Gill from Finding Nemo is a Moorish idol fish, a marine species with the scientific name Zanclus cornutus.

Quick Scoop: What type of fish is Gill?

  • Species: Moorish idol.
  • Scientific name: Zanclus cornutus.
  • Family: Zanclidae (he’s the only member of this family).
  • Habitat: Warm Indo-Pacific coral reefs, where they swim among reef structures and rocky areas.
  • Appearance: Laterally flattened, disc‑shaped body, bold black and white bands with yellow accents, long trailing dorsal fin, and a narrow snout.
  • In the movie: Gill is the scarred, tough, tank‑leader fish in the dentist’s office who mentors Nemo and is described in official character guides as a male Moorish idol.

Fans sometimes confuse Gill with an angelfish or bannerfish because of the similar shape and stripes, but character and animal guides consistently list him as a Moorish idol.

Mini note for aquarium fans

Moorish idols are considered difficult to keep in home aquariums because they need large, stable marine tanks and often don’t adapt well to captivity, which nicely mirrors Gill’s constant urge to escape back to the ocean.

TL;DR: Gill is a Moorish idol (Zanclus cornutus), a striking coral‑reef fish with bold black‑white‑yellow stripes and a long streaming dorsal fin.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.