Epipelagial is the upper strata of seas and oceans up to a depth of 200 m, most richly populated with various species of fish.

The epipelagic is home to flying fish, mackerel, sargans, epipelagic sharks, moonfish, oceanic pufferfish, coryphaena, oceanic tuna and swordfish, sea bream and other groups of fish. Most of these are permanent residents of the epipelagic. Temporary inhabitants of the epipelagic zone include migratory salmon, some of which migrate from the coast to the oceanic epipelagic zone, herring and sardines, whiting, pollack, toothfish and "nytoepipelagic" fish that only come to the epipelagic zone at night from great depths (some groups of luminous anchovies, snake mackerel, etc.).

Some fish species inhabit the epipelagial only during the early stages of ontogenesis (individual development).

Another commercially important group of epipelagic fishes are those that normally inhabit the neritic coastal zone, and mass exits to the oceanic epipelagic only occur during periods of significant increase in their numbers. These are fishes such as the grey spinoros (pufferfish, Japanese anchovy, sardinops, mackerel, mackerel and jack mackerel).