Picking a name for your pet fish can be a lot of fun but it can also be really tricky (especially if you have a tank full of similar looking fish)! Whether it’s a betta, a clownfish, or a guppy, you’ll be sure to find a unique, funny, cute, or plain fish name for your scaled, aquatic friend in this list. Now you’ll just need to be able to tell who is who in that school of fish.
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Pet Fish – Great Names and Fun Facts
Fictional Fish Names
Want to name your fish in honor of a make-believe fish? There are plenty of options!
- Cleo: Geppetto's goldfish in the Disney movie Pinnochio
- Larry: a Shark from the movie Shark Tales
- Bruce: a "friendly" shark from the movie Finding Nemo
- Don Lino: a not-so-friendly shark from the movie Shark Tales
- Dory: a little blue fish played by Ellen DeGeneres in the movie Finding Nemo and Finding Dory
- Nemo: a little clownfish from the movie Finding Nemo
- Marlin: Nemo's clownfish dad
- Mr. Limpet: a man-turned-fish, played by Don Knotts in The Incredible Mr. Limpet
- Mrs. Puff: Sponge Bob's hapless driving teacher
- Otto: a goldfish that grows to tremendous size in the Dr. Seuss book A Fish Out of Water
- Swimmy: the protagonist in the children's book of the same time
- Rainbow Fish: the fish who gives away all her rainbow scales in the children's book The Rainbow Fish
- Flounder: Ariel the Mermaid's close fish friend from the movie Little Mermaid
- Jaws: the terrifying shark from the movie Jaws
- Wanda: the luckless fish from the movie A Fish Called Wanda
- One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, or Blue Fish: from the Dr. Seuss book of the same name
Not Technically Fish But Close Enough for Fun
While a purist may feel that fish should only get fish names, these other ocean-going creatures have some pretty great names too:
- Leviathan: a gigantic mythical sea creature
- Flipper: everyone's favorite dolphin (which is technically a mammal)
- Sponge Bob: he's a sponge, but he lives under the sea
- Squidward: Sponge Bob's best frenemy
- Sebastian: a crab, from the movie Little Mermaid
- Ariel: The Little Mermaid
- Poseidon: Ariel's father the King
- Willie: a famous whale (another mammal) from the movie Free Willie
Fun and Silly Fish Names
If you're looking for a giggle, these fish names may be perfect for your pet.
- Algae
- Algae B Eater
- Alpha
- Angel
- Atlantic
- Atlantis
- Bait
- BigFish
- Bubbles
- Bubbly
- Calypso
- Fin
- Finley
- Fish
- Fish N' Chips
- Fishy
- Flash
- Flip
- Flotsam
- General Finn
- Goldie
- Hydra
- Jaques Cousteau
- Jetsam
- Jonah
- Kraken
- Mahi Mahi
- Mr. Bubbles
- Mr. Nibbles
- Pacific
- Sushi
- Tetra
- Walleye
More About Fish Names
While the names above are great for any fish, you’ll want to know much more about the specific species of fish living in your aquarium. Not only will you want to choose an appropriate name, but you’ll also want to find out more about how to care for your fish. Each species needs something a little different to live a long, healthy life.
