Fish vs. Seafood — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on September 19, 2023
Fish refers to aquatic vertebrates with gills and fins, often consumed as food. Seafood is a broader category that includes fish as well as shellfish, crustaceans, and other edible marine life. Fish is a subset of seafood.
Difference Between Fish and Seafood
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Fish specifically refers to aquatic vertebrates that possess gills, fins, and a streamlined body. They are commonly consumed as food, used in recreation like sport fishing, or kept in aquariums for enjoyment. Seafood, on the other hand, encompasses a wider range of edible marine creatures, including not just fish but also mollusks like oysters and clams, crustaceans like shrimp and lobster, and even some marine plants like seaweed.
While fish is a staple protein source in many diets, seafood offers a broader culinary palette. Many people enjoy the unique flavors and textures of various seafood items, such as squid, scallops, or mussels, which go beyond what fish offers. However, fish often serves as the primary or most familiar component within the seafood category for most people.
Both fish and seafood are recognized for their nutritional benefits, including being good sources of omega-3 fatty acids and protein. Yet, when discussing allergens, it's essential to differentiate between the two. Some individuals may be allergic to fish but can consume other types of seafood, or vice versa.
In culinary contexts, fish and seafood have distinct preparation methods and cultural significance. For example, sushi predominantly features fish, while a seafood boil may include a variety of marine life like crabs, shrimp, and mussels. Though the terms fish and seafood are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings that offer a richness and diversity in both diet and culture.
Comparison Chart
Classification
Aquatic vertebrates
Edible marine life
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Includes
Only fish species
Fish, mollusks, crustaceans
Allergen
Specific to fish
Can vary across types
Nutritional Value
High in protein and omega-3
Varies but often similar
Culinary Usage
Limited to fish dishes
Broad range of dishes
Compare with Definitions
Fish
Aquatic vertebrates with gills and fins
Salmon is a type of fish that lives in both saltwater and freshwater.
Seafood
A culinary term
The restaurant specializes in seafood.
Fish
Aquarium pets
My goldfish died, so I need a new fish for my tank.
Seafood
Broad category including fish
Seafood includes fish, clams, and shrimp.
Fish
Edible flesh of such vertebrates
We had grilled fish for dinner.
Seafood
Subject to different cooking methods
You can grill, fry, or steam your seafood.
Fish
A category of food
Fish is on the menu tonight.
Seafood
Edible marine animals
Oysters are a type of seafood.
Fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups.
Seafood
Source of diverse nutrients
Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish
An object of sport fishing
He caught a big fish during his fishing trip.
Seafood
Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g.
Fish
A limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins living wholly in water
The huge lakes are now devoid of fish
Seafood
Shellfish and sea fish, served as food
A seafood restaurant
Local seafood
Fish
A person who is strange in a specified way
He is generally thought to be a bit of a cold fish
Seafood
Edible fish or shellfish from the sea.
Fish
A flat plate that is fixed on a beam or across a joint in order to give additional strength.
Seafood
Fish, shellfish, seaweed, and other edible aquatic life.
Fish
Catch or try to catch fish, typically by using a net or hook and line
He was fishing for pike
I've told the girls we've gone fishing
Seafood
Edible fish (broadly including freshwater fish) or shellfish or roe etc
Fish
Search by groping or feeling for something concealed
He fished for his registration certificate and held it up to the policeman's torch
Fish
Mend or strengthen with a fish.
Fish
Join (rails in a railway track) with a fishplate.
Fish
Any of numerous cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates characteristically having fins, gills, and a streamlined body and including the bony fishes, such as catfishes and tunas, and the cartilaginous fishes, such as sharks and rays.
Fish
Any of various jawless aquatic craniates, including the lampreys and hagfishes.
Fish
The flesh of such animals used as food.
Fish
(Informal) A person, especially one considered deficient in something
A poor fish.
Fish
To catch or try to catch fish.
Fish
To look for something by feeling one's way; grope
Fished in both pockets for a coin.
Fish
To seek something in a sly or indirect way
Fish for compliments.
Fish
To catch or try to catch (fish).
Fish
To catch or try to catch fish in
Fish mountain streams.
Fish
To catch or pull as if fishing
Deftly fished the corn out of the boiling water.
Fish
(countable) A cold-blooded vertebrate animal that lives in water, moving with the help of fins and breathing with gills.
Salmon is a fish.
The fishmonger sells fishes from all over the world.
Ichthyologists study the fish of the world.
We have many fish in our aquarium.
Fish
Any animal (or any vertebrate) that lives exclusively in water.
Fish
(Newfoundland) Cod; codfish.
Fish
(uncountable) The flesh of the fish used as food.
The seafood pasta had lots of fish but not enough pasta.
Though Lena is a vegetarian, she doesn't have any problem with eating fish.
Fish
(uncountable) A card game in which the object is to obtain cards in pairs or sets of four (depending on the variation), by asking the other players for cards of a particular rank.
