Ordering the right fish can be a linguistic challenge, with most Croatian words bearing little resemblance to their English counterparts. Help is at hand with this useful glossary.
A lot of pointing goes on at fish restaurants in Hvar. The names for fish in Croatian bear little resemblance to those in English, and communication between waiter and customer often breaks down over fish names. Added to the confusion is the rich collection of dialect words for fish.
Some help is at hand, and many thanks to Vivan Grisogono for compiling this very useful glossary of fish names, which should prove of some assistance to some of you.
ANĆUGA – ANCHOVY
BARBUN – STRIPED, RED MULLET
BLATAR – STRIPED, RED MULLET
BODEC CRVENI – GROUPER
BRADAVČICA – STRIPED, RED MULLET
BRANCIN – SEA-BASS, SEA-PERCH
BRBAVICA – WARTY VENUS
BRGLJICA – ANCHOVY
BUKVA – BOGUE
BUTURAC – TURBOT, BRETT, FLOUNDER
CIGANIN – JOHN DORY
CIP – STRIPED BREAM, MARMOR BRASSEN
CIPAL BALAVAC – THIN-LIPPED GREY MULLET
CIPAL BATAŠ – GREY MULLET
CIPAL ZLATAR – GOLDEN GREY MULLET
CRLJENAK – GROUPER
CRNOREP – SADDLED BREAM, BLACK-TAILED SEA-BREAM
ČEŠALJ – SADDLED BREAM, BLACK-TAILED SEA-BREAM
DAGNJA – MUSSEL
DORINKA – GROUPER
FRATAR – TWO-BANDED BREAM
GAVICA – SPRAT
GIRA – PICAREL
GIRA ATLANTSKA – CURLED PICAREL, ATLANTIC PICAREL
GIRA OŠTRULJA – BLOTCHED PICAREL
GLAV – BOGUE
GLAVOČ ZLATAC – GOLDEN GOBY
GLAVOČ BLATAR – BLACK GOBY
GLAVOČ PLOČAR – GIANT GOBY
GLIBAVAC – STRIPED, RED MULLET
GLISTAVAC – CONGER EEL
GOF – AMBERJACK, YELLOWTAIL
GRDOBINA MRKULJA – MONKFISH, ANGLERFISH, SEA DEVIL, ABBOTT
GRDOBINA ŽUTKA – FROGFISH, BLACK-BELLIED ANGLER
GRUG – CONGER EEL
INĆUN – ANCHOVY
IGLUN – SWORDFISH
IVERAK – FLOUNDER, FLUKE
IVERAK ZLATOPJEG – PLAICE
JAKOVSKA KAPICA – SCALLOP
JANDORGA – FLOUNDER,FLUKE
JESETRA JADRANSKA – ADRIATIC STURGEON
KAMENICA – OYSTER
KATARINČICA – SPRAT
KIRNJA – GROUPER
KIRNJA DUGULJA – STRIPED, GOLDEN GROUPER
KIRNJA GLAVULJA – STONE BASS, WRECKFISH
KIRNJA GOLEMA – DUSKY GROUPER, DUSKY PERCH
KIRNJA ZLATICA – GREY, WHITE GROUPER
KIRNJA ZUBUŠA – DOGTOOTH GROUPER
KOMARCA – GILTHEAD SEA-BREAM
KOVAC – JOHN DORY
KOZICE – PRAWNS (SHRIMPS)
KUĆICE – SHELLS
KUNJKA – NOAH’S ARK
KURCILJ – ANCHOVY
LAMPUGA – COMMON DOLPHINFISH
LIGNJA – SQUID
LIST – COMMON (DOVER) SOLE
LOKARDA – SPANISH MACKEREL
LOKARDICA – ATLANTIC MACKEREL
LUBIN – SEA-BASS, SEA-PERCH
