The haddosck is an important food fish that belongs to the same family as the cod.
The chief American haddock fishing grounds are in the Atlantic Ocean between Cape Halteras and the Strait of Belle Isle.
The chief European fisheries lie in the waters from Iceland to France.
Haddock thrive in the greatest numbers in the North Sea and around the British Isles. In summer, they also thrive along the seacoast of Massachusetts.
The haddock differs from the cod in several ways. It has a conspicuous black line from head to tail. It has a smaller mouth than the cod, and a longer first fin on the back. A haddock is also smaller, and weighs from 3 to 17 pounds.
Haddock swim in large groups, or schools.
They feed on the bottom of the sea, while cod take bait set somewhat above the ocean floor. Salted menhaden and stale clams make the best bait for haddock.
Haddock is marketed fresh, frozen, smoked, salted, and dried. Finnan haddie, produced by a Scottish method of smoking and drying, received its ñame from the town of Findon, Scotland.
Haddock belongs to the codfish and hake family, Gadidae. The common haddock is genus Melanogrammus, species M. aeglefinus.
