Alaska Pollock Identification Guide
Recognize this abundant North Pacific schooling fish by its large eyes, slight jaw projection, and silvery-olive body.
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Key identification features
- Slender, elongated body with a slightly humped back
- Large eyes relative to head size, an adaptation for deeper, dimmer water
- Lower jaw projects slightly beyond the upper jaw, with a very small or absent chin barbel
- Three dorsal fins and two anal fins, following the typical cod-family pattern
- Silvery to olive-brown coloring on the back with darker speckling, fading to a silvery-white belly
- Forked tail fin
- Lateral line pattern that shifts from dark to pale in sections along the body, less continuous than in close relatives
Common look-alikes
- Pacific Cod: has a longer, obvious chin barbel and a heavier, more mottled body, unlike Alaska pollock's sleeker, barely-barbeled profile
- Atlantic Pollock: a closely related but geographically separated species, with Alaska pollock showing proportionally larger eyes
- Pacific Hake: has only two dorsal fins compared to Alaska pollock's three, a quick way to tell them apart
Where you'll see one
Cold North Pacific waters, especially the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, schooling in large numbers at mid-water depths over the continental shelf.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell Alaska pollock from Pacific cod?
Look for the chin barbel: Pacific cod has an obvious one, while Alaska pollock has little to none, and pollock's eyes are proportionally larger.
What separates Alaska pollock from hake?
Fin count is the clearest clue: Alaska pollock has three dorsal fins like other cod-family fish, while hake has only two.