Haddock, << HAD uhk, >> is an important food fish that belongs to the codfish family. A black line along each of its sides and a black spot just back of its head distinguishes the haddock from other codfish. Also, the front fin on the haddock’s back is more pointed than that of other codfish. Haddock live off the western North Atlantic coast from New Jersey to Newfoundland. They also live off the coasts Europe from the Bay of Biscay, which lies west of France and Spain, north to the Arctic Ocean. The fish typically weigh about 1 to 4 pounds (0.45 to 1.8 kilograms) and grow about 2 to 3 feet (60 to 91 centimeters) long. People sometimes describe other fish as kinds of haddock, but such fish are not closely related to true haddock.
Haddock travel in schools along the ocean floor. They feed on crabs, shrimp, worms, and small fish.
Commercial fishing crews often catch haddock with large, funnel-shaped nets called otter trawls. Haddock are sold fresh and frozen and are made into fillets, fish sticks, and smoked fish products. People also use them for fish meal and animal feed.
