Every fish page follows the same layout, top to bottom, so you always know where to look. This guide walks each section in order, then explains how to read the parts that decide the kosher answer.
A tour of the page, top to bottom #
- Name and scientific name. The common name in large type, with the Latin scientific name in italics under it.
- Illustration. A hand-drawn blue sketch of the fish in a white card.
- Kosher status box. The big green or red badge with a one-line reason.
- Fins and scales checklist. Two rows, each a green check or a red X.
- Description. Three short paragraphs: what the fish is, how it is usually cooked, and where it lives or is sold.
- Also known as. Nicknames and market names shown as pills.
- Foreign-language names. A table of the fish name in other languages, scientific name first.
- Gallery. Real photos in categories like alive, on ice, fillet, and cooked. These load online only.
- Warnings and Kosher Issues. A bullet list of look-alike fish and pitfalls to watch for.
Not every fish has every section. If a detail cannot be sourced and verified for a fish, that whole section is hidden rather than guessed. So a shorter page is not missing data by mistake. It means only the confirmed facts are shown.
The kosher status box #
The status box is the first thing you read on a fish page, and usually the only thing you need. It gives the verdict in one glance.
A green box with a check icon and the word “Kosher” means the fish has true fins and scales. The line under it states the reason in plain words, usually “Has fins and scales.”
A red box with an X icon and the words “Not Kosher” means the fish fails the test. The reason line tells you the specific problem for that fish, such as “No scales” or “Scales cannot be removed.”
Two non-kosher fish can fail for different reasons, and the reason line tells you which. That detail helps you understand the call and explain it to someone else. For the full halacha behind the verdict, see the Kosher Fish Basics section.
The fins and scales checklist #
The checklist sits right under the status box and shows the two facts that decide everything: does the fish have fins, and does it have scales.
- Green check means yes, the fish has that feature.
- Red X means no, it does not.
A kosher fish is a green check on both rows. A non-kosher fish shows a red X on the row it fails. For example, catfish shows a green check for fins and a red X for scales, because it has fins but no scales.
The Torah requires both fins and scales. Many sea creatures have fins but no scales, and those are the ones that trip people up. The scales are the deciding feature in almost every case, since nearly all fish have fins but only kosher species have the right kind of scales.
The description: species, cuisine, and habitat #
The description box gives you the context behind the fish in three short paragraphs. It sits below the checklist with a “Description” label.
- What the fish is. A sentence or two on the species, so you know what you are looking at.
- How it is cooked. The common cuisines and dishes the fish turns up in.
- Where it lives or is sold. Its habitat and where you tend to find or buy it.
If a fish is a notable bottom feeder, the habitat paragraph says so. Bottom feeding does not by itself make a fish non-kosher. Plenty of bottom feeders have fins and scales and are kosher. The note is there for context, not as a strike against the fish.
This section only appears when the details can be verified for that fish. If you do not see a description, it is because the facts were not confirmed, not because they were left out.
Nicknames and market names #
The “Also known as” section lists the other names a fish is sold or served under, shown as small pills. This matters because the same fish often carries several names depending on the store, the menu, or the region.
A label might say “lox” when the fish is salmon, or “dorado” when it is mahi-mahi. If you see a name you do not recognize, check the nicknames on the fish you suspect. The names you find here are also searchable, so you can look a fish up by any of them.
Salmon may appear as lox, gravlax, or nova at the counter. All of them point to the same kosher fish. Knowing the nicknames keeps you from second-guessing a label that uses a name you have not seen before.
The foreign-languages table #
Each fish page includes a table of the fish name in other languages. The scientific name comes first, then one row per language. It is built so you can match a foreign label or menu to the right fish.
Names appear in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Arabic for right-to-left readers, plus Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, and more. Right-to-left names display in the correct direction so they read naturally.
Reading a label in Israel or at an international market? Find the language, read across to the name, and you will know which fish it is. The table is center-aligned so both right-to-left and left-to-right names line up cleanly. For finding a fish when you only know its foreign name, see “Find a Fish by Its Foreign Name” in this help center.
The photo gallery #
The gallery shows real photos of the fish so you can recognize it at the counter. Photos are grouped into categories like alive, whole on ice, fillet, and cooked dish.
A fillet on ice can be hard to identify, and that is exactly when look-alike swaps happen. Seeing the fish whole, as a fillet, and cooked helps you confirm you are getting what the label claims.
The gallery pulls photos over the internet. When you are online, they appear automatically. If you are offline or the photos are still loading, you will see a short note that photos load when you are connected. That is expected behavior, not an error. The blue sketch illustration near the top of the page is different. That one is always there, online or off, including inside the mobile apps.
Warnings and kosher issues #
The Warnings and Kosher Issues section is where a fish page flags the things that catch people off guard. It is an amber box near the bottom, shown as a bullet list.
- Look-alike fish. Kosher species that get confused with, or substituted for, non-kosher ones.
- Mislabeling risks. Names that are used loosely and can hide a different fish.
- Preparation pitfalls. Cases where how a fish is handled or sold raises a kosher question.
A fish can be kosher and still come with a warning, because the risk is at the store, not in the species. For example, an expensive kosher fish is more likely to be swapped for a cheaper non-kosher one. Reading this section before you buy saves you from a bad surprise. Like every other section, it only appears when there is a real, verified warning to show. No warnings box means none were confirmed for that fish.
Each page ends with the same reminder: this is a guide, not a halachic ruling. When in doubt, ask a trusted rabbi.
