Pollock

{{Short description|North Atlantic marine fish in the genus Pollachius}} {{Other uses}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Pollock | image = Pollachius pollachius aquarium.jpg | image_caption = ''Pollachius pollachius'' | image2 = Pollachius virens 01.jpg | image2_caption = ''Pollachius virens'' | taxon = Pollachius | authority = Nilsson, 1832 | type_species = ''Pollachius pollachius'' | type_species_authority = Nilsson, 1832 (Linnaeus, 1758) | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = | synonyms = ''Asellus'' Minding, 1832 }}

'''Pollock''' or '''pollack'''<ref>{{cite book |editor=Kirkpatrick, E. M. |title=Chambers 20th Century Dictionary |edition= New |year= 1983 |publisher=Chambers |location=Edinburgh |isbn=0550102345 |page=904}}</ref> (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|ɒ|l|ə|k|}}) is the common name used for either of the two species of North Atlantic marine fish in the genus '''''Pollachius'''''. ''Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as "pollock" in North America, Ireland and the United Kingdom, while ''Pollachius virens'' is usually known as '''saithe''' or '''coley''' in Great Britain and Ireland (derived from the older name '''coalfish''').<ref name="BritishSeaFishing-Pollachius">{{cite web |url= http://britishseafishing.co.uk/pollock-and-coalfish-identification-guide/ |title=Pollock and Coalfish Identification Guide |website=Britishseafishing |date= 30 April 2013}}</ref> Other names for ''P. pollachius'' include the '''Atlantic pollock''', '''European pollock''', '''{{lang|fr|lieu jaune}}''', and '''lythe''' or '''lithe''';<ref> {{cite book |last1 = Maxwell |first1 = William Hamilton |author-link1 = William Hamilton Maxwell |year = 1853 |title = Wild Sports and Adventures in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=I3sVBCLOFdcC |publication-place = London |publisher = Geo. Routledge & Co. |pages = 137, 138 |access-date = 8 April 2024 |quote = Nature [...] pours myriads of coal-fish and pollocks into every creek or bay [...] The latter fish, under the Linnean appellation of ''Gadus Pollachus'', is called generally 'the Lithe'. [...] To the ferocity of a bull-dog the lithe unites the greyhound's agility. [...] Lithe-fishing demands coarse tackle }}. </ref> while ''P. virens'' is also known as '''Boston blue''' (distinct from bluefish) and '''silver bill'''.

== Species == The recognized species in this genus are:<ref>{{FishBase genus | genus = Pollachius| month = April | year = 2012}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |+ !Species !Common name !Image |- |''Pollachius pollachius'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |pollack |frameless |- |''Pollachius virens'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |coalfish |frameless |}

== Description == {{more citations needed section |date=July 2025}}

Both species can grow to {{convert|130|cm|ftin|frac=2|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Fishbase-PPollachius">{{cite web |url=https://www.fishbase.se/summary/34?lang=English |title=Pollachius pollachius summary page |website=FishBase |date=14 May 2023}}</ref> ''P. virens'' can weigh up to {{convert|32|kg|lb|0|abbr=off}}<ref name="Fishbase-PVirens">{{cite web |url=https://www.fishbase.se/summary/1343?lang=English |title=Pollachius virens summary page |website= FishBase|date=14 May 2023}}</ref> and ''P. pollachius'' can weigh up to {{convert|18|kg|lb|0|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Fishbase-PPollachius" /> ''P. virens'' has a strongly defined, silvery lateral line running down the sides. Above the lateral line, the colour is a greenish black. The belly is white, while ''P. pollachius'' has a distinctly crooked lateral line, grayish to golden belly, and a dark brown back. ''P. pollachius'' also has a strong underbite. It can be found in water up to {{convert|180|m|ft fathom|abbr=off|sigfig=1}} deep over rocks and anywhere in the water column.

