Explore the Cretan

Fish

Fish of Crete
(14 votes)

 Crete is located in the middle of the South East Mediterranean sea and abounds in fish species.

Here we present a list of the most commonly met fish of Crete. This can be a valuable guide for snorkellers, so as to recognize the fish they see while snorkeling.

We strongly recommend to have a look at the Snorkeler's Guide for Mediterranean Fish here

Icon English/ Greek name Scientific name Information Photos
Diplecogaster_bimaculata

Two-spotted clingfish

Κολητσίδα

Diplecogaster bimaculata

*L:2-4cm
D:18-36m

Safe

Apogon_imberbis

Cardinal fish

Καρδινάλιος

Apogon imberbis

 L:10cm
D:10-200m

Safe

Atherina_boyeri

Big-scale sand smelt

Αθερίνα

Atherina boyeri

 L:10cm
D:1-10m

Safe

Spicara_smaris

Picarel

Μαρίδα

Spicara smaris

 L:8-12cm
D:15-170m

Safe

Belone_belone

Garpike

Ζαργάνα

Belone belone

 L:30-60cm
D:0-10m

Safe

parablennius_tentacularis

Tentacled bienny

Σαλιάρα

 Parablennius tentacularis

 L:15cm
D:3-15m

Safe

Synodus_saurus

Lizardfish

Σκαρμός

Synodus saurus

 L:15-30cm
D:1-20m

Safe

Bothus_podes

Wide-eyed flounder

Γλώσσα

Bothus podas

 L:10-20cm
D:15-400m

Safe

Callionymus_lyra

Dragonet

Καλλιώνυμος

Callionymus lyra

L:10-15cm
D:5-430m

Safe

Parexocoetus_mento

African sailfin flyingfish

Χελιδονόψαρο

Parexocoetus mento

L:6-10cm
D:0-20m

Safe

Trigloporus_lastoviza

Streaked gurnard

Καπόνι

Trigloporus lastoviza

L:10-20cm
D:10-150m

Safe

Gobius_niger

Black goby

Μαυρογωβιός, κοκκωβιός

Gobius niger

 L:8-15cm
D:1-75m

Safe

Thalassoma_pavo

Omate wrasse

Γαϊτανούρι

Thalassoma pavo

 L:10-20cm
D:1-150m

Safe

Coris_julis

Rainbow wrasse

Γύλος

Coris julis

 L:10-20cm
D:0-120m

Safe

Symphonus_mediterrneus

Axilliary wrasse

Κοκκινολαπίνα

Symphodus mediterraneus

 L:6-12cm
D:1-50m 

Safe

Symphonus_cireneus

 Gray wrasse

Φαγανέλι

Symphodus cinereus

 L:7-10cm
D:5-20m 

Safe

Symphonus_tince

Peacock wrasse

Ταωλαπίνα

Symphodus tinca

 L:10-25cm
D: 1-50m 

Safe

Labrus_merula

Brown wrasse

Χειλού

Labrus merula

 L:15-30cm
D:5-30m 

Safe

Xyrichthys_novacula

Pearly razorfish

Κτένι, λειρί, Κατσούλα

Xyrichthys novacula

 L:10-20cm
D:5-30m 

Safe

Dicentrarchus_labrax

European seabass

Λαυράκι

Dicentrarchus labrax

 L:25-60cm
D:10-100m 

Safe

Mugil_cephalus

Flathead mullet

Κέφαλος

Mugil cephalus

 L:30-50cm
D:0-120m 

Safe

Muraena_helena

Mediterranean moray

Σμέρνα

Muraena helena

 L:60-100cm
D:0-50m 

Hazardous

Conger_conger

Conger

Μουγγρί

Conger conger

 L:100-150cm
D:0-500m 

Hazardous

Mullus_surmuletus

Striped red mullet

Μπαρμπούνι

Mullus surmuletus

 L:15-25cm
D:5-60m

Safe

Mullus_barbatus

Red mullet

Κουτσομούρα

Mullus barbatus

 L:10-25cm
D:10-300m 

Safe

Chromis_chromis

Damselfish

Καλογριά

Chromis chromis

 L:6-12cm
D:2-40m 

Safe

Raja_clavata

Thornback ray

Σαλάχι, ράγια

Raja clavata

 L:80-100cm
D:20-300m 

Hazardous

Torpedo_nobiliana

Electric ray

Μουδιάστρα

Torpedo nobiliana

 L:100-150cm
D:2-800m 

Electric shock

Mobula_mobula

Giant Devilray

Διαβολόψαρο

Mobula mobular

 L:300-650cm
D:0-1200m 

Hazardous

Balistes_carolinensis

Triggerfish

Γουρουνόψαρο

Balistes carolinensis

L:25-45cm
D:0-100m 

Safe

Sparisoma_cretense

Parrotfish

Σκάρος

Sparisoma cretense

 L:15-30cm
D:10-50m 

Safe

Scorpaena_scrofa

Red scorpionfish

Κόκκινη σκορπίνα

Scorpaena scrofa

 L:20-30cm
D:20-500m 

Hazardous

scorpaena_porcus

Black scorpionfish

Μαυροσκορπιός

Scorpaena porcus

 L:10-20cm
D:15:500m 

Hazardous

serranus_hepatus

Brown comber

Περκάκι, καψομούλα

Serranus hepatus

L:8-12cm
D:5-100m 

Safe

serranus_cabrilla

Comber

Χάνος

Serranus cabrilla

 L:15-25cm
D:5-100m 

Safe

serranus_scriba

Painted comber

Πέρκα

Serranus scriba

 L:10-25cm
