Barramundi Fish: Nutrition, Mercury and Is It Healthy?

Barramundi is a mild, white-fleshed fish from the coasts and rivers of the Indo-West Pacific, now sold in US stores as frozen and fresh fillets. The FDA Seafood List names it Lates calcarifer, gives “barramundi” as its official market name and “giant perch” as its common name. The USDA SR Legacy database that our food guides use has no barramundi entry, so this guide is upfront about that and uses a clearly labeled nearest entry. It covers what the barramundi fish is, what the nearest data suggest about barramundi nutrition, whether barramundi is healthy, where it stands in the FDA and EPA mercury advice, and the allergy facts that apply to all fish.

Peptide Labs does not sell barramundi or other seafood. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

What is barramundi fish?

A 2021 paper in Scientific Reports by Roberts and colleagues describes barramundi as a facultatively catadromous fish of coastal and fresh waters throughout the Indo-West Pacific. Catadromous means it can spend time in fresh water but moves to salt water to spawn; the authors note that spawning lines up with spring tides in the monsoonal wet season, in saline estuaries and nearby coastal areas. The species supports commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries across that range.

Barramundi is also a protandrous hermaphrodite. In the same study, fish matured as males at 3 to 5 years of age before changing to females at 4 to 8 years. Going by those ages, older fish in this species are typically female, a detail that surprises many anglers and shoppers.

On US labels, the name matters. The FDA Seafood List gives “barramundi” as the acceptable market name and lists regional names such as Asian seabass, bekti and silver barramundi, which FDA says should not be used to label seafood sold across state lines. So a fillet sold as barramundi is not the same product as the mixed fish USDA calls sea bass, even though the two are often compared.

Barramundi nutrition: the nearest USDA entry

Because USDA SR Legacy has no barramundi entry, the table below uses the nearest labeled entry: sea bass, mixed species, cooked with dry heat (FDC ID 173694), for the 3-ounce portion USDA lists. This is a stand-in, not barramundi data; the USDA entry does not say which species were sampled. Percent Daily Values use the FDA Daily Values printed on Nutrition Facts labels.

If barramundi follows this pattern, it is a lean, high-protein, low-sodium white fish with a useful amount of selenium and phosphorus. Packaged barramundi fillets carry a Nutrition Facts label, and that label is the most reliable source for the product you are holding. Our selenium guide explains that mineral.

Is barramundi healthy? How lean white fish compare

Barramundi is a mild white fish, so the fair comparison is with other mild white fish. The table shows 100 grams of several cooked fish in USDA SR Legacy data. None of these rows is barramundi; they show the range that similar fish fall into.

All four USDA rows land between about 117 and 128 calories per 100 grams with similar protein. They differ most in omega-3 fats and vitamin B12: tilapia is very low in EPA and DHA, while the bass entries carry several times more. So barramundi is a sensible lean protein in a varied diet, but whether it is a meaningful omega-3 source depends on the fish and should be checked on the label. Our omega-3 guide explains EPA and DHA, and our high-protein foods guide lists other protein sources.

Cooking method changes the picture. Baked, steamed or grilled fillets stay lean; battered and fried fish, creamy sauces and salty marinades add calories, fat and sodium. Our low-sodium foods guide helps if you watch salt.

Barramundi mercury: what the FDA chart says

The FDA and EPA fish chart, revised in October 2021, sorts common fish into three mercury groups for people who might become or are pregnant or breastfeeding and for children. Barramundi is not on the chart by name. The chart does list “perch, freshwater and ocean” in the lowest-mercury group, but barramundi’s FDA common name, giant perch, does not make it the same fish, so this guide does not assign barramundi to that group or any other.

If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, planning a pregnancy or feeding young children, use the FDA chart to plan which fish to eat and ask your clinician how barramundi fits. Fish that are on the chart in the lowest-mercury group include tilapia, salmon, freshwater trout and sardines. Our pescatarian diet guide covers ways to vary fish choices.

Allergy, labels and kitchen safety

• Fish allergy: FDA lists fish as one of the nine major food allergens, so it must be declared on packaged foods. People with a fish allergy should avoid barramundi unless an allergist says otherwise.
• Labels: look for the market name barramundi. A menu that says sea bass may mean a different fish, so ask which species it is.
• Purines: if you have been told to watch purines, see our purines guide and ask your clinician how fish fits.
• Kitchen safety: keep fish cold, cook it until it is opaque and flakes easily, and follow the safe minimum temperature chart from FoodSafety.gov.

For a cold-water fish from the far north, see our sibling guide to Arctic char. If you rely on capsules rather than fish for omega-3 fats, our krill oil vs fish oil comparison covers those products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Arctic Char: Nutrition, Arctic Char vs Salmon and Mercury, Sea Bass: Nutrition, Chilean Sea Bass and Black Sea Bass, Omega-3: Benefits, Foods, Side Effects and Heart Research.