Parrotfish, Uhu

Parrotfish (also known as Uhu) get their name from their bright colours, and a distinctive beak-like structure formed from fused teeth. They strictly belong to the family Sacridae, but are now regarded as a subfamily of the Wrasses. Parrotfish are a keystone species providing an ecologically important role controlling algal growth (thus maintaining coral health) through grazing, and as bioeroders, grinding up ingested pieces of dead coral and rock in their pharyngeal mills to produce a fine sand (up to 90kg per fish per year). Interestingly, parrotfish use their pectoral fins instead of their tail as a primary form of locomotion.

To find out how sustainable your fish is, click the 'Show options for this fish' next to each fish and choose to view more details.

Plaice

Another chip shop favourite. It's a right-eyed, oval-shaped flatfish with characteristic reddy orange spots and a pearly white underside. Its orange spots are an indication of freshness; brighter spots mean a fresher fish. Found all around our shores down to considerable depths, plaice is a long-lived species and subject to high fishing pressure. Alternatives to plaice are Lemon sole, dab, flounder and megrim.

Plaice is a popular consumption and long-lived species which is subject to high fishing pressure. The state of plaice stocks around the UK vary. Currently the best choices for plaice are fish caught in the North Sea or Western Channel where the stocks are assessed as healthy and fishing is at a sustainable level. However, as with all plaice fisheries, there is significant discarding of plaice and other species. To increase the sustainability of the plaice you eat ask for and only eat plaice taken in trawls using measures to improve the selectivity of the net to reduce discarding and fitted with Benthic Release Panels to reduce impact on bottom dwelling species. Avoid eating immature plaice, fish below 30 cm, and during their breeding season January to March. Alternatives to plaice are Lemon sole, dab, flounder and megrim.

To find out how sustainable your fish is, click the 'Show options for this fish' next to each fish and choose to view more details.

Pollock, Alaska, Walleye

If you like cod or haddock, you'll like Alaska pollock. It's a white fish, mild in flavour and low in fat. Makes great fishcakes, is best steamed and is the fish used in McDonald's 'Filet-O-Fish'! A member of the cod family, it's found throughout the North Pacific. Matures at around 3 years old and lives on average until 15. Can grow to about 90 cms and is called walleye pollock because of its large distinctive eyes!

Pollock from fisheries certified to the MSC standard is the best choice when buying Alaska pollock - look for the Blue Tick logo on the packaging.

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Prawn, King (whiteleg), prawns

Prawns are usually sold peeled, cooked and frozen or whole. Pop them in a curry or sling them on a salad. Their tails are used in traditional prawn cocktails - cocked over the side of the glass. The tiger prawn belongs to the largest of the prawn and shrimp family, the Penaeidae. Its lifecycle may be divided into 6 stages or phases, from embryo to adult, which it completes in one year. The age of sexual maturity varies from 5 to 11 months. They can live up to 2 years in the wild although farmed prawns are usually harvested at 6 months. Farmed prawn accounted for over 90% of the global consumption of prawn in 2013. King prawn is the most commonly farmed species accouting for over 3/4 of production, 99% of which comes from developing countries.

Only buy king prawns from suppliers that can ensure their product is sourced from farms that comply with environmental standards for habitat protection and impacts of production. Organic farming standards ensures many such standards are met making organic farmed tiger prawns the best choice. Requirements for organic farms include utilisation of byproducts from human consumption fisheries for feed; habitat protection and restoration, limitation on chemical usage, limited stocking densities and strict health and feeding guidelines. Global Aquaculture Alliance Best Aquaculture Practice (GAA BAP 2*, 3*, 4*) and GlobalGap certification ensures some of these standards are met. Look for the organic label on products or ask your supermarket if they have a buying policy for tiger prawns to ensure high production standards are in place, and environmental concerns addressed.

To find out how sustainable your fish is, click the 'Show options for this fish' next to each fish and choose to view more details.

Prawn, Northern, prawns

Pandalus borealis, the northern prawn, or cold-water prawn (also known as pink or deepwater shrimp in North America), are crustaceans belonging to the family Pandalidae. The species has a wide distribution throughout the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans (the Pacific form is generally regarded as a subspecies, Pandalus borealiseous). The species occurs as far south as the North Sea, Massachusetts, Oregon and Japan. Northern shrimp are hermaphroditic. They develop initially as males, then become female after around 3 years, and complete their lives as females. Life span is around 5 years, although possibly up to 8 years in northern latitudes. They spawn in autumn and females carry the eggs until April/May, when they hatch and the pelagic larvae are released. Total adult length is about 15 cm. This species inhabits areas of soft, muddy sediment with a depth range from 20-1300 m. Prawns migrate vertically at night to feed on zooplankton. Northern prawn are heavily predated on by fish and marine mammals.

To find out how sustainable your fish is, click the 'Show options for this fish' next to each fish and choose to view more details.