Haddockfish

Haddock (fish) (Gadus aeglefinus), a common but very important British food-fish of the Cod family, ranging round the coasts of Europe, without entering the Baltic or Mediterranean, and across the Atlantic to the eastern coasts of North America. In shape the haddock resembles the cod (q.v.), but is of much smaller size, from two to four pounds being the general weight, though much larger specimens are on record. In higher latitudes fish three feet long have been met with, but those taken around our own shores are about a foot in length. The general colour is greyish-white above, and the white belly is mottled with grey. The lateral line is black, and the dark spot above the pectoral fin has led to the identification in folklore of this fish with that from which St. Peter took the tribute money. Haddocks are taken with trawl-nets and long lines. The best smoked haddocks (Fiunon haddies) come from the fishing village of Finnon or Findon six miles south of Aberdeen.