Fish are among the most biodiverse vertebrate groups on the planet, playing vital ecosystem roles, supporting considerable commercial, recreational, and artisanal fisheries, and delivering critical ecosystem goods and services for the world's human population. These intrinsic, ecological, and socioeconomic values of fish are well recognized. Much less widely appreciated are the diverse additional ways that fish have contributed to human societies. Here, we explore the assorted uses of freshwater and marine fishes, both presently and in the past, by focusing on their contributions to manufacturing and industry, technology, health care, tools and weapons, apparel and jewelry, and musical instruments, and as curios, souvenirs, and attractions. The material ways by which people depend on fish have continued to grow and evolve over time, resulting in a much more intricate web of human–fish relationships than is often recognized. By demonstrating the importance of fish across all facets of life, we hope that this exploration leads to greater conservation, sustainable management, and ethical treatment of fish now and into the future.