Pollachius pollachius

Atlantic pollock
Conservation status
Not evaluated (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Gadidae
Genus:	Pollachius
Species:	P. pollachius
Binomial name
Pollachius pollachius (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Atlantic or European pollock (Pollachius pollachius) is a species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. FAO uses English name pollack for this species. Together with Pollachius virens, it may also be referred to as pollock. Other names include European pollock, lieu jaune, and lythe. It is common in the north-eastern parts of the Northern Atlantic, including the Bay of Biscay and North Sea. Adults can grow up to 130 centimetres (51 in) and weigh up to 18.1 kilograms (40 lb), although more commonly their maximum length is 75 centimetres (30 in).

Ecology and life history

Pollack are fast-growing and relatively short-lived. The maximum reported age is 15 years. They are said to spawn offshore, although their spawning grounds are poorly known; a study of a fjord population in Norway suggested local spawning.

Pollack are benthopelagic, that is, they live near the sea floor. They seem to be relatively sedentary.

Fisheries

Pollack is of value to fisheries, although it mainly represents bycatch. Landings data show two fairly distinct centres of distribution, one in the northern North Sea/Skagerrak extending north along the Norwegian coast and one between the English Channel, the Irish Sea, and the northern part of the French west coast. Total reported landings are of order few thousands tonnes.

Pollack is an important species in recreational fisheries. In Norway, tourist fishers alone were estimated to catch 100 tonnes of pollack in 2009. In France, 3,500 tonnes of pollack was estimated to be caught in all recreational fisheries.