olive oil |
| Pôchouse | Fresh water fish stew from Burgundy using Eel, Pike and Bass poached in Aligoté with a cream sauce |
| Meunière | means Millers Wife – fish is coated in flour and sautéed and the sauce is brown butter, parsley and lemon |
| Bouillabaisse | Provencal fish and seafood stew with tomatoes served with rouille* on croutons |
| Rouille* | A mayonnaise type sauce typically served with fish soup and Bouillabaise – made with olive oil, garlic, saffron and cayenne pepper |
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Chipirons in the South West = squid, I think.
ah yes good point this is in the Basque region they are known as chipirons
Rock lobster / Crayfish == Langouste
Thank you, it seems some of these fish have several names!
We recently had a French shellfish, bijou…..would love to know the English equivalent
Interesting can you describe this shellfish? Bijou is normally translated as jewel – so I am wondering if this is the use of ‘jewel of the sea’ but not a specific shellfish?
I have some small fillets the fish merchant called ‘Vives’. Bought in south west France. They are about 3 – 4 inches long?
I would be extremely cautious about Vives fish – these are weever or weaver fish and are venomous. They are a sand coloured fish from 15 – 50cm long and known to sting bathers in the Mediterranean if they are threatened. Their sting contains venom but I believe not fatal, although apparently very painful and if someone has allergies could be more harmful. As to whether you can eat them, I have no idea but given what I have just found out, I wouldn’t touch them!
Check my source here – Connexion
Ok, thank you for the info. I bought them from Intermarché but given what you’ve told me l think we’ll give them a miss. They weren’t expensive.
Hi Linda, I am not professing to be an expert, but doing a quick google search it says they can be eaten if you are willing to risk the venomous spines!! Not sure I would be, maybe worth asking the fishmonger where you bought them