Whitefish (fisheries term)

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This article is about demersal fish; for more definitions see whitefish.

Whitefish (white fish, demersal fish) is a fisheries term referring to several species of oceanic deep water finfish, particularly cod (Gadus morhua), whiting (Merluccius bilinearis), and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), but also hake (Urophycis), pollock (Pollachius), or others.

Unlike oily fish, white fish contain oils only in their liver, rather than in the gut and can therefore be gutted as soon as they are caught, on board the ship. White fish has dry and white flesh.

White fish are divided into round fish which live near the sea bed (cod, coley) and flatfish such as plaice which live on the sea bed.

Whitefish is sometimes eaten straight but often used reconstituted for fishsticks, gefilte fish, lutefisk, surimi (imitation crabmeat), etc. It is most widely known as the fish in fish and chips. In Eastern European Jewish culture, smoked whitefish salad is a delicacy enjoyed with bagels.