Pollachius virens
Saithe | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Gadiformes |
Family: | Gadidae |
Genus: | Pollachius |
Species: | P. virens
|
Binomial name | |
Pollachius virens (Linnaeus, 1758)
| |
Synonyms | |
The saithe (
Description
This species can be separated from P. pollachius by looking at the relative lengths of the upper and lower jaws. P. pollachius has a longer underslung lower jaw while P. virens has approximately equal upper and lower jaw lengths. This gives a very different profile to the head. In general, P. pollachius is a brown or golden colour with a dark back while P. virens is bright silver with a very dark green back. P. virens generally appears to have relatively smaller eyes. The lateral line of P. pollachius has a noticeable kink over the pectoral fins while that of P. virens is straighter.
The flesh of coalfish (P. virens) is darkly coloured (hence the common name) while that of P. pollachius is similar to other members of the cod family. This dark colour in the fresh uncooked flesh may have led to the undeserved reputation of this fish as poor for eating.
It is common in the northern parts of the
Norwegian scientists documented that saithe have made a habit of congregating around fish farms and feeding on uneaten salmon feeds which get through the net walls of the cages, with negative consequences on the taste of their flesh.[7]
Reproduction
Saithe reach sexual maturity at 4–9 years old and are iteroparous, batch spawners with determinate fecundity.[8] Females produce, depending on their size, between 500 thousand and 9 million eggs which are 1.0 to 1.3 millimetres (5⁄128 to 7⁄128 in) in diameter.[9][10]
Fisheries
Saithe is fished year-round using gear such as Danish
The commercial catch of saithe in the western Atlantic is taken by USA and Canada and has fluctuated around 5–45 thousand metric tons (4,900–44,300 long tons; 5,500–49,600 short tons) per year between 1980 and 2018. The population in the western Atlantic is assessed by USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
All four stocks assessed in the eastern Atlantic and the stock in the western Atlantic are harvested sustainably with many saithe fisheries having been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.
As food
Coalfish is edible and has commercial value, although it is considerably less valuable than premium
While a great deal of saithe consumed in Europe are caught in British waters, it is not a popular fish with consumers there. Most of the British saithe catch is thus exported to France, where it is widely eaten.[12]
Saithe is also used as food for domestic cats.
References
- ^ "saithe". English Online. Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ "Key to pronunciations (US English dictionary)". Oxford Dictionaries. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ^ "saithe". dictionary.reference.com/. dictionary.com/. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
- ISBN 0-19-211579-0.
- ^ "Definition of 'podley'". HarperCollins. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2010). "Pollachius virens" in FishBase. October 2010 version.
- ^ Saithe quality near fish farms documented 24 August 2016 nofima.no, accessed 17 January 2021
- ISSN 0250-6408.
- ^ Storozhuk, A. Y.; Golovanov, A. V.; Golubyatnikova, I. P. (1974). "On the fecundity of Saithe (Pollachius virens) in the NorthSea" (PDF). ICES Document CM. 1974/F:13.
- PMID 27734466.
- ^ "Coalfish". British Sea Fishing. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ Lichfield, John (31 August 2019). "A 'Brexit bonanza' for UK fishing? That's a fishy tale with an unhappy ending". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
Further reading
- Atlantic pollock NOAA FishWatch. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
External links
- Media related to Pollachius virens at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Pollachius virens at Wikispecies