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Pollock or pollack (pronounced ) is the common name used for either of the two species of
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fish in the genus ''Pollachius''. '' Pollachius pollachius'' is referred to as pollock in
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, 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). Other names for ''P. pollachius'' include the Atlantic pollock, European pollock, ''lieu jaune'', and lythe; while ''P. virens'' is also known as Boston blue (distinct from bluefish), silver bill, or saithe.


Species

The recognized species in this genus are: * '' Pollachius pollachius'' ( Linnaeus, 1758) (pollack) * '' Pollachius virens'' (Linnaeus, 1758) (coalfish)


Description

Both species can grow to and can weigh up to . ''P. virens'' has a strongly defined, silvery
lateral line The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...
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 deep over rocks and anywhere in the water column. Pollock is a whitefish.


As food

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 Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...
and haddock. However, in recent years, 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 Crab sticks, krab sticks, imitation crab (meat), or seafood sticks (originally known as ''kanikama'' in Japan) are a type of seafood made of starch and finely pulverized white fish (''surimi'') that has been shaped and cured to resemble the leg ...
and is commonly used to make
fish and chips Fish and chips is a popular hot dish consisting of fried fish in crispy batter, served with chips. The dish originated in England, where these two components had been introduced from separate immigrant cultures; it is not known who created t ...
. 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. 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 Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...
fish" – a woman weighing can safely eat up to per week, and a child weighing can safely eat up to .


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 The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') is a marine fish species of the cod genus ''Gadus'' and family Gadidae. It is a semi-pelagic schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific, with largest concentrations fo ...
. They are also members of the family Gadidae but not members of the genus ''Pollachius''.


References


Further reading

* * * *Davidson, Alan. ''Oxford Companion to Food'' (1999), “Saithe”, p. 682. *Norum, Ben. ''The Big Book of Ben'' (2007), "pollock / pollack", p. 32


External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q5123445 Gadidae Commercial fish Taxa named by Sven Nilsson