Random Fish Generator

Press Generate Fish and you get one species from a list of about 330, with a photo, its common name and, for most entries, a one-line fact such as "the alligator gar has toxic eggs to protect against predators." That is the whole tool: no filters, one fish per click. It is for quiz rounds, drawing prompts, aquarium daydreaming and kids who want to know what an oarfish looks like.

How it works

There is nothing to set. Each click shuffles the list and shows the top entry, so the next fish is independent of the last one and repeats are possible on consecutive clicks. There is no saltwater or freshwater switch, no "pet fish only" option and no way to draw several at once. If you need a specific habitat, keep clicking; the list is broad enough that a marine species shows up within a couple of tries.

What the card shows

A square photo, the common name in large type and, where one was recorded, a fun fact with a lightbulb icon. About 30 of the 330 entries have no fact, so occasionally the card is just the picture and the name. Names are common names rather than scientific ones, with a few clarifiers in brackets: Betta Fish (Siamese Fighting Fish), Mahi Mahi (Dolphin Fish), Mola mola (Ocean Sunfish).

What is in the list

The list runs A to Z from Alaskan Pollock to Zebrafish and reads like an animal encyclopedia's fish section, which is where its breadth and its quirks come from.

• Aquarium species: Betta, Guppy, Molly, Neon and Ember Tetra, Oscar, Discus, Danios, Kissing Gourami, Cory Catfish, Zebra Pleco, Koi and Goldfish.
• Freshwater game fish: Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Muskellunge, Pike, Crappie, Bluegill, Chinook and Sockeye Salmon, Brook, Lake and Golden Trout.
• Ocean fish: Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, Swordfish, Sailfish, Black Marlin, Mahi Mahi, Halibut, Haddock, Cod, Herring, Sardines and Anchovies.
• Sharks and rays: about fifty, from Great White, Tiger and Hammerhead to Goblin, Frilled, Cookiecutter, Greenland and Pyjama Shark, plus Manta Ray, Stingray and Sawfish.
• Deep-sea oddities: Anglerfish, Fangtooth, Blobfish, Barreleye, Viperfish, Stoplight Loosejaw, Oarfish, Football Fish and Telescope Fish.
• Not technically fish: the list also carries a handful of other sea creatures (Jellyfish, Krill, Sea Urchin, Starfish, Sponge, Amano Shrimp, Bigfin Reef Squid) and extinct animals such as Megalodon, Xiphactinus and Haikouichthys. If a "fish" comes up that clearly is not one, that is why.

The Random Sea Creature Generator is the better pick if you want octopuses and whales on purpose rather than by accident.

Ways to use it

• Quiz rounds. Show the photo, hide the name, and let the table guess. The facts make good follow-up questions.
• Drawing prompts. A random species with a reference photo, and enough strange shapes (frogfish, lumpfish, sea dragon) to keep it interesting.
• Classroom warm-ups. One fish a day, with the class deciding whether it lives in fresh or salt water before the fact is read out.
• Naming a pet or a boat. Sometimes "Wahoo" or "Opah" is exactly the name you were missing.

For other animals, the Random Animal Generator covers every class, while the Random Birds Generator, Random Reptile Generator and Random Snake Generator use the same one-click card. See all animal and nature generators for the rest.