Blue Whiting Identification Guide
How to identify blue whiting by its barbel-less jaw, protruding lower jaw, and deeply forked tail.
Read the full Blue Whiting encyclopedia entry →
Key identification features
- Slender, elongated body, blue-grey along the back grading to silvery on the sides
- No chin barbel at all
- Protruding lower jaw that extends noticeably past the upper jaw
- Deeply forked tail fin
- Three dorsal fins and two anal fins, all relatively small and evenly spaced
- Large eyes and a fairly pointed snout; typically 20-30 cm long, occasionally to 40 cm
Common look-alikes
- Whiting: stockier body with a small barbel and a dark spot at the pectoral fin base, both absent in blue whiting
- Poor cod: smaller, more golden in tone, and shows a visible barbel plus a deeper body
- Other small hakes: deeper head profile and larger teeth compared with blue whiting's slim, delicate build
Where you'll see one
Blue whiting is an offshore, schooling species found in deep waters of the northeast Atlantic, from the edge of the continental shelf down into the mesopelagic zone, often forming enormous shoals that migrate vertically between day and night depths and that support one of the region's largest pelagic fisheries.
Frequently asked questions
How do I distinguish blue whiting from whiting?
Blue whiting lacks any chin barbel and has no dark spot at the pectoral fin base, while whiting shows a small barbel and a distinct pectoral blotch.
What jaw feature helps identify blue whiting?
Its lower jaw clearly juts out past the upper jaw, giving the head an underslung, pointed look unlike the more even jaws of many other small gadids.