Fish Coloring Pages

Fish are a great subject for coloring because almost any color is correct somewhere in the sea. These free fish coloring pages include a goldfish in a bowl, a clownfish tucked into an anemone, a betta with trailing fins, a puffed-up pufferfish and a seahorse holding on to seagrass. Print a single fish coloring page or build a whole paper aquarium.

Fish you can color

  • Goldfish: orange, white, black or a mix, and it can live well over ten years with good care
  • Clownfish: orange with white bands, and it lives safely among the stinging arms of a sea anemone
  • Angelfish: a tall, flat body with long fins and bold vertical stripes
  • Betta: males have long, flowing fins in red, blue, purple or turquoise
  • Pufferfish: gulps water to blow itself up into a ball when it feels threatened
  • Seahorse: a real fish that swims upright, and the father carries the eggs in a pouch
  • Koi: pond fish with patches of orange, white, black and gold
  • Swordfish: a long, flat bill and one of the fastest swimmers in the ocean

Fish facts and tricks for fish coloring pages

Scientists have named more than 30,000 kinds of fish. Nearly all of them breathe through gills, which pull oxygen out of the water. Most fish are covered in overlapping scales and steer with their fins. Most also have no eyelids, so they rest with their eyes open. A fish swings its tail from side to side to push itself forward. Some fish, like salmon, hatch in rivers, grow up in the ocean and swim back upstream to lay their eggs.

Scales are the fun part. Draw rows of small U shapes, then color each row a slightly different shade so the body seems to shimmer. For a tropical fish, pick two bright colors and blend them where they meet. Markers give the boldest result. If you want painted water, color the fish with crayon first, press firmly, and then brush thin blue watercolor over the whole page. The wax keeps the paint off the fish.

Frequently asked questions

Are these fish coloring pages free?

Yes. All fish coloring pages are free to download and print for personal and classroom use.

What colors are real tropical fish?

Almost anything. Clownfish are orange and white, blue tangs are royal blue with a yellow tail, and mandarinfish mix blue, orange and green in swirls. A photo of a coral reef is the best color guide you can get.

Is a seahorse really a fish?

Yes. It has gills, fins and a swim bladder like other fish. It just has an unusual shape, a curled tail for gripping plants and a snout like a tiny horse.

Which fish coloring pages suit preschoolers?

The smiling goldfish and the single big fish with large scales. Thick lines and wide spaces make them easy to finish with crayons or dot markers. Cut the finished fish out and tape them to a window for an instant aquarium.