Collective Nouns and Idioms

Fish

COLLECTIVE NOUNS
General

• A company of fish
• A draft of fish
• A drought of fish
• A family of fish
• A fray of fish
• A haul of fish
• A kettle of fish
• A nest of fish
• A run of fish
• A scale of fish
• A school of fish
• A shoal of fish
• A shoal of bass
• A catch of fish  ........... once caught
• A drought of fish ........ once caught
• A haul of fish ............... once caught

    
Alphabetical under fish name
Angel Fish:

•      A company of angel fish

Archer Fish

•      A company of archer fish

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Generally:  

• A shoal of fish is used when fish are swimming in a sociable group wherein individual fish may do as they please.
• A school of fish is used when the fish are all swimming in the same direction, forming a tight formation and swim in synchronisation.

Barracudas:

•      A battery of barracudas

Barbels:

•      A shoal of barbels

Bass:

•      A fleet of bass
•      A shoal of bass

Blackfish:

•      A grind of blackfish

Butterfly Fish:

•      A shoal of butterfly fish
•      A school of butterfly fish

Cod:

•      A lap of cod
•      A school of cod

Dragonet Fish:

•      A swarm of dragonet fish

Dogfish:

•       A troop of dogfish

Eels:

•      A bed of eels  
•      A fry of eels
•      A swarm of eels

Flying Fish:

•      A glide of flying fish
•      A squadron of flying fish

Goldfish:

•      A fling of goldfish
•      A glint of goldfish
•      A troubling of goldfish

Herring:

•      An army of herring
•      A cran of herring
•      A glean of herring
•      A shoal of herring

Mackerel:

•      A shoal of mackerel 

Minnows:

•       A shoal of minnows
•       A steam of minnows
•       A stream of minnows
•       A swarm of minnows

Perch:

•       A pack of perch

Pilchards:

•        A shoal of pilchards
•        A school of pilchards

Rays

•       A fever of rays

Porcupine Fish:

•        A cluster of porcupine fish

Rainbow Fish:

•      A party of rainbow fish

Roach:

•       A shoal of roach

Salmon:

•      A bind of salmon
•      A draft of salmon
•      A draught of salmon
•      A leap of salmon
•      A run of salmon
•      A school of salmon
•      A shoal of salmon

Sardines:

•      A family of sardines

Seahorses:

•      A herd of seahorses

Shad:

•      A shoal of shad

Shark:

•      A shiver of shark
•      A school of shark
•      A shoal of shark 

Smelts

•        A quantity of smelts

Stickleback:

•        A shoal of stickleback
•        A spread of stickleback

Swordfish:

•        A flotilla of swordfish

Trout:

•       A hover of trout
•       A shoal of trout

Tuna

•       A float of tuna
•       A troup of tuna

Whiting:

•       A pod of whiting    

​IDIOMS

• Another / different kettle of fish
• Better fish to fry
• Big fish
• Big fish in a small pond
• Cold fish
• Drink like a fish
• A pretty kettle of fish
• Fish around
• Fishing for complements
• Fish out of water
• Fish story
• Fishy
• Like shooting fish in a barrel
• Neither fish nor foul
• Plenty more fish in the sea
• What's that got to do with the price of fish?

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