Persian Gulf

Waters
Fishes
General data
Catches (7)

Largest tributaries

Flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus)

Perciformes - Perches

Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix)

Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus)

Emperor red snapper (Lutjanus sebae)

Lemonfish (Plectorhinchus flavomaculatus)

Two-striped sweetlips (Plectorhinchus albovittatus)

Painted sweetlip (Plectorhinchus picus)

Common bluestripe snapper (Lutjanus kasmira)

Clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris)

Smallspotted grunter (Pomadasys commersonnii)

Waigieu seaperch (Psammoperca waigiensis)

Potato grouper (Epinephelus tukula)

Spotted soapfish (Pogonoperca punctata)

Indian Ocean oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus)

False scorpionfish (Centrogenys vaigiensis)

Midnight snapper (Macolor macularis)

Black and white snapper (Macolor niger)

Darkfin hind (Cephalopholis urodeta)

Blackspot snapper (Lutjanus ehrenbergii)

Goldenstriped soapfish (Grammistes sexlineatus)

Goldribbon soapfish (Aulacocephalus temminckii)

One-spot damselfish (Chrysiptera unimaculata)

Carangiformes - Jacks

Greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili)

Common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus)

Bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus)

Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis)

Bigeye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus)

Striped marlin (Kajikia audax)

Black marlin (Istiompax indica)

Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans)

Indo-Pacific sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus)

Shortbill spearfish (Tetrapturus angustirostris)

Yellowtail amberjack (Seriola lalandi)

Rainbow runner (Elagatis bipinnulata)

Longfin yellowtail (Seriola rivoliana)

Istiophoriformes - Barracudas

Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda)

Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes

Devil firefish (Pterois miles)

Streaked gurnard (Chelidonichthys lastoviza)

Bartail flathead (Platycephalus indicus)

Wispy waspfish (Paracentropogon longispinis)

Spotfin lionfish (Pterois antennata)

Red lionfish (Pterois volitans)

Red sea lionfish (Pterois cincta)

Ryukyu gurnard (Lepidotrigla ryukyuensis)

Lamniformes - Mackerel sharks

Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

Sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus)

Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)

Smalltooth sand tiger (Odontaspis ferox)

Bigeye thresher (Alopias superciliosus)

Carcharhiniformes - Ground sharks

Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena)

Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas)

Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)

Blacktail reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)

Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran)

Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis)

Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)

Milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus)

Starspotted smooth-hound (Mustelus manazo)

Orectolobiformes - Carpet shark

Zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum)

Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders

Indo-Pacific tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides)

Coelacanthiformes - Coelacanths

West Indian Ocean coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)

Indonesian coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis)

Myliobatiformes - Stingrays

Blue-spotted stingray (Neotrygon kuhlii)

Giant manta ray (Mobula birostris)

Reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi)

Cowtail stingray (Pastinachus sephen)

Round ribbontail ray (Taeniurops meyeni)

Scombriformes - Mackerels

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri)

Atlantic Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus)

Dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor)

Narrow-barred spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson)

Scrawled filefish (Aluterus scriptus)

Broom filefish (Amanses scopas)

Long-spine porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus)

Spot-fin porcupinefish (Diodon hystrix)

Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes

Striated frogfish (Antennarius striatus)

Lampriformes - Lamprids

Giant oarfish (Regalecus glesne)

Blackflash ribbonfish (Trachipterus jacksonensis)

Mediterranean dealfish (Trachipterus trachypterus)

Squaliformes - Sleeper and dogfish sharks

Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias)

Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes

Short-nosed unicornfish (Naso brevirostris)

Bluespine unicornfish (Naso unicornis)

Whitemargin unicornfish (Naso annulatus)

Japanese meagre (Argyrosomus japonicus)

Blackspot sergeant (Abudefduf sordidus)

Yellowbar angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus)

Spotbanded scat (Selenotoca multifasciata)

Canary drum (Umbrina canariensis)

Dusky spinefoot (Siganus luridus)

Barhead spinefoot (Siganus virgatus)

Lined surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus)

Goldtail angelfish (Pomacanthus chrysurus)

Bluering angelfish (Pomacanthus annularis)

