Fish
Whiting
Merlangius merlangus
Beneath the translucent bell of a drifting jellyfish, a juvenile whiting hangs among the tentacles, safe from the fish that would eat it.
Overview
The whiting, Merlangius merlangus, is a Least Concern cod relative of sandy and muddy bottoms in the north-eastern Atlantic. Its silvery body, lack of a chin barbel, and habit of sheltering with jellyfish make it one of the most recognisable small cod relatives of European seas.
A fish that hides among stings
Large jellyfish tentacles give young whiting a refuge from predators, and the whiting stay close to them without apparently being harmed.
Status
Least Concern, though some stocks are managed with quotas.
Whiting: common questions
How can you tell a whiting from a cod?
A whiting has no barbel on its chin, a slimmer silvery body, and a dark spot at the base of each pectoral fin, unlike a cod.
Why do young whiting shelter with jellyfish?
The tentacles of large jellyfish give them some protection from predators, and the young fish seem to avoid being stung.
What does the whiting eat?
It eats shrimps, crabs, and worms when young, and small fish such as sand eels, sprats, and young herring as it grows.
Where is the whiting found?
It lives on sandy and muddy bottoms from Iceland and Norway to the Iberian coast, and in parts of the Mediterranean and Black Sea.