Hilsa, especially the species Tenualosa ilisha, is the national fish of Bangladesh.
The hilsa is an anadromous clupeid: it spends much of its life in marine or estuarine water but migrates into rivers to spawn. This life cycle makes it especially important to Bangladesh, whose major rivers and floodplains support both fishing communities and a strong culinary tradition built around hilsa.
Hilsa is also found in parts of India, Myanmar and other northern Indian Ocean waters. The fish is valued for its rich flavor, but its many fine bones make careful preparation important.
Calling hilsa a freshwater fish can be imprecise because adults move between saltwater and freshwater. In trivia and cultural contexts, however, it is strongly associated with Bangladesh’s river fisheries and is officially recognized as the country’s national fish.