Pollock

Pollock, also pollack, coalfish, saithe, Boston bluefish, or green cod, a commercially important food and game fish of the cod family. Found in cooler coastal waters on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, the pollock can reach a length of about 1 m (about 3 ft) and weigh up to 11 kg (25 lb), but it usually weighs about 3.6 kg (about 8 lb). Its lower jaw projects beyond a pointed snout, and the tail is forked. The plump body is olive to brown above, with paler sides, and is silvery below. A closely related species, the European pollock, is popular as a game fish in Europe. Pollocks prey on other fish and on crustaceans. A Pacific species, the walleye pollock, is another relative of the pollock with commercial importance as a food fish.

Scientific classification: Pollocks belong to the family Gadidae. The pollock is classified as Pollachius virens, the European pollock as Pollachius pollachius, and the walleye pollock as Theragra chalcogramma.