Fish
Pollack
Pollachius pollachius · also called lythe
Over a kelp-covered reef in the Atlantic, a pollack hangs in mid-water, golden in the shafts of sunlight, waiting for a shoal of sand eels to pass.
Overview
The pollack, Pollachius pollachius, is a Least Concern cod relative of rocky reefs, kelp, and wrecks from Norway to the Iberian coast. Its jutting jaw, curved side line, and hard-fighting habits make it one of the best-known sport fish of the north-eastern Atlantic.
A cod that hunts like a predator of open water
Unlike the bottom-feeding cod, the pollack hunts in mid-water around reefs, and its streamlined body and projecting lower jaw make it a fast, agile predator.
Status
Least Concern, though fishing pressure affects some stocks.
Pollack: common questions
How can you tell a pollack from a cod?
A pollack has a lower jaw that projects beyond the upper and no barbel on its chin, unlike a cod.
How is a pollack different from a coalfish?
It has a dark lateral line that curves up over the pectoral fin, whereas the lateral line of a coalfish is pale and nearly straight.
What does a pollack eat?
It hunts small fish such as sand eels, young herring, and cod relatives, as well as shrimps and squid.
Where is the pollack found?
It lives around rocky reefs, kelp, and wrecks from Norway and the British Isles south to the Iberian coast.