A complete look at the collective nouns for fish. From schools to shoals, discover the words used for different species.
🪼 Marine Creatures · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Jellyfish Called? From “smack” to “bloom” — the collective nouns behind one of the ocean’s strangest group names. Quick answer: A group of jellyfish is most often called a smack of jellyfish. You’ll also see bloom (especially when large numbers appear suddenly), brood, fluther, … Read more
A group of salmon is called a bind — though leap, run, shoal, and school apply depending on what they’re doing.
🐟 Fish · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Goldfish Called? The world’s most popular aquarium fish comes with its own pair of collective nouns. 💬 A group of goldfish is most often called a glint, with troubling used as an alternate term. Goldfish (Carassius auratus) were bred from wild Prussian carp in China … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Pack? The word usually reserved for wolves, borrowed by two very different hunters of the deep. 💬 “Pack” is a collective noun for perch, sharks, and buzzards — borrowing the same word most famously used for wolves. For perch and sharks it specifically describes individuals hunting as … Read more
🐟 Fish · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Bass Called? One name covers a wide family of fish, and shoal is the word that follows nearly all of them. 💬 A group of bass is most often called a shoal, with fleet occasionally used as an alternative. “Bass” itself covers a wide range … Read more
🐟 Fish · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Swordfish Called? A solitary open-ocean hunter with a name built for the sea it patrols. 💬 A group of swordfish is called a flotilla, a nautical term befitting a fish built like a torpedo. Swordfish are largely solitary predators, though they can occasionally be found … Read more
🐟 Fish · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Trout Called? A cold-water favorite among anglers, and a good indicator of a healthy stream. 💬 A group of trout is most often called a hover, describing the way trout hold in place against a current rather than swimming steadily forward. Shoal is a more … Read more
📖 Collective Noun Lookup What Animals Form a Bind? A term for tying knots, borrowed for the fish that actually tie themselves in one. 💬 “Bind” is a collective noun for eels and salmon — a genuinely literal term for the first, since eels are famous for physically knotting themselves together, and a much rarer … Read more
🐟 Fish · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Tuna Called? A powerful open-ocean swimmer that travels in tightly coordinated schools. 💬 A group of tuna is called a float, with troup used as a rarer alternate. Tuna are powerful, warm-blooded fish that travel and hunt in coordinated schools across vast stretches of open … Read more
🐟 Fish · Collective Nouns What Is a Group of Mackerel Called? A fast, striped, ocean-crossing fish that can’t afford to stop swimming. 💬 A group of mackerel is called a shoal, the standard term for these fast-swimming schooling fish. Mackerel (family Scombridae) are built for speed, and a shoal can number in the millions, … Read more