== As food == {{further|Alaska pollock as food}} {{common fish}} [[File:Time series for global capture of all pollock.png|thumb|right|Global commercial capture of pollock in million tonnes 1950–2010<ref name=FAOdata>Based on data sourced from the relevant [http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/search/en FAO Species Fact Sheets].</ref>]] thumb|right|upright=0.75|The total capture of pollock in 2010 as reported by the FAO was {{convert|3.2|e6tonne|e6ST|abbr=off}}.<ref name=FAOdata /> Atlantic pollock is largely considered to be a whitefish. Traditionally a popular source of food in some countries, such as Norway, in the United Kingdom it has previously been largely consumed as a cheaper and versatile alternative to cod and haddock. However, in recent years,{{when|date=August 2019}} pollock has become more popular due to overfishing of cod and haddock. It can be found in most supermarkets as fresh fillets or prepared freezer items. For example, it is used minced in fish fingers or as an ingredient in imitation crab meat and is commonly used to make fish and chips.

Because of its slightly grey colour, pollock{{which|date=January 2021}} is often prepared, as in Norway, as fried fish balls, or if juvenile-sized, breaded with oatmeal and fried, as in Shetland. Year-old fish are traditionally split, salted, and dried over a peat hearth in Orkney, where their texture becomes wooden.{{clarify|date=November 2017}} Coalfish can also be salted and smoked and achieve a salmon-like orange color (although it is not closely related to the salmon), as is the case in Germany, where the fish is commonly sold as {{lang|de|Seelachs}} ("sea salmon").<ref>{{Cite web |title=Verzeichnis der Handelsbezeichnungen für Erzeugnisse der Fischerei und Aquakultur |language=de |trans-title=Catalog of Trade Names for Fishery and Aquaculture Products |url=https://www.ble.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Fischerei/Fischwirtschaft/HandelsbezeichnungDLat.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=24 |access-date=May 18, 2025 |publisher=German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food}}</ref>

In 2009, UK supermarket Sainsbury's briefly renamed Atlantic pollock "colin" in a bid to boost ecofriendly sales of the fish as an alternative to cod.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/apr/06/sainsburys-pollack-colin-fish-stocks |title=A colin and chips? Sainsbury's gives unfashionable pollack a makeover |website=The Guardian |first1=Rebecca |last1=Smithers |date=5 April 2009}}</ref> Sainsbury's, which said the new name was derived from the French for cooked pollock ({{lang|fr|colin}}), launched the product under the banner "Colin and chips can save British cod."

{{further|Mercury in fish}} Pollock is regarded as a "low-mercury fish"{{snd}} a woman weighing {{cvt|60|kg}} can safely eat up to {{convert|18|oz|g|order=flip|abbr=on}} per week, and a child weighing {{cvt|20|kg}} can safely eat up to {{convert|6|oz|g|order=flip|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/safe-fish-for-pregnant-women/ |title=Which Fish Are Safe for Pregnant Women? |website=Consumer Reports |date=2017-01-27 |access-date=2019-03-01}}</ref>

== Other fish called pollock == {{Main|Alaska pollock}}

One member of the genus ''Gadus'' is also commonly referred to as pollock: the Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus''), including the form known as the Norway pollock. They are also members of the family Gadidae but not members of the genus ''Pollachius''.

== References == {{Reflist}}

== Further reading == * {{FishBase genus | genus = Pollachius | year = 2006 | month = June}} * {{FishBase | genus = Pollachius | species = pollachius | year = 2006 | month = June}} * {{FishBase | genus = Pollachius | species = virens | year = 2006 | month = June}} * Davidson, Alan. ''Oxford Companion to Food'' (1999), "Saithe", p. 682. {{ISBN|0-19-211579-0}}. * Norum, Ben. ''The Big Book of Ben'' (2007), "pollock / pollack", p. 32.

== External links == * {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Pollack|year=1921 |short=x}} * {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Coal-fish|volume=6|page=593|short=x}}

Category:Pollock Category:Gadidae Category:Commercial fish Category:Taxa named by Sven Nilsson