Species
Saithe (coalfish)
A powerful member of the cod family with an almost black back, sold in Germany as Seelachs and a target species for sea anglers, especially in Norway.
Pollachius virens
Photo: Arnstein Rønning, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, adjusted to 3:2
- Spawning
- From January in the south to May in the north of the range, mostly along the edge of the continental shelf (general guide, varies by region)
- German Red List
- not threatened
- Typical method
- Jigging with pirks from a boat
- Top bait
- Pirk
How to recognise it
- Pitch-black to dark green back, silvery white underside
- Pale, straight lateral line running parallel to the back
- Three dorsal and two anal fins; the chin barbel is usually missing or very small
Easily confused with: Often confused with the pollack: in the pollack the lower jaw clearly protrudes and the dark lateral line curves over the pectoral fin; in the saithe the pale lateral line is straight and the upper and lower jaws are about the same length (English Wikipedia, FishBase).
How to catch it
Methods: Jigging with pirks from a boat, Lure fishing (spinning) from rocks and piers, Bait fishing from a boat
Baits: Pirk, Soft plastic fish, Rubber eel teaser, Fish strips, Hard lure
From spring into autumn, when saithe are close to the coast; often along current edges and rocks.
Habitat and food
Whole North Atlantic and the northern North Sea, increasingly also in the Baltic Sea; close to the coast and in the open sea down to 250 m (Wikipedia). Moves inshore in spring and back to deeper water in winter (FishBase). Juveniles live close to the shore, often in rocky areas (English Wikipedia).
Juveniles mainly eat crustaceans and fish eggs, adults hunt shoaling fish such as herring and sprat (Wikipedia).
Size and age
Up to 30 years, up to 1.20 m and up to 17 kg; the largest documented saithe weighed 22.3 kg and was caught by an angler at Saltstraumen in northern Norway (Wikipedia). FishBase: max. 130 cm, common length 60 cm, max. published weight 32.0 kg, max. reported age 25 years.
Protection and rules
We found no minimum size or closed season for this species in any state fisheries regulation. Local water rules may still apply.
Closed seasons and minimum sizes are set by each German state and can be stricter for single waters. All rules by state, with the legal source
In the kitchen
Darkly coloured, firm flesh with an undeserved poor reputation (English Wikipedia); sold fresh, dried, salted, smoked or frozen, steamed, fried or baked (FishBase).
Sources (5)
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