How to Identify a Saltwater Cod

Identify Atlantic, Greenland, Pacific and Pouting Cod

• 1

  Watch for a slender, barrel shaped body on the Atlantic Cod. The background is silvery with what appears to be almost a leopard-like pattern over the top. There is also a horizontal silver stripe running the length of its body.

• 2

  Study the Greenland Cod closely and see the same leopard pattern is there, only in much darker coloring with a brown background. The belly is silvery on only the front quarter of the fish.

• 3

  Notice the bright blue coloring of the Pacific Cod. There are some of the leopard markings, but they are much lighter and more sporadic. They appear more like spots and are an olive coloring.

• 4

  Note the flat, slightly roundedness of the Pouting Cod. They have mostly black on their bellies, back and fins. The main body is very dark, but can appear to be a dark green. There is blue edging around the tail and blue highlight on all of the fins.

Identify Whiting, Haddock, Pollack and Coalfish

• 5

  Know that the Whiting is one of the most consumed cods in America. They are very small and slender. Their body coloring is a metallic blue with green accents. There may appear to be a black line running down the middle of its body from the head to the tail.

• 6

  Look for the long, rounded hump of the back fins on the Haddock. They are very similar in coloring to the Whiting with the exception of the fins being lined in white. Look for a black spot just behind the neck and a tail that fades from the bright, metallic blue of the body to black.

• 7

  See the almost translucent blue coloring of the European Pollack. Most of the body has a gray tone to it, but the middle has a metallic blue coloring. The three fins on the back are so close together they appear to be one. The tail has a black edging with a darker gray coloring than the body.

• 8

  Consider the two bright silver stripes that go along the body of the Coalfish. These stand out easily against the dark bluish-green background. The head is a murky green coloring as well.

Identify Ling, Fourbeard Rockling and Small Forkbeard

• 9

  Keep a watch out for the Ling; it's an incredible looking fish that can be found off the coast of Scotland. It is extremely long and slender. The belly is white and the body has a mostly brown background with white spots all over it. The fins are white with a black, then white edge around them. The back fin is very long and short.

• 10

  Find that the Fourbeard Rockling is an ugly little fish, but that ugliness is a means of protection. The orange-brown and olive-green coloring are similar to many of the rocks that they hang around, hiding them from predators and prey. The back fin is the same moss color with black edging and stripes on the spines. The fish also has a visible "beard" (the reason for the name) and antennae coming off of the front of its head.

• 11

  Know that Forkbeard may be mistaken for an eel, if not looked at close enough to see the slight definition of the fins. The jet black color is consistent throughout the entire body, head, tail and all fins.