Bony fish · Gadiformes · Gadidae

Haddock

Melanogrammus aeglefinus

Vulnerable

It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary

The haddock — known in Spanish as eglefino, abadejo or anón — is a gadiform fish of the family Gadidae. It is found on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a fish used mainly for human consumption and is widely traded.

Weight

9.2 kg on average

Size

up to 1.1 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Fun facts

  • It is recognised by the dark blotch above the pectoral fin, known as St Peter's thumbprint.
  • It feeds mainly on bottom-living invertebrates: mussels, brittle stars and polychaetes.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment
Soft bottoms of the North Atlantic and the adjacent Arctic, between 10 and 450 m and normally between 10 and 200 m
Sexual maturity
19.8 months

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanogrammus_aeglefinus

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Haddock — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

How to help

The haddock is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 10 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about haddock.

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