List of common species codes for fish landed in the United Kingdom
Updated 2 July 2025
This list is the most common species caught and the associated Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations short code. The list is not a comprehensive list of all species. A full list of codes is available on the FAO website. Registered Buyers and Sellers (RBS) can also access a list on the Electronic Recording System (ERS) when entering sales information.
Species name | Species code | Scientific name |
---|---|---|
Anglerfishes nei | ANF | Lophiidae |
Atlantic cod | COD | Gadus morhua |
Atlantic halibut | HAL | Hippoglossus hippoglossus |
Atlantic herring | HER | Clupea harengus |
Atlantic horse mackerel | HOM | Trachurus trachurus |
Atlantic mackerel | MAC | Scomber scombrus |
Ballan wrasse | USB | Labrus bergylta |
Black seabreamv | BRB | Spondyliosoma cantharus |
Blonde ray | RJH | Raja brachyura |
Brill | BLL | Scophthalmus rhombus |
Catsharks, nursehounds nei | SCL | Scyliorhinus spp |
Clams, etc. nei | CLX | Bivalvia |
Common cuttlefish | CTC | Sepia officinalis |
Common dab | DAB | Limanda limanda |
Common edible cockle | COC | Cerastoderma edule |
Common octopus | OCC | Octopus vulgaris |
Common prawn | CPR | vPalaemon serratus |
Common shrimp | CSH | Crangon crangon |
Common sole | SOL | Solea solea |
Cuckoo ray | RJN | Raja naevus |
Cuttlefish, bobtail squids nei | CTL | Sepiidae, Sepiolidae |
Dogfishes and hounds nei | DGH | Squalidae, Scyliorhinidae |
Edible crab | CRE | Cancer pagurus |
European anchovy | ANE | Engraulis encrasicolus |
European conger | COE | Conger conger |
European flat oyster | OYF | Ostrea edulis |
European flounder | FLE | Platichthys flesus |
European hake | HKE | Merluccius merluccius |
European lobster | LBE | Homarus gammarus |
European pilchard(=Sardine) | PIL | Sardina pilchardus |
European plaice | PLE | Pleuronectes platessa |
European seabass | BSS | Dicentrarchus labrax |
European smelt | SME | Osmerus eperlanus |
European sprat | SPR | Sprattus sprattus |
European squid | SQR | Loligo vulgaris |
Garfish | GAR | Belone belone |
Gilthead seabream | SBG | Sparus aurata |
Great Atlantic scallop | SCE | Pecten maximus |
Green crab | CRG | Carcinus maenas |
Grey gurnard | GUG | Eutrigla gurnardus |
Haddock | HAD | Melanogrammus aeglefinus |
John dory | JOD | Zeus faber |
Lemon sole | LEM | Microstomus kitt |
Ling | LIN | Molva molva |
Lumpfish(=Lumpsucker) | LUM | Cyclopterus lumpus |
Manila clam | CMM | Corbicula manilensis |
Megrim | MEG | Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis |
Megrims nei | LEZ | Lepidorhombus spp |
Mullets nei | MUL | Mugilidae |
Norway lobster | NEP | Nephrops norvegicus |
Pacific cupped oyster | OYG | Crassostrea gigas |
Periwinkles nei | PER | Littorina spp |
Pollack | POL | Pollachius pollachius |
Pouting(=Bib) | BIB | Trisopterus luscus |
Queen scallop | QSC | Aequipecten opercularis |
Rabbit fish | CMO | Chimaera monstrosa |
Red gurnard | GUR | Aspitrigla cuculus |
Saithe(Coalfish) | POK | Pollachius virens |
Sand sole | SOS | Solea lascaris |
Sandeels(=Sandlances) nei | SAN | Ammodytes spp |
Sea trout | TRS | Salmo trutta |
Shortfin squids nei | ILL | Illex spp |
Small-eyed ray | RJE | Raja microocellata |
Small-spotted catshark | SYC | Scyliorhinus canicula |
Smooth-hound | SMD | Mustelus mustelus |
Solen razor clams nei | RAZ | Solen spp |
Spinous spider crab | SCR | Maja squinado |
Spotted ray | RJM | Raja montagui |
Starry smooth-hound | SDS | Mustelus asterias |
Thornback ray | RJC | Raja clavata |
Tope shark | GAG | Galeorhinus galeus |
Tub gurnard | GUU | Chelidonichthys lucerna |
Turbot | TUR | Psetta maxima |
Undulate ray | RJU | Raja undulata |
Velvet swimming crab | LIO | Necora puber |
Whelk | WHE | Buccinum undatum |
Whiting | WHG | Merlangius merlangus |