LUC – BONITO, SKIPJACK TUNA
LUC – ATLANTIC LITTLE TUNA
MALE KAPICE – SCALLOPS
MINĆUN – ANCHOVY
MODRAK – BLOTCHED PICAREL
MOL – HAKE
MORINA – GROUPER
MORSKI PAS – SHARK
MORUNA – GREAT STURGEON, BELUGA
MURINA ŽUTOŠARKA – MORAY (EEL)
MURINA CRNJKA – BROWN OR SPOTTED MORAY
MUŠULA – NOAH’S ARK
OBLIĆ – TURBOT, BRETT, FLOUNDER
OĆADA – SADDLED BREAM, BLACK-TAILED SEA-BREAM
ORADA – GILTHEAD SEA-BREAM
ORHAN – AMBERJACK
OSLIĆ – HAKE
OVČICA – STRIPED BREAM, MARMOR BRASSEN
PAGAR – SEA-BREAM
PALAMIDA – PELAMID, BELTED BONITO
PAPALINA – SPRAT
PAS BUTOR – TOPE, SCHOOL SHARK
PAS MODRULJ – BLUE SHARK
PAS TRUPAN ŠILJOKRILAC – SANDBAR SHARK
PASTRUGA – STARRY STURGEON
PASTRVA MORSKA, P.JADRANKA – SEA TROUT
PASTRVA DUZICASTA – RAINBOW TROUT
PAŠARA – FLOUNDER, FLUKE
PETROVO UHO – SEA EAR, ABALONE
PISTAĆ – SPRAT
PLAĆ – COMMON (DOVER) SOLE
PLAT – TURBOT, BRETT, FLOUNDER
PLOCA – FLOUNDER, FLUKE
PRNJAVICA – WART VENUS
PRSTACI – RAZOR SHELLS
RAK – CRAB
RUMBAČ KVRGAŠ – TURBOT, BRETT, FLOUNDER
RUMENKA – ABALONE, SEA SNAIL
SABLJAK, SABLJAN – SWORDFISH
SALPA – GOLDLIN, BAMBOA FISH
SARDELIN – SPRAT
SARDON – ANCHOVY
SARPELICA – SPRAT
SIPA – CUTTLEFISH
SKUŠA – ATLANTIC MACKEREL
SRDELA – PILCHARD, SARDINE
SRDELA GOLEMA – GILT, ROUND SARDINE
SRDJELICA – SPRAT
SVETI PETAR – JOHN DORY
ŠARAK – SPRAT
ŠANPJER – JOHN DORY
ŠKALJAŠ – CONGER EEL
ŠKAMPI – SHRIMPS (SCAMPI)
ŠKARAM – EUROPEAN BARRACUDA, SPET
ŠKARPINA – GROUPER
ŠKOLJKA – SHELL; CLAM, MUSSEL
ŠNJUR GOLEMI – ATLANTIC JACK, BLUE JACK MACKEREL
ŠNJUR PUČINAR – MEDITERRANEAN HORSE MACKEREL
ŠNJUR ŠIROKI – HORSE MACKEREL, SCAD
TRAGALJ – BLOTCHED PICAREL
TRILJA – MULLET
TRLJA BLATARICA – STRIPED, RED MULLET; GOAT FISH
TRLJA KAMENJARKA – STRIPED, RED MULLET; SURMULLET
TRUP PRUGAVAC – BONITO, SKIPJACK TUNA
TUNJ – TUNA, ATLANTIC BLUEFIN TUNA
UGOR – CONGER EEL
UŠATA – SADDLED BREAM, BLACK-TAILED SEA-BREAM
ZUBATAC – DENTEX, DOG’S TEETH
ZUBATAC KRUNAŠ – PINK DENTEX, DOGSTEETH
There is an excellent authoritative work in Croatian on fish in the region, including translations into twenty different languages, as well as photographs. Sva Riba Jadranskog Mora (All the Fish of the Adriatic Sea) was written by Neven Milišic and published by Marjan Tisak in 2003, (ISBN 978-953-214-406-2), with a second part to this work was published in 2007, ISBN (978-953-214-408-6). With thanks to Vivian Grisogono.
