List of common species codes for fish landed in the United Kingdom
Updated 19 June 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/buyers-and-sellers-of-first-sale-fish-and-submission-of-sales-notes/list-of-common-species-codes-for-fish-landed-in-the-united-kingdom
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 |