Coastal fish - live in the coastal zone of a water body (perch, pike, crucian carp, tench, etc.). They feed on organisms living in this zone.

Coastal fishes are the most common fish in the world. They can be found in tide pools, fjords and estuaries, near sandy shores and rocky coastlines, around coral reefs and on or above the continental shelf. Coastal fish include forage fish and the predatory fish that feed on them. Forage fish thrive in coastal waters where high productivity is due to upwelling and shoreline nutrient depletion. Some are partial residents and spawn in streams, estuaries, and bays, but most complete their life cycle in the zone.

Since the continental shelf is typically less than 200 meters (660 feet) deep, it follows that pelagic coastal fishes are generally epipelagic fishes that inhabit the sun-drenched epipelagic zone. Coastal fishes can be contrasted with oceanic fishes or marine fishes that live in deep water off continental shelves.