List of Fish of North Asia

North Asia’s rivers, lakes and coastal seas support a mix of freshwater and marine life shaped by cold climates and diverse habitats. Local fisheries, researchers and anglers have documented species that thrive from inland streams to offshore waters.

There are 25 Fish of North Asia, ranging from Amur catfish to Walleye pollock. For each species you’ll find below Scientific name,Range (countries/regions),Max length (cm).

Which parts of North Asia does this list cover?

The list draws on records from the broad North Asian region — primarily Siberia and the Russian Far East, plus adjacent areas such as northeastern China, Mongolia and nearby coastal waters — so species reflect both inland and coastal occurrences.

Are the “Max length (cm)” values reliable for ID or angling decisions?

Max length values are the largest reported measurements and are useful for comparison, but they vary by population, age and measurement method; use them alongside range and scientific name and consult local guides for field identification or fishing regulations.

Fish of North Asia

Images and Descriptions

Sakhalin taimen

A large salmonid of cold rivers and coastal streams; can be anadromous. Prized by anglers, endangered from habitat loss and fishing. Notable for its size and rarity, often targeted in conservation-focused sport fishing trips.

Taimen

An apex river predator reaching great size; freshwater and migratory populations occur in large Siberian rivers. Famous with fly-anglers for powerful fights, vulnerable to overfishing and habitat changes, and often seen as an icon of wild river fisheries.

Arctic char

A cold-water salmonid found in Arctic lakes and rivers; highly variable in size and color. Important food for northern communities and anglers, some populations are landlocked endemics while others migrate to coastal seas each year.

Dolly Varden

A colorful char with both resident and anadromous forms, common in Pacific coastal rivers. Valued by anglers and indigenous fishers; noted for bright spots and seasonal migrations. Populations vary widely across river systems.

Lenok

A slender salmonid of clear streams and rivers in the Amur and adjacent basins. Prized by local anglers for its fight and taste, some populations are threatened by habitat alteration and river development.

Blunt-snouted lenok

A closely related lenok with a blunter snout, found in Amur and Korean rivers. Important locally as a food and sport fish, and of interest to biogeographers because of its fragmented, regionally distinct populations.

Arctic grayling

Recognizable by its sail-like dorsal fin, this trout-relative inhabits cold rivers and lakes across northern Asia. A favorite for fly-fishers, grayling has cultural importance to local people and shows dramatic seasonal movements tied to feeding and spawning.

Siberian sturgeon

A large cold-water sturgeon of major rivers, historically prized for caviar. Populations have declined from overfishing and damming. Important to inland fisheries and conservation programs that aim to restore native spawning habitats.

Amur sturgeon

A big, long-lived sturgeon native to the Amur basin; valued for caviar and meat. Severely threatened by poaching, habitat loss and dams, it is a focus of cross-border conservation between Russia and China.

Chum salmon

An abundant anadromous salmon with widespread coastal runs; critical to ecosystem food webs and fisheries. Chum are valued for their meat and roe and famous for massive spawning runs that feed bears and seabirds.

Pink salmon

The smallest Pacific salmon, pinks return in huge two-year cycles to coastal streams and rivers. They support enormous commercial fisheries and dramatic, colorful spawning events; runs can shape local economies and wildlife feeding patterns.

Chinook salmon

The largest Pacific salmon, chinook are prized by sport and commercial fishers for size and rich flesh. Anadromous populations use large rivers to spawn; some Russian stocks are among the most important for trophy angling.

Sockeye salmon

Known for its deep red flesh and lake-rearing juvenile stage, sockeye supports important commercial and subsistence fisheries. Anadromous and landlocked forms occur; sockeye runs are central to coastal ecosystems and human communities.

Pacific cod

A stout groundfish found on continental shelves and slopes; Pacific cod is a cornerstone of northern fisheries. It feeds on smaller fish and invertebrates and is commercially valuable for meat and processing into many products.

Walleye pollock

A hugely important forage and commercial species across North Pacific waters; pollock supports major fisheries for fillets, surimi and fish meal. It forms large schools and is central to both ecosystems and regional seafood industries.

Pacific herring

A schooling forage fish common in coastal waters, herring drive food webs for larger fish, seabirds and marine mammals. They are harvested commercially for food and bait and show seasonal coastal aggregations important to fisheries and wildlife.

Olive flounder

A large flatfish common in coastal sandy bottoms; olive flounder is an important food fish in Korea, Japan and parts of Russia. It grows quickly, is farmed widely, and shows seasonal inshore movements for spawning.

Baikal omul

An endemic whitefish of Lake Baikal, omul is central to local cuisine and culture. It migrates along the lake and into inflowing rivers to spawn; prized for its delicate flesh and historically important to regional fisheries.

Baikal oilfish

A translucent, pelagic fish found only in Lake Baikal; golomyanka is almost entirely oily and lives in deep waters. It plays a unique role in Baikal food webs and is remarkable for its blubbery body and high-fat composition.

Northern pike

A long-bodied ambush predator of lakes and slow rivers, pike are top freshwater predators. Valued in sport and subsistence fishing, they reach large sizes and are known for sudden strikes and rowdy fights on the line.

Amur catfish

A large nocturnal catfish of lowland rivers and floodplain lakes; Amur catfish is eaten regionally and adapts to turbid waters. It can grow large, is often caught by set nets, and tolerates warm summer floods.

Muksun

A whitefish of Arctic rivers and estuaries, muksun is prized for its oily flesh and is a traditional food of northern peoples. Seasonal migrations bring large schools into rivers; stocks have been affected by climate and fishing pressure.

Black rockfish

A robust rockfish common on rocky reefs and coastal slopes, black rockfish is important to local fisheries and recreational anglers. It grows slowly, lives several decades, and is often caught near kelp and structure-rich habitats.

Japanese anchovy

A small, schooling forage fish abundant in coastal waters; Japanese anchovy supports large fisheries and serves as essential prey for larger fish and seabirds. It often forms dense nearshore schools seasonally and is used fresh, salted and dried.

Pacific sand lance

A slender, burrowing fish that forms dense schools in sandy shallows; sand lance are a key prey species for seabirds, fish and marine mammals. Their seasonal beach and nearshore availability drives local predator success and fisheries dynamics.

Fish in Other Regions