Valuable North American food fish ( Melanogrammus aeglefinus , family Gadidae).
A bottom-dweller that feeds on invertebrates and fishes, it resembles the cod , with its chin barbel (fleshy feeler) and two anal and three dorsal fins, but is distinguished by a dark (rather than light) lateral line and a distinctive dark spot on each shoulder. It is gray or brownish above, paler below. It grows to about 3 ft (90 cm) long and 25 lbs (11 kg).
Haddock ( Melanogrammus aeglefinus )
Painting by Jean Helmer