The heritability of pescetarianism and vegetarianism

•Pescetarianism is 74% heritable and vegetarianism 77%.•Genetic influences account for 70–80% of individual differences in abstinence from eating beef, pork, poultry, fish and shellfish.•Individuals did not eat pork mostly because of health reasons, poultry, fish and shellfish because of dislike, and beef because of beliefs.•Regardless of the different reasons for abstinence, heritability estimates were of a similar large magnitude.