Favorite: fresh grouper and pompano any style, also deep-fried Mississippi farm-raised catfish in cornmeal batter
Least: mackerel, swordfish, shark

I had the grouper at the Fairmont Mayakoba.. might be just the sauce or the way it was prepared, but I was surprised, I didn't like it in the least..

Shark fin soup.. mmm..

You hit the nail on the head for "least favorites", although a good chef can work wonders with "Stockfish"/Bacalao/Salt Cod, avoiding the Scandanavian "folk-food" approach.

Unlike some, I really like fresh (make that "very fresh") Spanish mackerel, cooked simply, sardines grilled (over vine clippings for authenticity). Smaller Gulf Red Snapper sauteed is a lifetime addiction, along with fresh caught trout cooked a a bit bacon grease. Fish and chips? When it's good, it can be very, very good. When bad, horrid. Lately, my wife has been drawn to farm-raised Steelhead, not bad at all, less strong and oily than some salmon. Grilled Tuna can be very, very good, but I've on several occasions been troubled by an aura of ammonia about some samples. Aging improves wine, but not fresh fish.

From a lifetime on/near saltwater and seaports, "fresh" and "simply prepared" are the key components, and even carefully prepared, "trash fish" can be satisfying.

"if God had wanted fish to be served with cream or cheese sauces, he would have made the oceans Bechamel!"

Depends on the culture..

I know cream sauce on any seafood is acceptable in a Hong Kong style cafe.. yum..

I love Mahi Mahi.

However, I can't stand seared salmon.

Seared Salmon is often dry..

As a kid we used joke about sardines..

Your first two I love both cooked and raw. I also like your "no thank you' fish, too, but it isn't favorite. Least favorite? I don't like oysters, whether cooked or raw. Not a big fan of the octopus, either.

Octopus..

The more tentacles, the better..

I love eel as well.. particularly Unagi..

Favorite: Abalone raw sashimi style, fresh caught after I dive for it :-)
Least Favorite: fully cooked tuna, swordfish, shark

Yum. Unfortunately, almost all of it available in the USA comes from China. Even some of the stuff that is labeled Japan comes from China.

Melamine anyone??

I like the abalone.. and I like the shark fin soup..

But since the shark is endangered.. I less frequently enjoy the delicacy..

So all the eel is contaminated?

when i first moved to current house on the potomac, eels were heavily fished on the potomac. the river is now quite clean, and the eel traps have been gone for about 10 years.

they were shipped to orient, baltic(smoked is a traditional dish), and used for crab bait.

i do not know if they are still there, and just not fished. will ask.