Haddock

The haddock is a demersal member of the cod family found across the North Atlantic, from the North Sea, Iceland, and Norway to the waters off Newfoundland and Cape Cod. It is marked by a distinctive black lateral line and a dark blotch, sometimes called a thumbprint, just above its pectoral fin. Living at depths from about 10 to 450 meters, it feeds mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as sea urchins, brittle stars, and worms, occasionally taking small fish. It is one of the most commercially important groundfish in northern Europe, with several stocks certified as sustainably managed.