The South China Sea contains both shallow-water coastal fish communities and open-water pelagic fisheries. Representative fish reported from the region include tuna and tuna-like fishes, sardinellas, anchovies, milkfish, mullets, Asian seabass, groupers and eels. That is not a complete species list: some examples come from broad regional catch statistics, while others are fish used in aquaculture in countries bordering the sea.
Two broad fish communities
Coastal and shallow-water fish
FAO describes the South China Sea as having high marine shallow-water biodiversity. Coastal habitats support numerous fishes associated with nearshore waters, estuaries, bays, reefs and other shallow environments, although the available evidence does not assign every species to a particular habitat or coastline.
Pelagic, open-water fish
The sea also supports exploited pelagic resources. Tuna and tuna-like fishes, sardinellas and anchovies appear as important groups in Western Central Pacific fishery descriptions. Those assessments cover a broader statistical region than the South China Sea, so they should be read as regional fishery evidence rather than a sea-wide wild-species census.
Representative fish associated with the region
| Fish or group | What the evidence shows | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Tuna and tuna-like fishes | Major groups in Western Central Pacific landings | Broad regional catch category, not a South China Sea-only inventory |
| Sardinellas | Significant small pelagic fish group in regional fisheries | Often reported in aggregate in fishery statistics |
| Anchovies | Significant regional pelagic fish group | Regional assessment evidence; individual species and locations vary |
| Milkfish (Chanos chanos) | Used in coastal aquaculture in countries bordering the sea | A farming record does not prove continuous wild distribution throughout the South China Sea |
| Mullets (Mugil spp.) | Used in regional coastal aquaculture | Genus-level aquaculture example rather than one identified species |
| Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) | Named among finfish suitable for culture in Vietnam | Vietnamese aquaculture context |
| Groupers (Epinephelus spp.) | Named among finfish suitable for culture in Vietnam | Broad genus label in an aquaculture source |
| Eels (Anguilla spp.) | Named among finfish suitable for culture in Vietnam | Broad genus label in an aquaculture source |
Why a short list cannot represent all South China Sea fish
Catch categories are not a biodiversity checklist
Fishery statistics may combine several species under labels such as “miscellaneous” or “unidentified.” A landing total therefore describes what was reported or landed, not every fish living in the ecosystem. FAO’s global ASFIS statistical list contained 13,708 species items in 2025, but that number is a worldwide reporting list and is not a count of South China Sea fish.
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Aquaculture records are different from wild observations
Milkfish, mullets, Asian seabass, groupers and eels are documented as cultured or suitable for culture in regional sources. Fish may be farmed in coastal countries without being established as wild residents across the entire sea. Keep “raised in South China Sea countries” separate from “recorded in the sea’s wild fish communities.”
National waters and habitats differ
The South China Sea spans many coastlines and jurisdictions, with different sampling programs and reporting systems. The evidence available here does not provide a current, species-by-species list for every reef, estuary, shelf and offshore area.
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What is known about the fisheries
An older FAO regional assessment characterizes the South China Sea as highly biodiverse in shallow water and as supporting exploited pelagic species, while also describing fishery resources as overexploited, with some heavily depleted. That is a dated regional assessment, not a current measurement of every stock.
FAO’s 2022 review assessed stocks in the broader Western Central Pacific for 2019. It reported that 79.6% of assessed stocks were within biologically sustainable levels, while few were considered underfished, particularly in the western South China Sea. Because the geography is broader than the sea and the assessment year was 2019, this figure should not be presented as a current whole-South-China-Sea scorecard.
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Historical scale of fishing
A review recorded by FAO AGRIS in 2017 gave estimates for the 2000s of 11–17 million tonnes of annual South China Sea catch, USD 12–22 billion in annual landed value and employment close to 3 million people. These are historical estimates, not current totals. The same review linked overfishing with biodiversity and habitat loss and with a “fished down” trophic structure.
SEAFDEC’s South China Sea statistical bulletin series covers 1979–2007. SEAFDEC notes that countries collect different data items according to national priorities and objectives, so any catch number needs its year, geographic scope and reporting definition attached.
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How to use fish names responsibly
- Call tuna, sardinellas and anchovies regional fishery groups unless a source identifies a particular species and South China Sea location.
- Label milkfish, mullets, Asian seabass, groupers and eels as aquaculture examples when that is how the source presents them.
- Do not treat a landed-catch category as proof that a species is abundant, resident year-round or found in every national sector.
- For identification, use a field guide or species-identification sheets that match the location and habitat; a general fish list cannot substitute for local identification.
Bottom line for readers
The best-supported answer is that the South China Sea contains diverse shallow-water and coastal fishes alongside open-water pelagic fish. Tuna and tuna-like fishes, sardinellas and anchovies are prominent regional fishery groups; milkfish, mullets, Asian seabass, groupers and eels are documented in South China Sea countries’ aquaculture context. No single short list establishes every wild species living throughout the entire sea.
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