Fishes

Get a sneak peek at some of the incredible images and stories that’ll feature in our upcoming exhibition.

Discover some of the sensational specimens Mary Anning discovered that are now part of the collections we look after.

Dive into half a billion years of oceanic evolution, from the first vertebrates to the largest sharks.

The epic migrations made by many fishes are at risk of dying out.

Meet the fish who chooses walking over swimming, has a built-in fishing rod and and is a master of disguise.

Life may have bounced back more quickly than expected after the worst mass extinction in history.

One of the more unusual jobs of our scientists is to verify record-breaking catches of everything from titanic tuna to colossal cod.

There’s an abundance of wildlife that can be spotted along the coasts of the British Isles.

Jaws’ depiction of sharks hasn’t aged as well as the film itself.

Dive into the modern megalodon myth and weigh up the evidence.

Scientists have tracked over 100 species of marine animals and found that plans to protect almost a third of our seas may be insufficient.

Life has found very clever ways to survive in the most extreme places.

Not all sharks look like great whites.

Just 47 unprovoked shark attacks were recorded in 2024.

New research reveals that damage to these environments is pushing freshwater animals to the edge of extinction.

Climate change is putting the future of the biggest fish in the world at risk.

The power of machine learning could be used to protect threatened fishes.

Ferganoceratodus edwardsi suggests that many ancient lungfish are more closely related than first thought.

The North Sea’s oil and gas rigs impact more than the atmosphere.

The newly described Myloplus sauron highlights how little we know about South America’s biodiversity.

A new project to kickstart conservation for some of the world’s rarest fishes is making a splash.

Protections for the world’s oceans need strengthening, a new report suggests.

Scientists now know more about how the three-metre-long Oncorhynchus rastrosus might have looked.

For the first time in 100 years, Atlantic salmon are once again spawning in the upper waters of the River Derwent. 

Electric eels are like living batteries, but how does their amazing electric-shock ability work?

Some of the world’s largest and most unusual fishes could be wiped out.

The orcas have learnt to catch and eat young great white sharks in less than two minutes.

As many as 100 new species of deep-sea animals may have been discovered living on undersea mountains.

The first State of the World’s Migratory Species report found that countries aren’t doing enough to save threatened species.

A new study has allowed scientists to see how populations of fish differ through their DNA. 

The fishing of sandeels in the UK’s portion of the North Sea will be banned from April.

Meet the fish with many faces: famous inflatables, fatal poisoners and even romantic artists.

Take a virtual tour of the Natural History Museum and explore the astonishing diversity of the natural world.

The mystery of the whipnose anglerfish’s extraordinarily long lure might have finally been solved.

A question that has puzzled scientists for over 150 years may finally have been answered.

Sharks have been around for millions of years. Their teeth are some of the most common fossils you can find.

New research on the 450-million-year-old Eriptychius suggests it could be a ‘missing link’ in the evolution of the vertebrate skull.

Artificial reefs attract fish, which can improve the ability of seagrass to lock up more carbon dioxide beneath the waves.

In some places, it's estimated that up to 70% of beach sand has gone through the guts of parrotfish.

Meet the creatures that really are part of your world.

Many regions of the deep sea are currently being explored for the potential to mine them.

Great white sharks are some of the world's most misunderstood animals. There is much more to these sensitive fish than just a big bite.

An expedition to some of the Earth's deepest ocean trenches has broken records for deep-sea fish.

Nations have reached a historic agreement to protect the world's oceans from exploitation.

While conservationists have welcomed the announcement, they've also raised concerns that the proposals aren't enough to protect vulnerable marine habitats.

Invasive rats are devastating tropical islands, with effects reaching far beyond the land. 

Catch up on season one of our interactive behind-the-scenes live stream.

Fish raised in their mother's mouth can sometimes end up their parent's next meal.

Carcinogenic fuel, explosives and chemical weapons are leaking into the seas from sunken naval vessels.

Loud sound bursts throwing cetaceans out of balance and risk their health, amid growing concern over the impacts of anthropogenic noise pollution. 

Over 40% of the world's rivers could contain harmful levels of pharmaceuticals.

By scaring away the great whites, the killer whale hunters are altering the habits of other sharks, abalone and even penguins.

Whale sharks can be huge. But even experts aren’t entirely sure just how big they can get.

Great whites and megalodon may have been competing for the same prey in the last years of the megalodon's life.

Crowdsourced photographs are helping to demonstrate the value of nature reserves to one of the world's largest fish.

The finding could offer insights into the impact of climate change on its modern relatives. 

Over 30 species around the world are named after Christmas Day because of their bright colours, where they come from or when they reproduce.

Lanternfish are one of the most abundant vertebrates on Earth. Yet despite their huge numbers, almost nothing is known about them.

In nature, species will sometimes form unexpectedly close bonds and work to their mutual benefit. 

Discover the real sea creatures that may have inspired myths and legends.

Meet some of the animals that bust out their best moves to attract a mate.

Meet the remarkable fish that turned up alive in 1938, despite having been presumed extinct for 70 million years.

There's more to the snot-like secretions of the internet-famous hagfish than meets the eye.

Explore facts about this huge shark - which can open its mouth up to a metre wide - including where you might see one in the UK.

With armoured bodies, curly tails and limited swimming ability, seahorses are a group of fish quite unlike any other.

Although most sharks give birth to live young, a few lay oddly shaped eggs that occasionally wash up on beaches.

Meet some faces that only an ichthyologist could love and catch up on the latest natural history news.

They include new dinosaurs, an ancient wombat and a giant shark.

Evolving before trees and weathering five mass extinctions, sharks are true survivors.

Find out what can happen when fieldwork doesn't go exactly as planned, and how to do a simple DIY science project at home.

When Patrick started caring for the Museum's fish specimens, he became one of the institution's first black curators.

The illegal trade of European eels is worth up to £3.5 billion a year.

The fish burrows underground and breaths through the lining of its mouth. 

Just how big was megalodon and could this giant predator still be lurking in the dark depths of the ocean?

Watch for an exclusive peek behind the scenes at the Museum's Tank Room. 

Thousands of ocean animal specimens have joined the Museum's collections, including a group of rare anglerfish.

Salmon farms are known to experience outbreaks of sea lice. But fixing the problem is far from simple.

It's the most diverse part of the ocean, but plenty of people have never heard of it.

An expert in underwater filming, Orla Doherty is one of the lucky few to have explored the deepest parts of the ocean.

Find out what it takes to care for an enormous, scientifically irreplaceable fish.

Why do some rays belly flop?

Watch Andreia Salvador, Curator of Marine Mollusca, take a look at one of the Museum's most extraordinary and precious pearls.

The deep ocean houses an ecosystem that’s learned to thrive without sunlight or warmth. Welcome to the abyss.

Watch a fish curator get up close and personal with one of the deep sea’s most unusual partnerships.

Find out how Museum scientists used a new technique to preserve this enormous blue marlin forever.

Follow our scientists as they solve the decade-long mystery of a rare anglerfish’s bulging stomach.

Meet some of the strange life forms that Museum scientists are uncovering in the peat swamps of southeast Asia.

The first complete Greenland shark specimen has been preserved for research at the Museum after washing up on a Northumberland beach last autumn.

Step behind the scenes of the Museum’s spirit collection with curators Oliver Crimmen and James Maclaine.