Fish Art

Fishermen enjoy collecting artwork that display their favorite species of saltwater fish. There are many types of artwork that feature saltwater fish species. These are some of the most common species that are depicted in fish art:

Yellowfin Tuna - Yellowfin tuna are the most colorful of the tuna. Their bodies are dark metallic blue above, changing to silver on the belly. The body is often strikingly marked with a pattern of vertical lines. The fish get their name from the coloration of their fins which are bright yellow

Bluefin Tuna - Bluefin tuna are noted for having a large, torpedo-shaped body that is nearly circular in cross-section. The fish is dark blueish-black on the back and white on the lower sides and belly. A pattern of lines alternate with rows of spots on the lower sides.

Mahi Mahi - Mahi Mahi are one of the most beautiful saltwater fish. They are slender with a blunt head, colored green, yellow and blue. Also known as dolphin, dolphin fish and dorado.

Wahoo - Wahoo are long sleek pelagic fish with tiger stripe markings and razor sharp teeth. Wahoo are among the fastest of the pelagic fish.

King Mackerel - King mackerel are sometimes referred to as kingfish. These sleek fish are smaller relatives of wahoo. They lurk around wrecks, reefs and other structure, slashing baitfish with their incredibly sharp teeth.

White Marlin - These brightly colored billfish are smaller than blue and striped marlin, but are highly sought after by fishermen because of their spectacular leaps and cunning behavior.

Blue Marlin - These magnificent fish may weigh over 1000 lbs. Their blue backs, immense size and bill make them very recognizable.

Striped Marlin - Striped marlin are another large billfish. Anglers seek these fish out as they often travel in large groups.

Sailfish - Sailfish icons are popular on fish t-shirts. These billfish are recognized by their unique fan-shaped dorsal fin, bright colors and aggressive feeding habits.

Mako Shark - These incredibly fast sharks are loved by fishermen. They are instantly identified by their blue color, torpedo shaped bodies, fierce set of teeth and coal black eyes.

Great White Shark - The great white sharks are among the most well known of all saltwater fish.

Tiger Shark - Tiger sharks are popular with shark enthusiasts. These large sharks have a striking pattern of markings and command utmost respect in the water. Tiger sharks are among the known man-eaters.

Striped Bass - The beautiful fish are extremely popular with anglers. They have deep bodies with alternating stripes of brown and silver.

Summer Flounder - These flat fish have both eyes on the same side of their head. Their color varies, from dark brown to tan, depending on surroundings.

Bluefish - Bluefish are known for their fierce bites, aggressive feeding and brute strength. These fish range from 1-20 lbs and are greenish-blue in color.

Redfish- Also known as red drum, these large drum are among the top American game fish. They have heavy bodies with a coppery coloring.

Black Drum - Another large fish, adult black drum are anything but handsome. Adults are dark gray to brown with faint stripes while younger fish have a more prominent series of silver and black vertical stripes. Both adults and young fish have chin barbels.

Spotted Seatrout - Spotted seatrout are also known as "speckled trout". These beautiful fish have silvery gray backs with a white belly. The upper parts and tail of the fish have an iridescent sheen and black spots. The dorsal and tail fin are also spotted.

Weakfish - Weakfish are beautiful fish. Typically, fish have a dark olive back, iridescent blue and copper sides and a silvery white belly.

Grouper - American groupers include a wide range of species such as snowy grouper, nassau grouper, black grouper, red grouper, gag grouper, yellowtail grouper and others. These fish share common attributes including heavy bodies, bright colors and their tendency to live around wrecks, reefs and rocks.

Snook - These sleek hunters are silver with a prominent black stripe. Snook are found along the coastlines of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.

Tarpon - Known as the "silver king", these fish can be huge. They are favorites among fly rod enthusiasts and catch and release fishermen.

Spadefish - These fish are another reef-wreck dweller. They have angelfish shaped bodies and prominent vertical bars of alternating black and silver.

Black Sea Bass - These ocean fish are small to mid sized, but pack a fierce appetite and fight. Males are brightly colored with black, indigo blue, green and silver.

Tautog - These are another unattractive but highly prized saltwater fish. They grow slowly and are known for extreme intelligence. Tautog, also called blackfish live among shipwrecks, rocky areas and artificial reefs.

Freshwater fish are extremely popular subjects when it comes to wildlife art. Not only do artists enjoy working with fish-related projects, but these types of products draw a continued interest from buyers. Freshwater fish are commonly depicted thru photographs, paintings, carvings, sculptures and other art.

Largemouth bass are one of the most familiar freshwater fish in North America. They are heavy bodied fish, instantly recognized by their mottled green sides, enormous mouth and plump bellies. They live in shallow water habitats, among reeds, water lilies and other vegetation.

