Fish and shellfish are usually considered to be one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and omega-3s seem to be good for your health and good for your heart. Unfortunately, more and more people are bypassing fish and shellfish because they are worried about mercury levels in them.
To help you select fish and shellfish low in mercury, here’s a chart from highest to lowest mean (average) levels of mercury, taken from information provided by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (Low levels of mercury are considered to be 0.100 parts per million [ppm] and less.) In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also provides a website with fish advisories to warn consumers if they should limit or avoid eating certain species of fish caught in places local to where they reside.
| Species | Mercury Mean (ppm) |
Species | Mercury Mean (ppm) |
| Tilefish | 1.450 | Tuna (Canned, light) | 0.118 |
| Shark | 0.988 | Jacksmelt | 0.108 |
| Swordfish | 0.976 | Cod | 0.095 |
| Mackerel King | 0.730 | Lobster (Spiny) | 0.090 |
| Tuna, Bigeye | 0.639 | Mackerel Chub (Pacific) | 0.088 |
| Orange Roughy | 0.554 | Croaker (Atlantic) | 0.072 |
| Marlin | 0.485 | Trout (Freshwater) | 0.072 |
| Grouper (all species) | 0.465 | Squid | 0.070 |
| Mackerel Spanish (Gulf of Mexico) | 0.454 | Whitefish | 0.069 |
| Tuna, Fresh | 0.414 | Shad American | 0.065 |
| Bass, Chilean (Sea, Striped Bass, and Rockfish) | 0.386 | Crab (Blue, King, Snow) | 0.060 |
| Tuna, Albacore | 0.353 | Butterfish | 0.058 |
| Bluefish | 0.337 | Mackerel Atlantic (North Atlantic) | 0.050 |
| Tuna, Yellowfin | 0.325 | Scallop | 0.050 |
| Lobster (Northern/America) | 0.310 | Catfish | 0.048 |
| Croaker White (Pacific) | 0.287 | Mullet | 0.046 |
| Scorpionfish | 0.286 | Flatfish (Flounder, Plaice, and Sole) | 0.045 |
| Weakfish (Sea Trout) | 0.256 | Herring | 0.044 |
| Halibut | 0.252 | Anchovies | 0.043 |
| Sabelfish | 0.220 | Pollock | 0.041 |
| Tuna, Skipjack | 0.205 | Crawfish | 0.033 |
| Snapper | 0.189 | Haddock (Atlantic) | 0.031 |
| Mackerel Spanish (South Atlantic) | 0.182 | Sardine | 0.016 |
| Monkfish | 0.180 | Hake | 0.014 |
| Tilefish (Atlantic) | 0.144 | Salmon (Fresh/Frozen) | 0.014 |
| Carp | 0.140 | Oyster | 0.013 |
| Perch (Freshwater) | 0.140 | Tilpaia | 0.010 |
| Skate | 0.137 | Shrimp | ND |
| Sheepshead | 0.128 | Clams | ND |
ND = No Detection below 0.01 ppm