Whitefish or white fish is a

fisheries Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, ...

term for several species of

demersal fish Demersal fish, also known as groundfish, live and feed on or near the bottom of seas or lakes (the demersal zone).Walrond Carl . "Coastal fish - Fish of the open sea floor"Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Updated 2 March 2009 They oc ...

with fins, particularly Atlantic cod (''Gadus morhua''), whiting (''Merluccius bilinearis''), haddock (''Melanogrammus aeglefinus''), hake (''Urophycis''), pollock (''Pollachius''), and others. Whitefish ( Coregonidae) is also the name of several species of

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels o ...

. Whitefish live on or near the seafloor, and can be contrasted with the

oily An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...

pelagic fish Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral re ...

which live away from the seafloor. Whitefish do not have much oil in their tissue, and have flakier white or light-coloured flesh. Most of the oil found in their bodies is concentrated in the organs, e.g.

cod liver oil Cod liver oil is a dietary supplement derived from liver of cod fish (Gadidae). As with most fish oils, it contains the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and also vitamin A and vitamin D. Histori ...

. Whitefish can be divided into benthopelagic fish (round fish which live ''near'' the sea bed, such as cod and coley) and benthic fish (which live ''on'' the sea bed, such as

flatfish A flatfish is a member of the ray-finned demersal fish order Pleuronectiformes, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. In many species, both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating ...

like plaice). Whitefish is sometimes eaten straight but is often used reconstituted for fishsticks, gefilte fish, lutefisk,

surimi is a paste made from fish or other meat. The term can also refer to a number of East Asian foods that use that paste as their primary ingredient. It is available in many shapes, forms, and textures, and is often used to mimic the texture and ...

( imitation crab meat), etc. For centuries it was preserved by drying as

stockfish Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks (which are called "hjell" in Norway) on the foreshore. The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage lif ...

and clipfish and traded as a world commodity. It is commonly used as the fish in the classic British dish of fish and chips.

Growth

The growth between Whitefish can be altered due to intraspecific competition. Fish populations such as Vendace and Roach share zooplankton for food which is crucial for young populations of whitefish. As this competition occurs, growth rate can be affected within multiple age groups or at an older age.

Nutritional information

One fillet of whitefish, mixed species (198g) contains the following nutritional information according to the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of comme ...

: * Calories: 265 * Fat(g): 11.60 * Carbohydrates(g): 0 * Fibers(g): 0 * Protein(g): 37.80 * Cholesterol(mg): 119

References

{{Fisheries and fishing Fish common names Fishing industry

Growth

Nutritional information

See also

References