View source for 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 = [[Sven Nilsson (zoologist)|Nilsson]], 1832
| type_species = ''[[Pollachius pollachius]]''
| type_species_authority = Nilsson, 1832 (Linnaeus, 1758)
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 
| synonyms = ''Asellus'' <small>Minding, 1832</small>
}}

'''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]] [[ocean|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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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]]'' <small>([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)</small>
|pollack
|[[File:Pollachius pollachius NO.JPG|frameless]]
|-
|''[[Pollachius virens]]'' <small>(Linnaeus, 1758)</small>
|coalfish
|[[File:Pollachius virens 218207213 (cropped).jpg|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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;pollachius'' can weigh up to {{convert|18|kg|lb|0|abbr=off}}.<ref name="Fishbase-PPollachius" /> ''P.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;pollachius'' has a distinctly crooked lateral line, grayish to golden belly, and a dark brown back. ''P.&nbsp;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 ==
{{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>]]
[[File:Global total production pollock.png|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 (fisheries term)|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 as food|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 [[Fishstick|fish fingers]] or as an ingredient in [[Crab stick|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 ball]]s, 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|[[:fr:Colin (poisson)|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 (element)|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 (biology)|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.&nbsp;682. {{ISBN|0-19-211579-0}}.
* Norum, Ben. ''The Big Book of Ben'' (2007), "pollock / pollack", p.&nbsp;32.

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

{{cod topics|state=expanded}}
{{Commercial fish topics}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q5123445}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Pollock| ]]
[[Category:Gadidae]]
[[Category:Commercial fish]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Sven Nilsson]]
<!-- [[Category:Fish genera]] moved to ''Pollachius'' redirect-->