Saithe

Pollachius virens

A large North Atlantic cod relative with a dark back and powerful schooling movements from rocky coasts to offshore shelves.

Key facts

Saithe (Pollachius virens) 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 LC (Least Concern).
A large North Atlantic cod relative with a dark back and powerful schooling movements from rocky coasts to offshore shelves.
Found in cold waters around Norway, Britain, Iceland, Greenland, and northeastern North America, using rocky coasts and continental shelves.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

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

Found in cold waters around Norway, Britain, Iceland, Greenland, and northeastern North America, using rocky coasts and continental shelves.

The body is streamlined, dark green to nearly black above and silvery below. A pale straight lateral line is conspicuous.

Young fish gather around coastal rocks, while adults travel widely in offshore schools and pursue prey actively.

It eats small fish, krill, and crustaceans, often hunting herring, sandeels, and similar prey in groups.

Spawning takes place offshore from winter into spring. Eggs and larvae drift before juveniles enter coastal areas.

Saithe is an important European whitefish, also called coalfish, and is used fresh, smoked, and processed.