Fish
A woman.
Fish
An easy victim for swindling.
Fish
A bad poker player. Compare shark (a good poker player).
Fish
A makeshift overlapping longitudinal brace, originally shaped roughly like a fish, used to temporarily repair or extend a spar or mast of a ship.
Fish
(nautical) A purchase used to fish the anchor.
Fish
A torpedo self-propelled explosive device.
Fish
(zoology) A paraphyletic grouping of the following extant taxonomic groups:
Fish
Class Myxini, the hagfish (no vertebrae)
Fish
Class Petromyzontida, the lampreys (no jaw)
Fish
Within infraphylum Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates (also including Tetrapoda))
Fish
(cartomancy) The thirty-fourth Lenormand card.
Fish
(prison slang) A new (usually vulnerable) prisoner.
Fish
A period of time spent fishing.
The fish at the lake didn't prove successful.
Fish
An instance of seeking something.
Merely two fishes for information told the whole story.
Fish
(obsolete) A counter, used in various games.
Fish
(intransitive) To hunt fish or other aquatic animals in a body of water.
We went fishing for crabs by the pier.
She went to the river to fish for trout.
Fish
(transitive) To search (a body of water) for something other than fish.
They fished the surrounding lakes for the dead body.
Fish
To use as bait when fishing.
Fish
(intransitive) To (attempt to) find or get hold of an object by searching among other objects.
Why are you fishing through my things?
He was fishing for the keys in his pocket.
Fish
To talk to people in an attempt to get them to say something, or seek to obtain something by artifice.
The detective visited the local pubs fishing around for more information.
The actors loitered at the door, fishing for compliments.
Fish
Of a batsman, to attempt to hit a ball outside off stump and miss it.
Fish
To repair (a spar or mast) by fastening a beam or other long object (often called a fish) over the damaged part (see Noun above).
Fish
To hoist the flukes of.
Fish
A counter, used in various games.
Fish
A name loosely applied in popular usage to many animals of diverse characteristics, living in the water.
Fish
An oviparous, vertebrate animal usually having fins and a covering scales or plates. It breathes by means of gills, and lives almost entirely in the water. See Pisces.
Fish
The twelfth sign of the zodiac; Pisces.
Fish
The flesh of fish, used as food.
Fish
A purchase used to fish the anchor.
Fish
To attempt to catch fish; to be employed in taking fish, by any means, as by angling or drawing a net.
Fish
To seek to obtain by artifice, or indirectly to seek to draw forth; as, to fish for compliments.
Any other fishing question.
Fish
To catch; to draw out or up; as, to fish up an anchor.
Fish
To search by raking or sweeping.
Fish
To try with a fishing rod; to catch fish in; as, to fish a stream.
Fish
Any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills;
The shark is a large fish
In the livingroom there was a tank of colorful fish
Fish
The flesh of fish used as food;
In Japan most fish is eaten raw
After the scare about foot-and-mouth disease a lot of people started eating fish instead of meat
They have a chef who specializes in fish
Fish
(astrology) a person who is born while the sun is in Pisces
Fish
The twelfth sign of the zodiac; the sun is in this sign from about February 19 to March 20
Fish
Seek indirectly;
Fish for compliments
Fish
Catch or try to catch fish or shellfish;
I like to go fishing on weekends
Common Curiosities
What nutrients are common in Fish and Seafood?
Both are generally high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Can you be allergic to Fish but not Seafood?
Yes, some people are allergic to fish but can consume other types of seafood.
What is Seafood?
Seafood is a broad category of edible marine life, including fish, mollusks, and crustaceans.
Is Fish considered Seafood?
Yes, fish is a subset of seafood.
Is Fish only found in certain cuisines?
No, fish is a global food item found in various cuisines.
Do Fish and Seafood taste the same?
No, each type of fish and seafood has its own unique flavor and texture.
Can Fish and Seafood be eaten raw?
Some types can be eaten raw, but it's crucial to ensure they are fresh and properly prepared.
What is Fish?
Fish are aquatic vertebrates with gills and fins, often consumed as food.
How are Fish and Seafood cooked differently?
Cooking methods can vary widely, from grilling and frying to steaming and boiling.
Are there ethical concerns with eating Fish or Seafood?
Yes, concerns include overfishing and environmental impact.
What about Seafood in global cuisines?
Seafood is also globally consumed but may vary in popularity depending on the cuisine.
Is Fish more popular than other Seafood?
Generally, fish is more commonly consumed and more widely available.
Is it expensive to eat Fish or Seafood?
Prices can vary widely, with some types considered luxury items.
How do I store Fish and Seafood?
Both should be kept in a cold environment, usually a refrigerator or freezer.
Are there any religious restrictions on eating Fish or Seafood?
Some religions restrict the consumption of certain types of fish or seafood.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
