Pollachius

Pollachius is a genus of marine fish in the family Gadidae, commonly associated with the pollock or saithe group. It includes two species: Pollachius pollachius, commonly called the common pollock or pollack, and Pollachius virens, known as the saithe or coalfish. Both species are native to the cooler waters of the North Atlantic, from parts of western Europe to Greenland, and they inhabit continental shelf and slope regions at depths up to several hundred meters.

Description: Members of Pollachius are elongated, laterally compressed fish with a silvery body and a dark bluish-green back. They display a relatively large head and a terminal mouth. Pollachius pollachius is typically smaller, commonly reaching 50–60 cm in length, while Pollachius virens can exceed 1 m in length and grow heavier.

Biology: They are carnivorous and feed mainly on smaller fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates. They are schooling species and form spawning aggregations in winter to spring; spawning areas are along the continental shelf. Eggs are pelagic and hatch into free-swimming larvae.

Fisheries and use: Both species are commercially important, harvested by pelagic and bottom trawls, gillnets, and longlines. They are widely landed as fresh fillets, salted, or smoked, and feature in European and North Atlantic markets. The stocks are managed by regional conventions and the ICES, with quotas and size limits to prevent overfishing. Conservation status varies by stock and year; some populations have recovered after past declines while others remain of concern.

Taxonomy note: The genus Pollachius is distinct from the closely related Gadus and other Gadidae genera; classification has evolved with taxonomic reviews.