Pollock
North Atlantic marine fish in the genus Pollachius
title: "Pollock" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["pollock", "gadidae", "commercial-fish", "taxa-named-by-sven-nilsson"] description: "North Atlantic marine fish in the genus Pollachius" topic_path: "general/pollock" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollock" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary North Atlantic marine fish in the genus Pollachius ::
| name = Pollock | image = Pollachius pollachius aquarium.jpg | image_caption = Pollachius pollachius | image2 = Pollachius virens 01.jpg | image2_caption = Pollachius virens | taxon = Pollachius | authority = Nilsson, 1832 | type_species = Pollachius pollachius | type_species_authority = Nilsson, 1832 (Linnaeus, 1758) | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = | synonyms = Asellus Minding, 1832
Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus Pollachius. Pollachius pollachius is referred to as "pollock" in North America, Ireland and the United Kingdom, while Pollachius virens is usually known as saithe or coley in Great Britain and Ireland (derived from the older name coalfish). Other names for P. pollachius include the Atlantic pollock, European pollock, lieu jaune, and lythe or lithe; |last1 = Maxwell |first1 = William Hamilton |author-link1 = William Hamilton Maxwell |year = 1853 |title = Wild Sports and Adventures in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=I3sVBCLOFdcC |publication-place = London |publisher = Geo. Routledge & Co. |pages = 137, 138 |access-date = 8 April 2024 |quote = Nature [...] pours myriads of coal-fish and pollocks into every creek or bay [...] The latter fish, under the Linnean appellation of Gadus Pollachus, is called generally 'the Lithe'. [...] To the ferocity of a bull-dog the lithe unites the greyhound's agility. [...] Lithe-fishing demands coarse tackle while P. virens is also known as Boston blue (distinct from bluefish) and silver bill.
Species
The recognized species in this genus are: ::data[format=table title=""]
| Species | Common name | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Pollachius pollachius (Linnaeus, 1758) | pollack | [[File:Pollachius pollachius NO.JPG |
| Pollachius virens (Linnaeus, 1758) | coalfish | [[File:Pollachius virens 218207213 (cropped).jpg |
| :: |
Description
Both species can grow to 130 cm. P. virens can weigh up to 32 kg and P. pollachius can weigh up to 18 kg. P. virens has a strongly defined, silvery lateral line running down the sides. Above the lateral line, the colour is a greenish black. The belly is white, while P. pollachius has a distinctly crooked lateral line, grayish to golden belly, and a dark brown back. P. pollachius also has a strong underbite. It can be found in water up to 180 m deep over rocks and anywhere in the water column.
As food
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0c/Time_series_for_global_capture_of_all_pollock.png" caption="Global commercial capture of pollock in million tonnes 1950–2010Based on data sourced from the relevant [http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/search/en FAO Species Fact Sheets]."] ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Global_total_production_pollock.png" caption="abbr=off}}."] ::
Atlantic pollock is largely considered to be a whitefish. Traditionally a popular source of food in some countries, such as Norway, in the United Kingdom it has previously been largely consumed as a cheaper and versatile alternative to cod and haddock. However, in recent years, pollock has become more popular due to overfishing of cod and haddock. It can be found in most supermarkets as fresh fillets or prepared freezer items. For example, it is used minced in fish fingers or as an ingredient in imitation crab meat and is commonly used to make fish and chips.
Because of its slightly grey colour, pollock is often prepared, as in Norway, as fried fish balls, or if juvenile-sized, breaded with oatmeal and fried, as in Shetland. Year-old fish are traditionally split, salted, and dried over a peat hearth in Orkney, where their texture becomes wooden. Coalfish can also be salted and smoked and achieve a salmon-like orange color (although it is not closely related to the salmon), as is the case in Germany, where the fish is commonly sold as Seelachs ("sea salmon").
In 2009, UK supermarket Sainsbury's briefly renamed Atlantic pollock "colin" in a bid to boost ecofriendly sales of the fish as an alternative to cod. Sainsbury's, which said the new name was derived from the French for cooked pollock (colin), launched the product under the banner "Colin and chips can save British cod."
Pollock is regarded as a "low-mercury fish" a woman weighing 60 kg can safely eat up to 18 oz per week, and a child weighing 20 kg can safely eat up to 6 oz.
Other fish called pollock
Main article: Alaska pollock
One member of the genus Gadus is also commonly referred to as pollock: the Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus), including the form known as the Norway pollock. They are also members of the family Gadidae but not members of the genus Pollachius.
References
References
- (1983). "[[Chambers 20th Century Dictionary]]". Chambers.
- (30 April 2013). "Pollock and Coalfish Identification Guide".
- {{FishBase genus. (2012)
- (14 May 2023). "Pollachius pollachius summary page".
- (14 May 2023). "Pollachius virens summary page".
- Based on data sourced from the relevant [http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/search/en FAO Species Fact Sheets].
- "Verzeichnis der Handelsbezeichnungen für Erzeugnisse der Fischerei und Aquakultur". German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food.
- (5 April 2009). "A colin and chips? Sainsbury's gives unfashionable pollack a makeover".
- (2017-01-27). "Which Fish Are Safe for Pregnant Women?".
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