Fish Or Fishes?

[FiSh123FiSh]

I cannot decide which one is the plural, sometimes I will say them both.

What does every eles think?

Tom

 

[andywg]

Fish refers to either an individual fish, or many individuals of the same species. Fishes refers to individuals which belong to different species.

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

oh I get it! Thanks.

 

[Colin_T]

and then you have fish's which is used when describing something about a fish.
eg: the fish's territory included the whole tank

I wonder how we would write that as the fishes' territories took up the entire tank

 

[FiSh123FiSh]

Strange and interesting, I think its quite comfusing

 

[andywg]

and then you have fish's which is used when describing something about a fish.
eg: the fish's territory included the whole tank

I wonder how we would write that as the fishes' territories took up the entire tank

Well, the above would be referring to something possessed by a number of individuals from different species. I think most people would change the order of the sentence to avoid facing such a problem ("The entire tank makes up the territory of these fishes").

 

[Kribster]

Fish description - singular
fish description - plural (shoal of fish etc)
Belonging to A fish = fishes terratory etc


Shoal of fish
those fish
these fish
that fishes hidy hole

 

[shelaghfishface]

MY FISH
my fishes sounds like something my 4 yr old would say no offence guys,even if its the proper way, im sticking to my fish
shelagh xxxxx

 

[andywg]

It's something most people don't worry about using the correct way. Just like shoal and school.

 

[iankent]

It's something most people don't worry about using the correct way. Just like shoal and school.

lol, i dont think its' entirely that people dont worry about it, just that its so easy to use the wrong word by mistake have no idea how many times I've typed school while meaning shoal, only to correct it a day or two later when I realise

 

[andywg]

lol, i dont think its' entirely that people dont worry about it, just that its so easy to use the wrong word by mistake have no idea how many times I've typed school while meaning shoal, only to correct it a day or two later when I realise

I think you will find that a large number of people on this board do not know the actual difference between school and shoal, as such they use whichever "feels" right.