In the context of food, the term ‘fish’ includes a wide variety of finfish consumed as seafood.
Fish is one of the major sources of protein in the human diet, and most fish are rich in protein. However, the protein content can vary depending on the specific type of fish, with some being exceptionally protein-rich.
This article explores the protein content in common fish and identifies which varieties provide the most.
The following 40 common fish are ranked based on their protein content per 100 grams when cooked.
All nutritional data is sourced from the USDA’s FoodData Central Database.
1) Cod, Atlantic, dried
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 80g piece |
|---|---|
| 62.8 g | 50.2 g |
For the highest protein content, dried fish, which has had its moisture removed, will always offer the most protein per gram.
Cod tops the list for protein in terms of common dried fish products, providing 62.8 grams per 100 grams (1).
2) Bluefin tuna, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) |
|---|---|
| 29.9 g | 25.4 g |
Bluefin tuna is among the species of fish with the highest protein content, offering 29.9 grams per 100 grams (2).
See how the different varieties of tuna compare nutritionally to see how considerably tuna can differ.
3) Yellowtail, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 146-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 29.7 g | 43.4 g |
Yellowtail is another excellent option, providing 29.7 grams of protein per 100 grams (3).
4) Yellowfin tuna, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) |
|---|---|
| 29.2 g | 24.8g |
Yellowfin is another high-protein fish, providing 29.2 grams per 100 grams (4).
5) Anchovies, canned in oil
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 45-gram can |
|---|---|
| 28.9 g | 13.0 g |
Anchovies may be small, but they are packed with protein, offering 28.9 grams per 100 grams (5).
For anyone seeking more information on this fish, see this full nutritional guide to anchovies.
6) Skipjack tuna, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 154-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 28.2 g | 43.4 g |
Skipjack tuna is another excellent fish for protein, offering 28.2 grams per 100 grams (6).
7) Coho salmon, wild, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 155-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 27.4 g | 42.5 g |
Among the different types of salmon, wild coho salmon has the highest protein content.
Per 100 grams it provides 27.4 grams (7).
For more on salmon, see this guide to the different varieties.
8) Trout, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 62-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 26.6 g | 16.5 g |
Trout is another of the best high protein fish options, with each 100 grams containing 26.6 grams of protein (8).
9) White tuna, canned, drained
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 178-gram can |
|---|---|
| 26.5 g | 47.2 g |
Drained white tuna from a can offers 26.5 grams of protein per 100 grams (9).
10) Sockeye salmon, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 155-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 26.5 g | 41.1 g |
100 grams of cooked sockeye salmon provides 26.5 grams of protein (10).
11) Snapper, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 170-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 26.3 g | 44.7 g |
Snapper typically contains 26.3 grams of protein per 100 grams (11).
12) Milkfish, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) |
|---|---|
| 26.3 g | 22.4 g |
With 26.3 grams of protein per 100 grams, milkfish is another of the most protein-dense fish (12).
13) Tilapia, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 87-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 26.2 g | 22.8 g |
Tilapia is a commonly consumed protein-rich fish, offering 26.2 grams per 100 grams (13).
14) King mackerel, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 154-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 26.0 g | 40.0 g |
King mackerel is among the fish species with the highest protein content at 26.0 grams per 100 grams (14).
However, it is worth being aware that King mackerel has one of the highest mercury concentrations among common fish (15).
15) Sheepshead, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 186-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 26.0 g | 26.0 g |
Sheepshead fish typically provide 26 grams of protein per 100 grams (16).
16) Chinook salmon, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 154-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 25.7 g | 39.6 g |
Chinook is another high-protein variety of salmon, offering 25.7 grams per 100 grams (17).
17) Bluefish, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 117-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 25.7 g | 30.1 g |
Bluefish is a common fish species that provides a good source of protein at 25.7 grams per 100 grams (18).
18) Atlantic salmon, wild, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 154-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 25.4 g | 39.1 g |
Wild Atlantic salmon has a protein content of 25.4 grams per 100 grams (19).
19) Smoked haddock
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) |
|---|---|
| 25.2 g | 21.4 g |
Among the different haddock products available, smoked haddock provides the most protein per gram.
A 100-gram serving of smoked haddock has 25.2 grams of protein (20).
Cod and flounder are similar lean white fish with a high protein content.
20) Pollock, Atlantic, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 151-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.9 g | 37.6 g |
Atlantic pollock typically offers 24.9 grams of protein per 100 grams (21).
21) Perch, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 46-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.9 g | 11.5 g |
Perch has an average protein content of 24.9 grams per 100 grams (22).
22) Striped mullet, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 93-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.8 g | 23.1 g |
Striped mullet is a saltwater fish with a good protein content of 24.9 grams per 100 grams (23).
23) Burbot, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 90-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.8 g | 22.3 g |
Burbot are a protein-rich freshwater fish, providing 24.8 grams of protein on a 100-gram basis (24).
24) Grouper, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 202-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.8 g | 50.1 g |
Grouper are a saltwater fish with a protein content of 24.8 grams per 100 grams (25).
