Atlantic Pollock

The Atlantic pollock (Pollachius virens), also widely known as saithe or coalfish, is a member of the cod family, Gadidae, found throughout the cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic on both the European and North American sides. It is a fast-swimming, schooling species that often forms large aggregations in open water over the continental shelf, distinguishing it from its close relative the more bottom-oriented pollack. Atlantic pollock support significant commercial fisheries across its range and are managed under quota systems in many jurisdictions. The species is easily recognized by its dark, streamlined body and pale lateral line, and it remains common and widespread throughout the North Atlantic.

Atlantic pollock have a sleek, torpedo-shaped body built for open-water swimming.

• Coloration: dark greenish-brown to nearly black above, fading to silvery-grey on the sides and white below
• Lateral line: pale, distinctly straight, running the length of the body
• Fins: three separate dorsal fins and two anal fins, typical of the cod family
• Chin: very small or absent barbel (unlike Atlantic cod, which has a prominent one)
• Size: commonly 60-90 cm, up to about 130 cm

The straight pale lateral line and minimal chin barbel distinguish it from Atlantic cod, while its more streamlined, less mottled body separates it from pollack (Pollachius pollachius).

Atlantic pollock range throughout the cold-temperate waters of the North Atlantic, from the Barents Sea and Iceland south to the English Channel in Europe, and from Labrador to the mid-Atlantic United States in North America. They are a schooling, semi-pelagic species, often found in the open water column over continental shelf waters, though they also associate with rocky reefs, wrecks, and kelp areas, particularly as juveniles. Depths range from near-surface waters to several hundred meters, with adults generally occupying deeper, cooler water than young fish found closer inshore. The species prefers well-oxygenated, cold marine waters year-round.

Atlantic pollock are strong, active swimmers that form large, fast-moving schools in open water, feeding on small fish such as sandeels and herring as well as crustaceans and other invertebrates. They are more pelagic in habit than most other gadids, often chasing prey through the water column rather than foraging along the bottom. Spawning occurs in offshore waters during winter and early spring, with eggs and larvae drifting in the plankton before juveniles move to shallower, more sheltered coastal habitats. As both predator and prey, Atlantic pollock form an important link in North Atlantic marine food webs.