February Birth Fish Calendar
Late winter keeps the market generous: of February's 18 species, the standouts are Japanese Spanish mackerel, Horsehair crab, Barfin flounder, and Alaska pollock. The flatfish family is well represented, with the Arctic flounder beside the Barfin flounder in the month's calendar.
Our birth fish are an independently compiled system, not a tradition with a single source: our editors prefer species whose peak season (shun) includes each date, and the list covers seafood of every kind — crustaceans, shellfish, and cephalopods among them. Other sites may differ; this page follows one mapping throughout.
Find the fish for your date — its fish words make a quiet addition to a Valentine.
What is the birth fish of February?
February's birth fish include Japanese Spanish mackerel, Horsehair crab, Arctic flounder, and Japanese smelt — each at its winter peak. In our calendar, all 29 days of February have their own fish.
February birth fish (29 days)
All 29 days of February, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/1 |  Japanese Spanish mackerel | sharpness, swiftness | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/2 |  Arctic flounder | willow leaf, winter | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/3 |  Sea cucumber | regeneration, rest | sea delicacy | Jan, Feb |
| 2/4 | Japanese Spanish mackerel | sharpness, swiftness | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/5 |  Horsehair crab | rustic, attachment | crustacean | Feb, Mar |
| 2/6 |  Barfin flounder | depth, dexterity | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/7 |  Alaska pollock | foundation, support | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/8 |  Blackthroat seaperch | luxury, quietude | sea fish | Nov, Dec |
| 2/9 |  Snow crab | steadfastness, protection | crustacean | Nov, Dec |
| 2/10 |  Japanese smelt | snow, lightness | freshwater fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/11 |  Japanese spiny lobster | celebration, longevity | crustacean | Nov, Dec |
| 2/12 |  Pacific bluefin tuna | king of the sea, rank | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 2/13 |  Monkfish | patience, ingenuity | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 2/14 |  Common octopus | wisdom, flexibility | cephalopod | Dec, Jan |
| 2/15 | Japanese smelt | snow, lightness | freshwater fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/16 |  Japanese amberjack | success, growth | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 2/17 | Sea cucumber | regeneration, rest | sea delicacy | Jan, Feb |
| 2/18 | Horsehair crab | rustic, attachment | crustacean | Feb, Mar |
| 2/19 | Alaska pollock | foundation, support | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/20 |  Tiger pufferfish | courage, challenge | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 2/21 | Japanese Spanish mackerel | sharpness, swiftness | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/22 | Arctic flounder | willow leaf, winter | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/23 |  Common orient clam | bond, harmony | shellfish | Mar |
| 2/24 |  Pacific oyster | fullness, nourishment | shellfish | Dec, Jan |
| 2/25 | Barfin flounder | depth, dexterity | sea fish | Jan, Feb |
| 2/26 |  Olive flounder | flexibility, adaptation | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 2/27 | Common orient clam | bond, harmony | shellfish | Mar |
| 2/28 | Monkfish | patience, ingenuity | sea fish | Dec, Jan |
| 2/29 | Common octopus | wisdom, flexibility | cephalopod | Dec, Jan |
What lands in February
February belongs to the crab and the flatfish. The Horsehair crab's fishing season is said to run through late winter, while the Arctic flounder and Barfin flounder are flatfish whose peak months are January and February. Alaska pollock, also at its winter best, has long been a familiar catch of the season.
Freshwater fish and the sea's oddities round out the month. The Japanese smelt is traditionally dipped in tempura batter in midwinter, and the Sea cucumber — neither fish nor shellfish — is said to be at its firmest in the cold. Japanese Spanish mackerel, whose peak carries over from January, closes the winter's run of rich fish.
How to enjoy February birth fish
- Choose by fish words: wintry words like snow and lightness pair naturally with a February birthday.
- Taste the season: tempura is the traditional way with winter smelt, and shioyaki flatters the month's flatfish.
- Pair it with the birthday color: match the day's fish with its birthday color for a gift with depth.
- For gifts and cards: a crab-month card bearing the fish's name and peak season delights shellfish fans.
FAQ
- What is the birth fish of February?
- February's birth fish include Japanese Spanish mackerel, Horsehair crab, Arctic flounder, and Japanese smelt. Every day of February has its own fish in our calendar.
- What fish is assigned to February 15?
- February 15 is the Japanese smelt, a freshwater fish at its winter peak. Its fish words are snow and lightness — a fitting pair for the season.
- How is a birth fish different from a birth flower or star?
- Flowers and stars are assigned day by day. Birth fish are assigned by day as well, but what sets them apart is the season as their marker: a date's fish is chosen so its peak season (shun) includes that date.
- Why do birth fish differ between sites?
- Birth fish have no official standard, so assignments vary by publisher. Ours follow a single published rule — peak season (shun) includes the date — applied consistently across the calendar.
Our birth fish are an original editorial system: 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, and there is no official standard. See our editorial policy for how assignments are made.Editorial policy