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Fish & Seafood

From the tiny clams (vongole) on a plate of linguine to the rarefied delicacies of bottarga (pressed, salted tuna roe), the Italians know what to do with fish in the kitchen—not surprising in a country blessed with a 9000 km coast, stunning lakes and winding rivers.

Nothing, however, is more confusing for your honest food decoders than fish names. Even if they aren't for creatures rare or unknown in English-speaking countries, every coastal region (if not fishing port) is liable to have its own name for a certain species, handed down over the generations; for instance, see the many words for gallinella, one of the more common names for tub gurnard.

Anyway, we are endlessly curious as well as endlessly confused, so please let us know if we've left any out, and we'll add them to the list.

acciughe

anchovies

acquadelle

tiny fish

agghiotta

seafood stew

agone

Mediterranean shad

aguglia

garfish

alalunga

albacore tuna

alborella

bleak

alici

anchovies

allievi

cuttlefish

ambolina

small fish from the Po

anguilla

eel

aragosta

European spiny lobster

aringa

herring

arselle

three clams in one!

arzilla

common skate

astice

lobster

baccalà

salt cod

bagnun

anchovy stew

balestra

grey triggerfish

bavosa

butterfly blenny

besugo

black spot sea bream

bianchetti

baby anchovies and sardines

bisato

eel

biseto

eel

boccalone

largemouth bass

boccone

a mouthful or a sea snail

boga

bogue

bogamarì

sea urchins

bondella

whitefish

boreto alla graisana

fisherman stew of Grado

bottarga

tuna or mullet roe

bottatrice

burbot (ling cod)

brandacujun

stockfish with potatoes

branzino

sea bass

brodetto

fish soup

brustico

lake fish grilled on reeds

burrida

a thick fish soup

busara

with scampi

cagnetta

blenny

calamari

squid

canestrelli

scallops or cookies

cannolicchi

razor clams

canoce

squill (mantis shrimp)

capasanta

scallop

capitone

a lady eel

cappon

a capon...or a fish

cappon magro

seafood and vegetable salad

capponada

simple version of cappon magro

carpa

carp

carpione

Lake Garda's 'trout'

catalana mista

seafood salad

cavedano

European chub

caviale

caviar

cefalo

grey mullet

cernia

grouper

chiocciole di mare

snails, sea snails

cicala (di mare)

broad, slipper or locust lobster

cicciarelli

little silver fish

cicenielli

whitebait

cocciula

clams

corbo

meagre or croaker

coregone

whitefish

cozze

mussels

culadur

shad gut spread

cuscus

couscous

datteri di mare

date mussels

dentice

dentex

dorata

gilt-head bream, or 'golden'

eglefino

haddock

fasolari

smooth or brown Venus clams

folpèti

curled octopus

frutto di mare

shellfish

gallinella

tub gurnard (or a moorhen)

gambero

prawn, shrimp or crayfish

gambero rosso

red prawns

garagolo

'pelican foot'

ghiozzo

gudgeon or goby

goby

granchio

crab

granseole

crab

gronco

conger eel

impepata di cozze

mussels cooked in a peppery broth

jùjime

sea anemone

lampreda

lamprey

lampuga

dolphinfish

lattarino

smelt

lattume

tuna sperm

lavarello

Lavaret whitefish

leccia

leerfish

limone di mare

violet sea squirt

littorina

winkle or periwinkle

lompo

lump fish or sea hen

luccio

pike

lucioperca

pike-perch or zander

masculina da magghia

traditionally caught Sicilian anchovies

mazzancolle

big prawns

medusa

jellyfish

merca

mullets preserved in marsh samphire

merluzzo

cod, among others

missultit

dried and salted shad

mitili

mussels

moleche

soft-shelled crabs from the Venetian lagoon

mormora

Sand steenbras

moscardini

little octopuses

moscioli

mussels in the Marche

muggine

grey mullet

murena

moray eel

muscoli

mussels

nasello

European hake

neonata

spawn

noci di mare

cockles

novellame

baby fish

occhiata

bream

ombrina

ombrine or shi drum

orata

gilt-head bream

ostriche

oysters

pagello

pandora

palamita

Atlantic bonito

palombo

dogfish

paranza

small fry

patella

limpet

persico

lake perch

pescato

the day's catch

pesce

fish

pesce azzurro

sardines, and more

pesce crudo

raw fish

pesce scorpione

lionfish

pesce spada

swordfish

pescegatto

catfish

pettine

scallops, or pasta

pezzogna

blue spotted bream

piedi di capra

goat feet (no, not really)

pigo

Danube roach

platessa

plaice (or flounder)

polipetti

little octopuses

polpo

octopus

rancio fellone

sea spider/spiny crab/spider crab

razza

ray

regina

big 'queen' carp

reina

common bream

riccio

sea urchin

ricciola

greater amberjack

rombo

flatfish (usually a flounder, though)

rosamarina

rice shaped pasta or a fishy sauce

rospo

angler fish/monkfish

rossetti

Pre-Raphaelite artist (or transparent goby)

salmerino

char or brook trout

salmone

salmon

salpa

Sarpa Salpa or Salema porgy

sanpietro

John Dory

sarago

sargo

sarda

sardine or pilchard

sardella

fish and chilli paste

scampi

Dublin bay prawns

scaveccio

fried marinated eel

scoglio

reef

sconcigli

sea snail, or pasta shape

scorfano

scorpion fish

scrigno di Venere

ark shell or a tortellini timballo

seppia

cuttlefish

seppiole

small cuttlefish

serra

bluefish

sgombro

mackerel

siluro

Wels catfish

sogliola

sole

sparaglione

annular sea bream

spatola

silver scabbardfish (or a spatula)

spigola

bass

squalo

shark

stoccafisso

stockfish, or wind-dried cod

storione

sturgeon

sugarello

Atlantic horse mackerel

taiedda

mussels baked with potatoes, vegetables and cheese

tartufo di mare

venus clams

telline

a species of baby clam

tinca

tench

tonno

tuna

totano

the European flying squid

tracina

weeverfish

triglia

red mullet

triotto

roach

trota

trout

ventresca

tuna (or pork) belly

verdesca

blue shark

vongole

clams

Text © Dana Facaros & Michael Pauls

Image by Pieterjan Vandaele