Fish
Coalfish
Pollachius virens · also called saithe, coley
Above a deep offshore bank, a shoal of coalfish sweeps through the water, dark-backed and fast, hunting a cloud of sand eels.
Overview
The coalfish, Pollachius virens, is a Least Concern cod relative of the cool north-eastern Atlantic, also called the saithe. Its dark back, pale lateral line, and open-water shoaling make it the open-sea counterpart of the reef-hunting pollack.
A cod relative of the open sea
Unlike the cod, which feeds mostly on the bottom, the coalfish hunts through the water column in shoals, and this lifestyle gives it a more streamlined body.
Status
Least Concern, with stocks managed by quotas.
Coalfish: common questions
Is the coalfish the same as the saithe?
Yes, the coalfish and the saithe are two names for the same species, Pollachius virens, with coley used in shops in Britain.
How can you tell a coalfish from a pollack?
A coalfish has a darker back, a pale, nearly straight lateral line, and a lower jaw that projects only slightly, whereas the pollack has a dark, curved lateral line.
What does the coalfish eat?
It hunts small fish such as sand eels, herring, and young cod relatives, as well as krill and other crustaceans.
Where is the coalfish found?
It lives in the cool waters of the north-eastern Atlantic, from the Barents Sea and Iceland to the Bay of Biscay.