Haddock

Melanogrammus aeglefinus

A cold-water cod relative of the North Atlantic. A dark blotch below the lateral line helps identify it as it forages near the seabed.

Key facts

Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is a carnivore animal classified as Fish · Gadiformes · Gadidae.
Primary habitats are open ocean · coast, with a range across Atlantic Ocean · Arctic Ocean · Palearctic · Nearctic.
Activity is cathemeral, sociality is herd, and conservation status is VU (Vulnerable).
A cold-water cod relative of the North Atlantic.
Common on continental shelves from the North Sea and Barents Sea to Iceland and northeastern North America, often over sand, gravel, or mud.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Common on continental shelves from the North Sea and Barents Sea to Iceland and northeastern North America, often over sand, gravel, or mud.

The body is silver gray with a dark lateral line. A black oval mark above the pectoral fin distinguishes it from many other cods.

It moves in loose groups near the bottom and shifts depth with light, season, and food availability.

It eats worms, mollusks, small crustaceans, small fish, and fish eggs, often picking prey from the sediment.

Adults release eggs and sperm into the water, mainly in spring. Eggs and larvae drift before juveniles settle nearer the bottom.

Haddock is an important whitefish. Stocks can be sensitive to fishing pressure, so regional management is important.