D:5-150m 

Safe

Epinephelus_marginatus

Dusky grouper

Ροφός

Epinephelus marginatus

 L:20-80cm
D:8-300m 

Safe

Epinephelus_aeneus

White grouper

Σφυρίδα

Epinephelus aeneus

 L:20-80cm
D:20-200m 

Safe

Epinephelus_alexandrinus

Golden grouper

Στείρα

Epinephelus alexandrinus

 L:30-80cm
D:20-300m 

Safe

Polyprion_americanus

Wreckfish

Βλάχος

Polyprion americanus

 L:70-150cm
D:40-600m 

Safe

Siganus_luridus

Dusky spinefoot

Γερμανός

Siganus luridus

 L:10-20cm
D:1-40m 

Spines

Pegellus_acarne

Axilliary seabream

Μουσμούλι

Pagellus acarne

 L:10-25cm
D:40-100m 

Safe

Pagellus_erythrinus

Common Pandora

Λυθρίνι

Pagellus erythrinus

 L:10-25cm
D:20-100m 

Safe

Oblada_melanura

Saddled seabream

Μελανούρι

Oblada melanura

 L:30-50cm
D:2-30m 

Safe

Sarpa_salpa

Salema

Σάλπα

Sarpa salpa

L:10-30cm
D:4-70m 

Safe

Pseudocaranx_dentex

White trevally

Κοκάλι

Pseudocaranx dentex

 L:25-40cm
D:10-200m 

Safe

Lichia_amia

Leerfish

Λίτσα

Lichia amia

 L:80-160cm
D:0-50m 

Safe

Pomatomus_saltatrix

Bluefish

Γοφάρι

Pomatomus saltatrix

 L:50-100cm
D:0-200m 

Safe

Seriola_dumerili

Greater amberjack

Μαγιάτικο

Seriola dumerili

 L:30-90cm
D:1-360m 

Safe

Coryphaena_hippurus

Dorado

Κυνηγός, Λαμπούκα

Coryphaena hippurus

 L:40-100cm
D:0-85m 

Safe

Xiphias_gladius

Swordfish

Ξιφίας

Xiphias gladius

 L:150-400cm
D:0-800m 

Dangerous

Thunnus_thynnus

Tuna

Τόνος

Thunnus thynnus

 L:150-350cm
D:0-200m 

Safe

Sarda_sarda

Atlantic bonito

Παλαμίδα

Sarda sarda

 L:20-60cm
D:80-200m 

Safe

Merluccius_merluccius

European hake

Μπακαλιάρος

Merluccius merluccius

 L:30-80cm
D:30-500m 

Safe

Sparus_aurata

Gilthead seabream

Τσιπούρα

Sparus aurata

 L:20-50cm
D:1-150m 

Safe

Pagrus_pagrus

Red porgy

Φαγκρί

Pagrus pagrus

 L:20-50cm
D:0-250m 

Safe

Dentex_macrophthalmus

Large Eyed Dentex

Μπαλάς

Dentex macrophthalmus

 L:20-65cm
D:30-500m 

Safe

Dentex_dentex

Dentex

Συναγρίδα

Dentex dentex

 L:40-90cm
D:0-200m 

Safe

Diplodus_puntazzo

Sharpsnout seabream

Μυτάκι

Diplodus puntazzo

 L:10-25cm
D:0-150m 

Safe

Diplodus_annularis

Annular seabream

Σπάρος

Diplodus annularis

 L:10-20cm
D:0-90m 

Safe

Diplodus_vulgaris

Common two-banded seabream

Κακαρέλος

Diplodus vulgaris

L:15-25cm
D:0-160m 

Safe

Diplodus_sargus

White seabream

Σαργός

Diplodus sargus

L:15-30cm
D:0-50m 

Safe

Spondyliosoma_cantharus

Black seabream

Σκαθάρι

Spondyliosoma cantharus

L:15-30cm
D:0-300m 

Safe

Lithognathus_mormyrus

Striped seabream

Μουρμούρα

Lithognathus mormyrus

L:10-20cm
D:0-150m 

Safe

Boops_boops

Bogue

Γόπα

Boops boops

L:10-25cm
D:0-100m 

Safe

Sardina_pilchardus

Pilchard

Σαρδέλα

Sardina pilchardus

L:10-20cm
D:10-100m 

Safe

Scomber_japonicus

Chub mackerel

Κολιός

Scomber japonicus

 L:20-30cm
D:0-300m 

Safe

Sphyraena_sphyraena

European barracuda

Λούτσος

Sphyraena sphyraena

L:20-50cm
D:0-100m 

Hazardous

Mustelus_mustelus

Smooth hound

Γαλέος

Mustelus mustelus

L:60-140cm
D:5-200m 

Safe

Lamna_nasus

Porbeagle

Λάμια

Lamna nasus

L:180-250cm
D:0-700m 

Avoid contact

Cetorhinus_maximus

Basking shark

Σαπουνάς

Cetorhinus maximus

L:3-10m
D:0-2000m 

Generally Harmless

Trachinus_draco

Greater weever

Δράκαινα

Trachinus draco

 L:10-20cm
D:1-150m 

Hazardous

Lagocephalus_lagocephalus

Oceanic puffer

Λαγοκέφαλος

Lagocephalus lagocephalus

 L:20-50cm
D:10-100m 

Hazardous, toxic

Zeus_faber

John Dory, St Pierre

Χριστόψαρο

Zeus faber

L:20-45cm
D:50-150m 

Safe

Mola_mola

Ocean sunfish

Φεγγαρόψαρο

Mola mola

L:2-3m
D:30-400m 

Safe

Hippocampus_guttulatus

Long-snouted seahorse

Ιππόκαμπος

Hippocampus guttulatus

L:5-10cm
D:0-12m 

Safe

  • L= Length
  • D=Depth Range

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