25) Northern pike, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 155-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.7 g | 38.3 g |
The Northern pike is a large fish that provides 24.7 grams of protein per 100 grams (26).
26) Sardines, canned in oil, drained
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 92-gram can |
|---|---|
| 24.6 g | 22.6 g |
Sardines are another protein-rich canned fish option, delivering 24.6 grams of protein per 100 grams (27).
27) Pink salmon, canned, drained
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 242-gram can |
|---|---|
| 24.6 g | 59.5 g |
Per 100 grams, canned pink salmon has the same protein content as canned sardines: 24.6 grams (28).
28) Herring, kippered
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 65-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.6 g | 16.0 g |
Kippered herring fillets are also known as ‘kippers’ and offer a good source of protein with 24.6 grams per 100 grams (29).
See this nutritional guide to kippers for more information on what kippers are.
29) Tilefish, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 150-gram 1/2 fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.5 g | 36.8 g |
Tilefish is another large protein-rich fish and it provides 24.5 grams of protein per 100 grams (30).
However, it is worth being aware that tilefish has one of the highest mercury concentrations among fish (31).
30) Whitefish, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 154-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.5 g | 37.7 g |
Whitefish typically contains 24.5 grams of protein per 100 grams (32).
31) Bass, freshwater, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 62-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 24.2 g | 15.0 g |
Cooked freshwater bass has a protein content of approximately 24.2 grams per 100 grams (33).
32) Atlantic mackerel, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 88-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 23.8 g | 15.0 g |
Not only is Atlantic mackerel an oily fish rich in omega-3, but it also provides a good level of protein.
Each 100 grams has a protein content of 23.8 grams (34).
33) Rainbow trout, farmed, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 71-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 23.8 g | 16.9 g |
Farmed rainbow trout contains 23.8 grams of protein per 100 grams (35).
34) Eel, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 159-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 23.6 g | 37.5 g |
Eel has 23.6 grams of protein per 100 grams (36).
For more information on this lesser-known fish, see this guide to eel.
35) Sea bass, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 101-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 23.6 g | 23.8g |
Per 100 grams, cooked sea bass provides 23.6 grams of protein (37).
36) Whiting, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 72-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 23.5 g | 16.9g |
100 grams of cooked whiting provides 23.5 grams of protein (38).
37) Swordfish, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 106-gram piece |
|---|---|
| 23.4 g | 24.8 g |
Once again, it is good to be aware that swordfish is a high-mercury fish (39).
However, it’s relatively high in protein, providing 23.4 grams per 100 grams (40).
38) Herring, Atlantic, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 143-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 23.0 g | 32.9 g |
Atlantic herring boasts a protein content of 23 grams per 100 grams (41).
39) Carp, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 170-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 22.9 g | 38.9 g |
100 grams of cooked carp has a protein content of 22.9 grams (42).
40) Cod, Atlantic, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 180-gram fillet |
|---|---|
| 22.8 g | 41.0 g |
There is 22.8 grams of protein in each 100 grams of cooked Atlantic cod (43).
Shellfish High in Protein
Shellfish can also be an excellent source of protein; here are the varieties with the highest protein content per 100 grams.
Whelk, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) |
|---|---|
| 47.7 g | 40.5 g |
Whelk is a gastropod shellfish, a type of sea snail.
It has a high protein content, with each 100 grams providing 47.7 grams (44).
Cuttlefish, mixed species, cooked
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) |
|---|---|
| 32.5 g | 27.6 g |
Cuttlefish is another popular shellfish that provides high protein levels.
100 grams of cuttlefish offers 27.6 grams of protein (45).
Octopus, cooked, moist heat
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) serving |
|---|---|
| 29.8 g | 25.3 g |
Octopus has a protein content of 29.8 grams per 100 grams (46).
Spiny lobster, cooked, moist heat
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 163-gram lobster |
|---|---|
| 26.4 g | 43.0 g |
The spiny lobster is a small crustacean shellfish. It typically offers 26.4 grams of protein per 100 grams (47).
Conch, baked or broiled
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 127g cup |
|---|---|
| 26.3 g | 33.4 g |
Conch is another type of gastropod shellfish. Like other members of this group, it provides a high amount of protein.
A 100-gram portion of cooked conch offers 26.3 grams of protein (48).
Clams, mixed species, cooked, moist heat
| Protein per 100 grams | Protein per 3oz (85g) |
|---|---|
| 25.6 g | 21.8 g |
100 grams of cooked clams typically provide 25.6 grams of protein (49).
What Fish Has the Most Protein?
As indicated in this article, the fish with the highest protein content per 100 grams include dried cod, bluefin tuna, yellowtail, and yellowfin tuna.
However, in addition to absolute protein content, we should consider the typical serving size and expense of each fish.
For example, wild-caught salmon may be high in protein, but you can buy a lot more canned sardines for less money.
Additionally, some fish portions may be much larger than others. For instance, burbot has a higher protein density than carp. However, a typical 170-gram carp fillet will provide significantly more protein than a 90-gram fillet of burbot.
Overall, every fish in this article provides a high level of protein, and personal preferences and affordability are important factors in selecting the right option.
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