Whitefish (fisheries term)

Whitefish or white fish is a fisheries term for several species of demersal fish with fins, particularly Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), whiting (Merluccius bilinearis), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), hake (Urophycis), and pollock (Pollachius), among others. Whitefish (Coregonidae) is also the name of several species of Atlantic freshwater fish.

White fish (Atlantic cod)

White fish fillet (halibut – on top) contrasted with an oily fish fillet (salmon – at bottom)

Whitefish live on or near the seafloor, and can be contrasted with the oily or pelagic fish which live away from the seafloor. Whitefish do not have much oil in their tissue, and have flakier white or light-coloured flesh. Most of the oil found in their bodies is concentrated in the organs, e.g. cod liver oil.

Whitefish can be divided into benthopelagic fish (round fish which live near the sea bed, such as cod and coley) and benthic fish (which live on the sea bed, such as flatfish like plaice).

Whitefish is sometimes eaten straight but is often used reconstituted for fishsticks, gefilte fish, lutefisk, surimi (imitation crab meat), etc. Because of their lower oil and fat content, whitefish are particularly suitable for preservation by salting and drying. For centuries it was preserved by drying as stockfish and clipfish and traded as a world commodity.[1] It is commonly used as the fish in the classic British dish of fish and chips.