December Birth Fish Calendar
Year-end markets are at their busiest: all 17 of December's species are in season, among them Blackthroat seaperch, Silver pomfret, Red king crab, and Arctic sandfish. The Marbled rockfish, said to firm up in the cold, is the birth fish for December 15.
Our birth fish are an independently compiled system: our editors prefer species whose peak season (shun) includes each date, and the list covers seafood of every kind — crustaceans, shellfish, and cephalopods included. Other sites may assign different fish, but this page follows our own mapping throughout.
Find your date's fish — and add its fish words to a Christmas or year-end gift.
What is the birth fish of December?
December's birth fish include Blackthroat seaperch, Silver pomfret, Red king crab, and Giant Pacific octopus — all at their winter peak. In our calendar, each of the 31 days of December has its own fish.
December birth fish (31 days)
All 31 days of December, with birth fish, fish words, categories, and peak-season months. Fish words are examples. Season notes and more detail are on each day's page.
| Date | Birth fish | Fish words | Category | Peak season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/1 |  Blackthroat seaperch | luxury, quietude | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/2 |  Silver pomfret | silver blade, moon | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/3 |  Red king crab | boldness, strength | crustacean | Dec, Jan |
| 12/4 |  Yellowtail amberjack | quiet winter, whiteness | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/5 |  Arctic sandfish | thunder, blessing | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/6 |  Arctic cod | modesty, northern snow | sea fish | Dec |
| 12/7 | Silver pomfret | silver blade, moon | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/8 | Arctic sandfish | thunder, blessing | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/9 |  Darkbanded rockfish (menuke) | molting, renewal | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/10 |  Fat greenling | tenacity, patience | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/11 | Arctic sandfish | thunder, blessing | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/12 |  Rosy rockfish | dream, depth | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/13 |  Bluefin gurnard | mentor, supporting role | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/14 |  Giant Pacific octopus | north, greatness | cephalopod | Dec, Jan |
| 12/15 |  Marbled rockfish | caution, core | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/16 |  Marbled flounder | sincerity, diligence | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/17 | Silver pomfret | silver blade, moon | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/18 |  Grey mullet | journey, fortitude | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/19 |  Greenland halibut | northern sea, depth | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/20 |  Black rockfish | northern rock, gravity | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/21 |  Stone flounder | grit, stone | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/22 | Bluefin gurnard | mentor, supporting role | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 12/23 | Fat greenling | tenacity, patience | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/24 | Black rockfish | northern rock, gravity | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/25 | Stone flounder | grit, stone | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/26 | Greenland halibut | northern sea, depth | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/27 | Giant Pacific octopus | north, greatness | cephalopod | Dec, Jan |
| 12/28 | Marbled rockfish | caution, core | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/29 | Arctic cod | modesty, northern snow | sea fish | Dec |
| 12/30 | Darkbanded rockfish (menuke) | molting, renewal | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 12/31 | Grey mullet | journey, fortitude | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
The December seafood season
December is the deep-winter market at full strength. The Blackthroat seaperch — said to be at its best in the year's last month — and the Silver pomfret, whose peak runs from November into December, headline the fish counters. The Red king crab, a crustacean whose fishing season peaks in midwinter, anchors the shellfish corner.
Cold-water species crowd in: the Arctic sandfish's season runs from November into December, and the Arctic cod lists December as its peak month. The Giant Pacific octopus and a whole shelf of winter flatfish — Greenland halibut, Stone flounder, Marbled flounder — make the month a festival of northern seafood.
How to enjoy December birth fish
- Choose by fish words: caution and core, the words given to the Marbled rockfish, suit a steady soul.
- Taste the season: winter rockfish shine in a slow nimono, and the Blackthroat seaperch is a shioyaki favorite.
- Pair it with the birthday color: Christmas colors beside the day's fish make a festive card.
- For gifts and cards: a crab or seaperch birthday note carries real year-end luxury.
FAQ
- What is the birth fish of December?
- December's birth fish include Blackthroat seaperch, Silver pomfret, Red king crab, and Giant Pacific octopus. Every day of December has its own fish in our calendar.
- What fish is assigned to December 15?
- December 15 is the Marbled rockfish, a rockfish said to firm up as winter sets in. Its fish words are caution and core.
- How is a birth fish different from a birth flower or star?
- Birth flowers and birth stars are assigned day by day. Birth fish are day-by-day too — but the season is their marker: each date's fish is a species whose peak season (shun) includes that day.
- Why do birth fish differ between sites?
- Birth fish have no official standard, so every site's list is its own. We publish one consistent rule — prefer species whose peak season includes each date — and apply it across all twelve months.
Our birth fish are an original editorial system, not an official standard: each date is matched to a species whose peak season (shun) includes it. The list includes seafood — crustaceans, shellfish, and cephalopods — as well as freshwater fish. See our editorial policy for details.Editorial policy