Regal angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus)

Semicircled angelfish (Pomacanthus semicirculatus)

Emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator)

Yellowface angelfish (Pomacanthus xanthometopon)

Blue-girdled angelfish (Pomacanthus navarchus)

Scissortail sergeant (Abudefduf sexfasciatus)

Bengal sergeant (Abudefduf bengalensis)

Yellowtail sergeant (Abudefduf notatus)

Indo-Pacific sergeant (Abudefduf vaigiensis)

Anguilliformes - Eels and morays

Gymnothorax undulatus (Gymnothorax undulatus)

Zebra moray (Gymnomuraena zebra)

Laced moray (Gymnothorax favagineus)

Labriformes - Wrasses

Humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)

Sling-jaw wrasse (Epibulus insidiator)

Dusky wrasse (Halichoeres marginatus)

Zigzag wrasse (Halichoeres scapularis)

Checkerboard wrasse (Halichoeres hortulanus)

Canary wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)

Blue-spotted wrasse (Anampses caeruleopunctatus)

Barred thicklip (Hemigymnus fasciatus)

Blackeye thicklip wrasse (Hemigymnus melapterus)

Yellowbreasted wrasse (Anampses twistii)

Orange-dotted tuskfish (Choerodon anchorago)

Diana’s hogfish (Bodianus diana)

Axilspot hogfish (Bodianus axillaris)

Bird wrasse (Gomphosus varius)

Yellowblotch razorfish (Iniistius aneitensis)

Peacock wrasse (Iniistius pavo)

Fivefinger razorfish (Iniistius pentadactylus)

Rusty parrotfish (Scarus ferrugineus)

Quoy's parrotfish (Scarus quoyi)

Daisy parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus)

Splitlevel hogfish (Bodianus mesothorax)

Lyretail hogfish (Bodianus anthioides)

Gadiformes - Cods

Abyssal grenadier (Coryphaenoides armatus)

Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses

Ringed pipefish (Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus)

Bluespotted cornetfish (Fistularia commersonii)

Greater pipefish (Syngnathus acus)

Network pipefish (Corythoichthys flavofasciatus)

Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels

Snub-nosed spiny eel (Notacanthus chemnitzii)

Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes

Alfonsino (Beryx decadactylus)

Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels

Brunswig's Cusk-eel (Lamprogrammus brunswigi)

Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses

Atlantic wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)

Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes

Bermuda sea chub (Kyphosus sectatrix)

Brassy chub (Kyphosus vaigiensis)

Beloniformes - Needlefishes

Flat needlefish (Ablennes hians)

Hound needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus)

Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes

Speckled sandperch (Parapercis hexophtalma)

Spariformes - Breams and porgies

Spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus)

Two-lined monocle bream (Scolopsis bilineata)

Orange-striped emperor (Lethrinus obsoletus)

Longface emperor (Lethrinus olivaceus)

Rhinopristiformes - Shovelnose rays

Giant guitarfish (Rhynchobatus djiddensis)

Blenniiformes - Blennies

Ringneck blenny (Parablennius pilicornis)

Molly miller (Scartella cristata)

Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes

Sabre squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum)

Dash-and-dot goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus)

Gold-saddle goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus)

Yellowstripe goatfish (Mulloidichthys flavolineatus)

Clupeiformes - Herrings

Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax)

Gobiiformes - Gobies

Dusky frillgoby (Bathygobius fuscus)

Aulopiformes - Grinners

Brushtooth lizardfish, large-scale grinner or largescale saury (Saurida undosquamis)

The Persian Gulf is an extension of the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman and lies between Iran to the northeast and the Arabian Peninsula to the southwest. The Shatt al-Arab river delta forms the northwest shoreline.

The Persian Gulf has many fishing grounds, extensive reefs (mostly rocky, but also coral), and abundant pearl oysters, but its ecology has been damaged by industrialization and oil spills.

The Persian Gulf is in the Persian Gulf Basin, which is of Cenozoic origin and related to the subduction of the Arabian Plate under the Zagros Mountains. The current flooding of the basin started 15,000 years ago due to rising sea levels of the Holocene glacial retreat.