Fish Species of the River Thames: A Guide to the Small Inhabitants

Diverse Aquatic Life in London's River

The River Thames supports a surprising variety of fish species, particularly in its tidal stretches up to Teddington Lock. Here are some of the smaller and notable species you might find:

Eels and Sticklebacks

• European Eel (Anguilla anguilla): A catadromous species that migrates from freshwater to the ocean to spawn. Found from the estuary up to Teddington Lock.
• Three-spined Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus): A small, hardy fish common throughout the tidal Thames.

Flatfish Species

The tidal Thames is a nursery for several flatfish:

• Flounder (Platichthys flesus)
• Dab (Limanda limanda)
• Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)
• Sole (Solea solea)
• Turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)
• Dover Sole (Microstomus kitt)
• Lemon Sole (Microstomus microchirus)

Gobies and Other Small Fish

• Common Goby (Pomatoschistus microps): A small bottom-dweller abundant in the estuary.

Water quality improvements over recent decades have allowed many of these species to return to stretches of the river where they were once absent.