Haddock Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Slender body compared to cod, with a slightly forked or square tail
• Distinct black, straight lateral line running the length of the body, unlike cod's pale curved line
• A dark oval "thumbprint" blotch above the pectoral fin, a hallmark feature of the species
• Three dorsal fins and two anal fins, a layout similar to cod
• Small chin barbel, shorter than a cod's
• Silvery-grey back fading to a white belly
• Rounded tail fin, slightly less square-cut than a cod's

Common look-alikes

• Atlantic Cod: pale curved lateral line with no shoulder blotch, plus a longer, more prominent chin barbel
• Pollock: no thumbprint blotch, a black lateral line set higher on the body, and a lower jaw that juts noticeably forward
• Whiting: smaller and more slender overall, lacking the dark shoulder blotch and showing a less pronounced barbel

Where you'll see one

Cold North Atlantic continental shelf waters on both the European and North American sides, typically over sandy or muddy bottoms at moderate depths, often forming loose schools near the seafloor.