Haddock: Description, Types, Pictures, & Fun Facts

Haddock: All You Need To Know

The Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is a ray-finned carnivorous fish that belongs to the Animalia family, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygii, order Gadiformes, and family Gadidae. Its genus is Melanogrammus.

The haddock ranges in size from up to 1 to 3 feet in length, and weighs up to 2 to 40 pounds, with a lifetime of up to 10 or more years. Haddock are saltwater fish that eat worms, sea stars, urchins, sand dollars, mollusks, crustaceans, fish, and eggs.

Haddock are preyed upon by skates, dogfish, cod, halibut, and seals. The black “thumbprint” on the sides of the body is a distinguishing characteristic. Physical characteristics include red, black, and purple colours, with scales on the skin.

A deep-sea oceanic fish indigenous to the North Atlantic, the haddock is a deep-sea marine fish. Haddock is a globally popular fish, maybe none more so than in the United Kingdom, where it’s almost a mainstay in several traditional meals.

This fish is related to cod, which is also a famous dish. It’s typically fried, baked, and smoked, and has a firm, somewhat sweet flavour.

3 Incredible Haddock Facts!

1. It has evolved to live in deep, frigid seas with temperatures ranging from 35 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Haddocks form big schools to defend themselves.

3. Despite its deep water origins, this fish spends much of its early life near the surface. Its eating and behavioural patterns vary as it grows older.

Haddock Classification and Scientific Name

Melanogrammus aeglefinus is the scientific name for haddock. Melanogrammus is a Greek word that means “black line.” The name Aeglefinus originates from the French word églefin, which means “haddock.” It is the sole extant member of its genus and belongs to the real cod family of ray-fin fish.

Haddock Distribution, Population, and Habitat

Haddock fish may be found on both sides of the North Atlantic, swimming at depths of 300 to 700 feet, but as deep as 1,500 feet on rare occasions. The Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank are home to the biggest stocks in US waters (off the coast of New England).

The IUCN Red List now lists them as a vulnerable species, although this classification may be out of date because their condition hasn’t been thoroughly examined since 1996. Every year, the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) carefully monitors population numbers in the Atlantic.

Because of the careful management of current inventories, they expect that population numbers will remain above normal. This is an improvement over the population levels seen in the second part of the twentieth century, when haddock stocks were depleted. Regulations have also been put in place in the United States to reduce inadvertent bycatch.

Haddock Appearance

Haddock is a medium-sized fish that grows to be between 1 and 3 feet long and weighs approximately 7 pounds (though the largest one ever caught was an immense 40 pounds). The black or purple line running down the back, as well as the characteristic markings on either side of the body, make it easy to spot.

This feature is also known as the “Devil’s fingerprint” because it stands out against the white or silvery body. The haddock also has three dorsal fins on the back, two anal fins on the bottom, and a little barbel on the chin, which are likely used to detect its surroundings.

Haddock Predators and Prey

This fish is a predatory carnivore. It spends a lot of time on the ocean floor looking for slow-moving crustaceans and smaller fish. It has the ability to move fast in order to avoid predators.

Skates, spiny dogfish, cod, halibut, and other groundfish feed on juveniles. Grey seals are also predators on adults.

Worms, sea stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, mollusks, crustaceans, and smaller fish and eggs are among the haddock’s favourite foods.

Daddock vs Cod

In comparison to haddock, there are multiple species of cod. Atlantic cod is most intimately associated with haddock. Both share the same body form, fin arrangement, and chin barbel. The key distinction is that cod are substantially bigger, often more than twice as large, and lack the same markings.

Haddock Reproduction and Lifespan

Haddocks spawn between January and June, when the schools congregate to reproduce, at least in American waters. The size of the female has an impact on egg output.

The typical female produces roughly 850,000 eggs every breeding season, with bigger females producing around three million. The female scatters her eggs in big clutches at the ocean’s surface, where the male fertilises them. The eggs subsequently rise to the surface of the water column and float for around 15 days along the ocean currents.

Haddocks that have just hatched spend the first several months of their existence near the coast, grazing on copepods, tiny crustaceans. Haddock return to the depths and shift to an adult diet until they reach around 3 inches in length.

The haddock grows to approximately a foot in length by the end of the first year, but it can take up to four years to reach puberty and begin mating.

The average lifespan of a haddock is ten years or more. The majority of the fish are collected between the ages of three and seven, after they’ve had a chance to spawn. The haddock is one of the most popular saltwater marine fishes in the United States and northern Europe.

They are harvested all year round using long lines, gill nets, and rod and reel lines to minimise the impact on the surrounding habitats. Trawls are also used with some restrictions.

In 2019 alone, commercial fishing yielded more than 19 million pounds of haddock, valued at nearly $19 million. Recreational fishers caught an additional 1.8 million pounds.

Haddock in Fishing and Cooking

In the United States and northern Europe, haddock is one of the most popular saltwater marine fish. To minimise the damage to the surrounding ecosystems, they are collected all year using long lines, gill nets, and rod and reel lines.

Trawls are also employed, but only under certain conditions. Commercial fishing generated almost 19 million pounds of haddock in 2019, worth over $19 million. A total of 1.8 million pounds was captured by recreational anglers.

Haddock flesh is comparable to cod in appearance: white, firm, and moist. The flesh is so similar that they’re commonly confused, while haddock has a somewhat sweeter flavour.

Haddock and cod are common ingredients in fish and chips dishes in the United Kingdom, where the fish is battered and cooked in oil. Finnan haddie is the name given to cold-smoked haddock from Scotland’s northeast. Baked haddock with bread crumbs is another classic dish.