Pollachius virens, is a fairly large cod fish. The coalfish’ genus, Pollachius, consists of another species, pollack (Pollachius pollachius). (link to lyssej). The coalfish is the darkest of its species in the cod family.

The coalfish is known to have a blue-black back, underbite and light side line that is almost completely straight. The smooth is located under the rear part of the first dorsal fin. The adult coalfish lacks beard thread, while young coalfish has a very short beard thread. The coalfish can grow up to 1.6 meters and weigh up to approx. 30kg.
The coalfish wanders far and wide and often follows the herring hours. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from northern Spain to Iceland and the Kola Peninsula. In Danish waters up to the Sound and the belts. In the Faroe Islands, coalfish is one of the most common fish.
The coalfish is caught almost exclusively with trawls, all year round.

The meat of the coalfish is faint gray / pink, and compared to cod, it is softer and with a more pronounced taste. It is a very lean fish, and the fat percentage is only 0.3 grams per. 100 grams.
Like other cod species, coalfish is rich in protein and has a high value of Vitamin B12