Coalfish redirects here; that is also a common name for Anoplopoma fimbria (sablefish

Sablefish

The sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, is one of two members of the fish family Anoplopomatidae and the only species in the Anoplopoma genus...

) in Canada.

Pollachius virens is a species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of marine

Ocean

An ocean is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the hydrosphere. Approximately 71% of the Earth's surface is covered by ocean, a continuous body of water that is customarily divided into several principal oceans and smaller seas.More than half of this area is over 3,000...

 fish

Fish

Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...

 in the Pollachius

Pollock

Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...

genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

. Together with Pollachius pollachius

Pollachius pollachius

Pollachius pollachius is a species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Together with Pollachius virens it is generally referred to as Pollock. Other names include the Atlantic pollock, European pollock, lieu jaune, and lythe. It is common in the north-eastern parts of the Northern Atlantic,...

it is generally referred to in the U.S. as Pollock

Pollock

Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...

. Other names include the Boston blues (separate from bluefish

Bluefish

The bluefish , called tailor in Australia, is a species of popular marine gamefish found in all climates. It is the sole species of the Pomatomidae family....

), coalfish (or coley) and saithe in the UK.

This species can be separated from P. pollachius by looking at the relative lengths of the upper and lower jaws. P. pollachius has a longer underslung lower jaw while Pollachius virens has approximately equal upper and lower jaw lengths. This gives a very different profile to the head. In general P. pollachius is a brown or golden colour with a dark back while P. virens is bright silver with a very dark green back. P. virens generally appears to have relatively larger eyes. The lateral line of P. pollachius has a noticeable kink over the pectoral fins while that of P. virens is straighter.
The flesh of Coalfish (P. virens) is darkly coloured (hence the common name) while that of P. pollachius is similar to other members of the Cod family. This dark colour in the fresh uncooked flesh may have led to the undeserved reputation of this fish as poor for eating.

It is common in the northern parts of the Northern Atlantic

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...

, including the Bay of Biscay

Bay of Biscay

The Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...

. Adults can grow up to 130 centimetres (51.2 in) and weigh up to 32 kilograms (70.5 lb), the species is of great commercial value to fisheries

Fishery

Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising or harvesting fish which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats,...

. The fish can be found close to the shore, particularly in rocky areas but larger examples tend to be found around off-shore wrecks and reefs.

Smoked fish in Germany

To achieve a salmon

Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...

 like orange color it can be salted and smoked. In Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

the fish is commonly sold as Seelachs (literally 'sea salmon'), although it is not closely related to any salmon.