Purine Content in Seafood: Fish, Shellfish, and Everything in Between
Complete purine content reference for seafood including fish, shellfish, and canned options. Ranges from very high (anchovies, sardines, salmon) to moderate (sole, pollock).
Seafood and gout have a complicated relationship. Epidemiological studies consistently link higher seafood consumption with increased gout risk, and some seafood items rank among the highest purine foods available. But the range is enormous. Sprats and canned sardines contain about 400mg of purines per 100g, while cod has about 105mg. And many types of fish provide omega-3 fatty acids with documented anti-inflammatory benefits.
This reference, part of our purine database, breaks down the purine content of seafood in detail, from the highest to the lowest, with context about how different types compare. Values are the median of published analyses in the USDA & ODS-NIH Purine Database (2025), for raw seafood unless stated. Items marked † aren’t in that database; their values come from older published tables and are less certain.
The Seafood Purine Spectrum
Seafood purine content ranges more widely than any other food category. The determining factors include:
- Whether the fish is eaten whole (sardines, anchovies include organs)
- Metabolic activity of the species (active, oily fish tend to be higher)
- Muscle density (denser, darker fish flesh contains more purines)
- Processing method (canning, smoking, and drying can alter concentrations)
- Where the fish came from: USDA’s 2024 analyses of US salmon, catfish, and tilapia measured far higher than older tables and Asian samples
Very High Purine Seafood (Over 200mg per 100g)
These are among the highest purine foods in the entire diet, comparable to organ meats.
| Seafood | Purine (mg/100g) | Omega-3 (g/100g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprats † | 400 | 1.3 | Small, eaten whole |
| Anchovies | 355 | 1.5 | Eaten whole, including organs |
| Mussels † | 310 | 0.5 | Entire organism consumed |
| Sardines (fresh) | 280 (210–345) | 1.5 | Eaten whole |
| Salmon (wild, sockeye) | 260 | 1.2 | USDA 2024 |
| Salmon (Atlantic, farmed) | 250 | 2.3 | Popular, high omega-3; USDA 2024 |
| Catfish | 205 | 0.3 | Freshwater; USDA 2024 |
The common thread is that many of these are either eaten whole (meaning you consume the organs) or are very metabolically active species with dense tissue. Anchovies and sardines are the poster children for high-purine seafood precisely because you eat the entire fish, organs and all. Salmon and catfish are the exceptions: they’re eaten as fillets, but USDA’s 2024 analyses of US samples found about 250 to 260 for salmon and 205 for catfish, far above the 85 to 150 older charts listed. Asian salmon samples (chum and mixed species) measured about 120 to 125, so the species and source matter. Herring, Atlantic mackerel, and scallops have moved out of this group; see the notes below.
High Purine Seafood (100 to 200mg per 100g)
This category includes most of the popular fish and shellfish that make up the bulk of seafood consumption.
Oily/Fatty Fish
| Seafood | Purine (mg/100g) | Omega-3 (g/100g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackerel (Atlantic) | 200 | 2.7 | Very oily; right on the High/Very High line |
| Mackerel (king) † | 195 | 0.4 | Lower fat than Atlantic |
| Tuna (fresh) | 185 | 0.3-1.3 | Large predatory fish; omega-3 varies by species |
| Trout (rainbow) | 180 | 0.9 | Freshwater oily fish |
| Tuna (yellowfin) † | 155 | 0.3 | Leaner tuna variety |
| Bluefish † | 145 | 1.0 | Oily, strong-flavored |
| Herring | 140 | 1.7 | One analysis; older tables list about 290 |
| Swordfish | 130 | 0.8 | Large, meaty fish |
Herring’s value comes from a single analysis, and older tables list it at about 290, so keep treating it like sardines and mackerel.
White/Lean Fish
| Seafood | Purine (mg/100g) | Omega-3 (g/100g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tilapia | 185 | 0.2 | Mild, widely available; USDA 2024 |
| Haddock † | 130 | 0.2 | Mild whitefish |
| Halibut † | 125 | 0.5 | Large flatfish |
| Flounder | 115 | 0.2 | Delicate flatfish |
| Snapper † | 115 | 0.3 | Lean |
| Perch † | 115 | 0.3 | Freshwater/marine |
| Grouper † | 115 | 0.3 | Large reef fish |
| Pike † | 110 | 0.1 | Freshwater |
| Mahi-mahi † | 110 | 0.1 | Very lean |
| Walleye † | 110 | 0.3 | Freshwater |
| Cod | 105 | 0.2 | Just over the Moderate line |
| Bass (sea) | 105 | 0.7 | Moderate omega-3 |
Tilapia (older charts: 90), flounder (85), and cod (95) have moved up from the moderate list. Tilapia in particular now measures about as high as trout.
