Pollock

{{Short description|North Atlantic marine fish in the genus Pollachius}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| name = Pollock

| image = Pollachius pollachius aquarium.jpg

| 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{{cite book|editor=Kirkpatrick, E. M.|title=Chambers 20th Century Dictionary |edition= New |year= 1983|publisher= Chambers|location= Edinburgh|isbn= 0550102345|page= 904}} (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).{{cite web|url= http://britishseafishing.co.uk/pollock-and-coalfish-identification-guide/|title= Pollock and Coalfish Identification Guide|website= Britishseafishing|date= 30 April 2013}} Other names for P. pollachius include the Atlantic pollock, European pollock, lieu jaune, and lythe or lithe;

{{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

|edition =

|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 [...].

}}

while P. virens is also known as Boston blue (distinct from bluefish), silver bill, or saithe.

Species

The recognized species in this genus are:{{FishBase genus | genus = Pollachius| month = April | year = 2012}}

Pollachius pollachius (Linnaeus, 1758) (pollack)
Pollachius virens (Linnaeus, 1758) (coalfish)

Description

Both species can grow to {{convert|130|cm|ftin|frac=2|abbr=off}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.fishbase.se/summary/34?lang=English|title=Pollachius pollachius summary page|website=FishBase|date=14 May 2023}} P. virens can weigh up to {{convert|32|kg|lb|0|abbr=off}}{{cite web|url=https://www.fishbase.se/summary/1343?lang=English|title=Pollachius virens summary page|website=FishBase|date=14 May 2023}} and P. pollachius can weigh up to {{convert|18|kg|lb|0|abbr=off}}. 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

File:Time series for global capture of all pollock.png

File:Global total production pollock.png

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 now 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 Seelachs or sea salmon.

{{citation needed |reason=Paragraph may be describing Alaska pollock; need to check with sources|date=January 2021}}

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.{{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}} Sainsbury's, which said the new name was derived from the French for cooked pollock (colin), launched the product under the banner "Colin and chips can save British cod."

Pollock is regarded as a "low-mercury fish" – 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}}.{{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}}

Other fish called 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

External links

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

Category:Gadidae

Category:Commercial fish

Category:Taxa named by Sven Nilsson