The haddock (Gadus oeglefinus) is a marine fish of the cod family found in the north Atlantic. It is easily distinguished from other species of the group by the large black spot on each side beneath the first dorsal fin, the black lateral line, and the position of the first ventral fin, which begins under the second dorsal. It occasionally reaches a length of one meter, but is usually under 70 centimetres long. The females outnumber the males almost two to one, and are of a different size.
The food consists of crustacea, molluscs, echinoderms and worms, and haddock are very fond of the eggs of the herring. On the east coast of Britain, haddock spawn in February, March and April at a moderate distance from the coast, or near if the water is deep; the haddock also spawns on various banks in the North Sea in deeper water. The female sheds upwards of 200,000 eggs which are similar in appearance to those of the cod, but are a little larger. The larval fish are also larger than the cod, and hatch after about two weeks. The female reaches maturity when three years old and about 30 centimetres in length. Research Haddock
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Nature
Research Haddock
