Identification
The Pollack is a sleek, streamlined member of the cod family, often appearing as a "bronze ghost" in the water. It boasts a rich olive-green or brownish back that fades into shimmering golden-copper flanks and a silver-white belly. To distinguish it from the similar Saithe (*P. virens*), look for two critical field marks: first, the **lateral line** on a Pollack performs a dramatic, steep curve upward over the pectoral fin, whereas the Saithe’s line is straight. Second, the Pollack has a prominent, jutting lower jaw and almost always lacks the chin barbel (the "beard") typical of most cod-like fish.
Habitat & Range
Common throughout the Northeast Atlantic—from the fjords of Norway down to the shores of Morocco—this species is a lover of "structure." Look for them patrolling rocky reefs, swaying kelp forests, and deep-water shipwrecks. While juveniles frequent shallow coastal tide pools and harbors, adults prefer depths up to 200 meters, often hovering near steep underwater drop-offs where currents are strongest.
Behaviour & Diet
Pollack are "sit-and-wait" ambush predators. Unlike the tightly schooling Saithe, adult Pollack are often solitary or found in small, loose groups. They are highly visual hunters, hanging motionless in the water column before launching an explosive, upward strike at passing prey. Their diet is primarily piscivorous; they are voracious consumers of sand eels, sprats, and herring, though they will readily snatch up swimming crustaceans.
Fascinating Fact
Despite being a close relative of the bottom-dwelling Atlantic Cod, the Pollack has completely abandoned the "barbel"—the sensory chin organ used to feel for food in the mud. Instead, it has evolved massive eyes and a specialized "underbite" to become a high-speed, mid-water visual specialist, essentially acting as the "trout" of the saltwater kelp forest.