Smallmouth are shaped similar to largemouth but tend to be smaller and favor slightly different habitats. The smallmouth bass derives its name from the fact that the rear end of the lower jaw does not extend past the eye, while that of a largemouth does. The usual smallmouth seen by anglers is 8 to 15 inches long, and weighs less than three pounds.

Bluegill, also called bream are the most widely distributed sunfish. These colorful fish are well adapted to living in ponds, lakes, streams and even brackish water. Bluegill usually have a a black flexible tip on the gill cover. The gill cover is bright blue, giving the bluegill its name. The back and sides are dark green or brownish which is contrasted by a yellow, red or orange breast. Males in the breeding season have a dark red to mahogany colored breast. The sides of the fish usually display a series of vertical bars. Bluegill typically reach lengths of 7-9 inches.

Pumpkinseed are another common sunfish. Like bluegill, they are very deep-bodied. They are known for being one of the most colorful freshwater fish of North America, with males during the breeding season being the most colorful of all. Pumpkinseed have an orange or reddish breast and belly and its back and sides are brown to olive green, speckled with orange, yellow, blue, and green spots. The speckling of the flanks is interspersed with 7-8 dark vertical bands and narrow wavy stripes.

Crappie are also members of the sunfish family. Two species, black crappie and white crappie are found in North America. The two fish are similar, with bodies having patterns of speckled black, silver, green and white. Crappie are typically pan sized, although they sometimes exceed 12 inches. Both species of crappie are well adapted to living in ponds, lakes, streams and non-tidal reaches of rivers.

Walleye are freshwater fish known for their striking eyes which reflect light at night. Walleye are native to Canada and the northern United States and have been stocked in cooler reservoirs throughout much of the USA. The fish has a pattern of dark olive-brown and yellow-gold, with speckling on its sides and a dark area along the rear of a spiny dorsal fin. The lower lobe of the tail is tipped with white.

Yellow perch are a popular freshwater fish often seen in works of art. The yellow perch is a member of the perch family, which have a dorsal fin that is divided into separate spiny and soft-rayed portions. They are easily recognized by their orange fins and a body marked with vertical bars of alternating brown and yellow.

The chain pickerel is one of 3 popular members of the pike family. The species is named for its pattern of chain-like markings along its flanks. Other distinctive markings include black bars beneath each eye. Like other pike species, chain pickerel prefer quiet areas of aquatic vegetation or other cover where they lie in wait to ambush unsuspecting prey.

Northern pike have a pattern of light colored spots on a darker body. Pike lurk in the vegetation in the clear, shallow, warm waters near shore, although they may move to somewhat deeper areas during periods of high water temperatures. Their preferred food size is much larger than most other freshwater fish species.

The muskellunge is the largest member of the pike family. Muskies have a long cylindrical body and intimidating appearance. As with other pike, the jaws are shaped like a duck's bill, but the mouth is armed with fang-like teeth. The muskellunge is an efficient predator, lurking in plants, around submerged logs or other cover, waiting to strike unsuspecting prey. The average muskellunge is 28-48 inches in length, weighing 5-25 pounds, although trophy fish have been reported to reach 100 pounds and exceed 5 feet in length.

Channel catfish are the most abundant of the North American catfish species. They usually weigh 2-4 lbs, occasionally reaching weights of 40 pounds or more. Channel catfish are easily distinguished from other species, except blue catfish, by their deeply forked tail fin. They are olive-brown to slate-blue on the back and sides, with silvery-white on the belly.

Blue catfish are the largest American catfish. They grow faster and live longer than channel catfish. Blue catfish grow to over 55 inches long and can weigh over than 100 pounds, living 20-25 years. Adult blue catfish have stout bodies with prominently humped back in front of the dorsal fin. They have deeply forked tails similar to channel catfish, but lack spots and have a large straight edged anal fin. The back and upper sides are blue to slate gray, and the lower sides and belly are white.

White catfish are another American species. White catfish are bluish-gray with white undersides, broad head, large mouth, stout build and moderately forked tail. Their white chin barbells distinguish it from other species of catfish. White catfish occasionally reach lengths up to 24 inches and weigh 6 pounds but a typical fish is around 12-14 inches.

Several species of bullhead catfish live throughout North America, with 3 species being well known. They are similar in appearance, but easy to distinguish from non-bullhead species due to their squared tail and stocky build. Black bullhead have dark chin barbels and lack mottled markings on their sides. Brown bullhead have mottled sides and light margins on their fins. The common yellow bullhead are distinguished from other species of bullhead by their yellow or off-white chin barbels.