Shellfish
| Seafood | Purine (mg/100g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | 180 | Very popular shellfish |
| Crab (blue, lump) | 150 | Commonly picked meat; sold pasteurized |
| Squid (calamari) | 145 | High metabolic tissue |
| Clams | 135 | Entire organism |
| Octopus | 135 | Dense muscle |
| Oysters | 120 | Entire organism consumed |
| Crab (Dungeness) † | 115 | Muscle meat |
| Crawfish † | 115 | Small crustacean |
| Crab (king) | 100 | Lean |
| Lobster | 100 | Muscle meat only; the only analysis is of spiny lobster |
Moderate Purine Seafood (50 to 100mg per 100g)
These are the lowest values on this page, with two cautions. Sole, pollock, plaice, and whiting aren’t in the USDA database; their values come from older tables, the same tables that put cod, tilapia, flounder, and catfish under 100 before USDA measured them higher. Eel, scallops, and monkfish measured lower than older tables in the database, but each rests on one or two analyses, so don’t treat them as low-purine foods yet.
| Seafood | Purine (mg/100g) | Omega-3 (g/100g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eel | 95 | 0.8 | Two analyses; older tables list 140 |
| Whiting † | 90 | 0.2 | Mild whitefish |
| Plaice † | 85 | 0.2 | European flatfish |
| Sole † | 80 | 0.1 | Delicate flatfish |
| Pollock † | 80 | 0.5 | Used in fish sticks |
| Scallops | 75 | 0.2 | One analysis; older tables list 220, so still limit |
| Monkfish | 70 | 0.2 | One analysis; older tables list 105 |
Canned and Processed Seafood
Canned seafood is a common convenience food, and the purine content can differ from fresh due to processing.
| Seafood | Purine (mg/100g) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sardines (canned) | 400 | Higher than fresh (about 280) |
| Anchovies (canned) | 320 | Slightly lower than fresh (355) |
| Mackerel (canned) | 245 | Very high; higher than fresh (200) |
| Smoked salmon (lox) † | 155 | Older value; fresh salmon measures 250 |
| Crab (canned) | 150 | US canned crab is pasteurized blue crab |
| Tuna (canned, in water or oil) | 140 (115–210) | Lower than fresh (185) |
| Shrimp (canned) † | 130 | Slightly lower than fresh |
| Salmon (canned) | 110 (90–135) | Includes bones (calcium benefit); well below fresh |
| Fish sticks (processed) † | 60 | Breading dilutes purine content |
| Imitation crab (surimi) † | 25 | Mostly starch and flavoring |
Canning doesn’t move purines in one direction. Canned sardines (400) and canned mackerel (245) measure higher than fresh (280 and 200), while canned tuna (140 vs. 185), canned salmon (110 vs. 250), and canned anchovies (320 vs. 355) measure lower. Imitation crab is notable as a very low purine option because it is primarily processed starch with minimal actual fish; the similar Japanese fish cake, kamaboko, measures about 25.
The Omega-3 Factor
One of the challenges with avoiding seafood for gout is that you may miss out on omega-3 fatty acids, which have well-documented anti-inflammatory properties. Here is how the key seafood sources compare:
| Seafood | Purine (mg/100g) | Omega-3 (g/100g) | Purine-to-Omega-3 Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackerel (Atlantic) | 200 | 2.7 | 74 |
| Salmon (farmed) | 250 | 2.3 | 109 |
| Herring | 140 | 1.7 | 82 (one analysis) |
| Sardines | 280 | 1.5 | 187 |
| Anchovies | 355 | 1.5 | 237 |
| Trout | 180 | 0.9 | 200 |
| Pollock † | 80 | 0.5 | 160 |
| Halibut † | 125 | 0.5 | 250 |
If you want omega-3 with the lowest relative purine load, Atlantic mackerel now offers the best ratio, with the most omega-3 of these fish. Herring’s ratio looks good, but its purine value rests on a single analysis; with the older value it would be about 170. Farmed salmon remains one of the richest omega-3 sources, and its heart-health case is real, but at about 250mg per 100g it is no longer a moderate-purine fish or a low-purine swap for sardines, so keep portions moderate and count it toward your day. For more on whether salmon works in a gout diet, see is salmon bad for gout.
Non-seafood omega-3 alternatives include:
- Flax seeds (45mg purines, 22.8g omega-3 per 100g; purine value from older tables)
- Chia seeds (60mg purines, 17.8g omega-3 per 100g)
- Walnuts (20mg purines, 9.1g omega-3 per 100g)
- Fish oil supplements (purines are not present in refined oil)
Seafood Preparation and Purine Content
How you prepare seafood affects the final purine content:
| Method | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boiling/poaching | Some move into the liquid | Purines leach into cooking liquid; no reliable percentage |
| Steaming | Less leaching than boiling | Less contact with water |
| Grilling | Retained; higher per 100g | Purines stay in fish as water cooks off |
| Frying | Breading dilutes per 100g | Breading adds non-purine mass |
| Raw (sushi/sashimi) | No change | Full purine content |
| Smoking | Slight increase | Dehydration concentrates purines |
| Drying | Significant increase | Dried anchovies measure about 1,100 vs. 355 fresh |
A 2019 study of boiled marine fish (Li et al., PeerJ) confirmed that boiling transfers purines from the fish into the cooking liquid. Poaching or boiling fish and discarding the liquid is the most practical way to lower the purines you eat, though studies don’t give a reliable percentage.
Practical Recommendations
Rather than avoiding all seafood, a more nuanced approach considers the full spectrum. For a comparison across all food groups, see our purine food chart:
Lower-purine choices: Cod and sea bass (about 105 in the USDA database), plus sole, pollock, plaice, and whiting (80 to 90 in older tables; not yet in the USDA database). These deliver protein with purine levels similar to or lower than many meats. Tilapia and catfish no longer belong here.
Reasonable in moderation: Halibut, snapper, flounder, crab, lobster, shrimp, and tilapia. These are high in purines but offer nutritional benefits. Portion control and hydration matter.
Higher purine, but valued for omega-3s: Salmon and Atlantic mackerel are the richest omega-3 sources here, and many people keep them in moderate portions. Count them as higher-purine foods, not as swaps for sardines.
Worth limiting: Sardines, anchovies, sprats, mussels, herring, and catfish, plus scallops until there is better data. These are the highest-purine seafood items.
Consider preparation: Poaching or boiling fish and discarding the liquid can lower the purines you eat.
Tracking Your Personal Response
The research tells us that higher seafood consumption is associated with increased gout risk on average. But averages mask enormous individual variation. Some people eat moderate-purine fish regularly without issues, while others find that even a small serving triggers problems. The difference often comes down to kidney excretion capacity, hydration status, and what else was consumed alongside the seafood.
Urica tracks purine content from all food sources, including seafood, alongside fructose intake, hydration levels, and flare data. Over time, this reveals whether seafood is a meaningful trigger for you specifically, and if so, which types and quantities are most problematic. That personalized data is more useful than any generic food list.
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor or rheumatologist about managing gout, especially regarding medication and treatment plans.
Track Your Personal Response
Everyone responds differently to foods. Urica helps you track how specific foods affect YOUR flare patterns by analyzing purines, fructose, and glycemic load together — not just purines alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fish is lowest in purines?
No fish is truly low in purines (under 50mg per 100g). Among the fish measured in the USDA & ODS-NIH purine database, cod and sea bass are among the lowest at about 105mg per 100g. Sole and pollock (about 80mg) and plaice and whiting (85 to 90mg) aren't in that database; their values come from older tables, which also listed cod, tilapia, and flounder under 100 before USDA measured them higher. Monkfish (70mg) and eel (95mg) measured lower, but each rests on one or two analyses. Tilapia (185mg) and catfish (205mg) are not low-purine choices. Whitefish options still have roughly a third of the purine content of anchovies.
Can I eat salmon if I have gout?
Salmon contains about 250mg of purines per 100g raw (published analyses range from about 120 to 260; US farmed Atlantic measured 250 and wild sockeye 260), which places it in the very high category, close to fresh sardines. However, salmon also provides significant omega-3 fatty acids, which support heart health and have anti-inflammatory properties, and many gout sufferers eat it in moderate portions without issues. An 85 to 115g portion carries about 210 to 290mg of purines, so count it as a higher-purine food rather than a low-purine swap. The key is tracking how it affects you personally, since individual responses vary widely, and staying well hydrated can help.
Why are sardines and anchovies so much higher in purines?
Sardines and anchovies are eaten whole, including their organs, bones, and skin. Organ tissue contains more purines than muscle tissue. When you eat a sardine, you consume the liver, kidney, and other organs that would be removed from a larger fish. Additionally, these small oily fish have high metabolic rates and dense cell structures, which further concentrate purines. Anchovies at about 355mg per 100g contain more than three times the purines of cod at about 105mg per 100g.