haddock
Enable an agent to recognise haddock, assess an individual fish's biological state and context, and determine which observations or interventions are justified.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise haddock, assess an individual fish's biological state and context, and determine which observations or interventions are justified.
A cold-water demersal gadid, Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Linnaeus, 1758), of the North Atlantic and adjacent shelf seas, recognised in the round by a black lateral line and a dark scapular blotch above the pectoral fin, and taken as a lean whitefish in mixed-groundfish fisheries.
It can be Inspect and document diagnostic characters, then support, reject or defer a haddock identification.; Measure a specimen and assess developmental or reproductive stage using a stated protocol.; Link habitat and capture observations to the individual while preserving uncertainty about stock membership.; Assess vitality and injury to select an evidence-supported handling or release procedure.; Select photographic, tissue or ageing evidence according to the identification need and authorised sampling protocol.; Evaluate proposed capture, retention, release or sampling against current external rules and record the decision basis..
Distinguishing features
Inspect the flank for an oval dark shoulder blotch between the lateral line and pectoral fin; record whether the relevant skin is actually visible. [FAO identification account](https://www.fao.org/4/x5939e/x5939e01.htm)
Check for a black lateral line together with the shoulder blotch when separating a suspected haddock from similar cod-family fish. [FAO identification account](https://www.fao.org/4/x5939e/x5939e01.htm)
Check the combined profile of three dorsal fins, a high pointed first dorsal fin, two anal fins, a small chin barbel and a shorter lower jaw; fin count alone is insufficient. [FAO identification account](https://www.fao.org/4/x5939e/x5939e01.htm)
Treat an egg identification as unresolved when based only on resemblance: haddock and cod eggs are not readily distinguished visually. [FAO life-history account](https://www.fao.org/4/x5939e/x5939e01.htm)
Scope
+ Identification of intact, immature or damaged specimens attributed to haddock
+ Individual size, age evidence, life stage and reproductive condition
+ Observed habitat, movement and feeding context
+ Vitality, injuries and evidence of physiological disturbance
+ Capture history, sampling suitability and constraints on handling or retention
- Population abundance, recruitment forecasts and stock assessment models
- Fishing vessels, gear design and fishing operations
- Marine habitat systems and food webs as independent entities
- Fishery legislation, quotas and permits as authoritative rule systems
- Processed seafood products, recipes, commercial lots and food-safety certification
Characteristics
- Haddock identification assessment
- supported | provisional | disputed | excluded | unassessed; evidence and method attached Prevents a common name or incomplete photograph from becoming a definitive species assignment.
- Diagnostic character observations
- Shoulder blotch, lateral-line colour, dorsal-fin profile, jaw relationship and chin barbel; each observed | absent | obscured | not assessed Separates conflicting anatomy from characters that could not be inspected.
- Body length
- mm; total, fork or standard length explicitly identified Supports growth comparisons and evaluation against the measurement convention required by a linked rule.
- Body mass
- g; whole, gutted or otherwise altered specimen recorded Makes size and condition comparisons interpretable.
- Developmental stage
- egg | larva | juvenile | adult | unresolved; staging method attached Determines which identification features and habitat expectations are appropriate.
- Age estimate
- days or years; method, uncertainty and reference population attached Avoids treating body length as a direct measurement of age.
- Reproductive condition
- Sex and maturity stage under a named assessment scheme, including unknown Distinguishes reproductive state from assumptions based on size or season.
- Observation environment
- Time-stamped location and habitat observation, including position uncertainty Connects the fish to environmental evidence without asserting stock membership.
- Depth and bottom association
- m below surface and, when known, m above seabed; measured or estimated Supports interpretation of habitat use and capture-related pressure change.
- Vitality and injury assessment
- alive | dead | uncertain; ventilation, equilibrium, responsiveness and injuries recorded separately Provides observable evidence for handling decisions without equating movement with recovery.
- Stock assignment
- Candidate stock or management unit, assignment method, confidence and date; unknown permitted Allows relevant external assessments and rules to be consulted without deriving population identity from appearance.
- Capture and handling exposure
- Linked event with gear, capture depth, retrieval duration, air exposure and handling history where known Makes observed damage and subsequent intervention decisions traceable.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.haddock
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 6 bundles · 11 layers · 19 findings · 34 questions.
Haddock recognition Evidence that the observed organism belongs to the haddock registry entry.
A haddock decision must survive confusion with similar fish and loss of visible diagnostic features.
External character assessment
Inspect the diagnostic combination on the actual specimen.
Diagnostic combination
Record each identifying character, its visibility and whether the combined observations support haddock.
- What was observed at the shoulder blotch, lateral line, first dorsal fin, chin and jaws? measurement
- Which alternative identifications remain compatible with the visible characters? boundary
Identification evidence limits
Handle early stages, damaged specimens and ambiguous labels.
Stage-appropriate confirmation
Preserve the identification method and unresolved alternatives when external characters cannot establish species.
- Does the specimen's developmental stage or damage prevent use of the external character combination? boundary
- Which expert determination, voucher or validated laboratory result supports the assignment to Melanogrammus aeglefinus? provenance
- What additional evidence would resolve the identification without unnecessary specimen damage? action
Growth and reproduction Individual development, body size and reproductive state.
Identification methods, biological comparisons and interventions depend on stage and condition rather than the species name alone.
Size and age evidence
Separate measured dimensions from inferred developmental history.
Comparable growth observations
Record length and mass conventions alongside developmental stage and independently supported age estimates.
- What are the length and mass, and was the fish intact when measured? measurement
- Which staging or ageing method was used, and what uncertainty and population assumptions accompany it? provenance
Reproductive assessment
Describe observed reproductive condition without universal maturity thresholds.
Maturity and spawning evidence
Distinguish observed sex and maturity from seasonal or size-based expectations.
- What sex and maturity stage can be supported under the named examination scheme? measurement
- Is a spawning or post-spawning assignment based on direct examination or only on a regional calendar? provenance
- Does the supported reproductive condition change the proposed handling or sampling procedure? action
Habitat and stock context The fish's observed marine setting and evidence for population-level links.
Local observations must support habitat interpretation while keeping geographic occurrence separate from stock assignment.
Occupied water and seabed
Record the environmental setting actually associated with the observation.
Stage-linked habitat observation
Associate developmental stage with depth, seabed proximity and measured water conditions.
- Where and when was the fish observed, at what depth and distance above the seabed? measurement
- Which substrate and water-condition records were measured at the fish's location rather than inferred from a broad area? provenance
Population assignment
Link the individual to candidate stocks or management areas with explicit limits.
Supported stock link
Keep administrative area membership distinct from evidence of biological stock membership.
- Which stock or management unit is proposed, and does that label describe a biological population or an administrative area? definition
- What location, tagging, genetic or other evidence supports the assignment and its uncertainty? provenance
Feeding condition and vitality Evidence of nutritional condition, life status and physical impairment.
An agent needs to distinguish observed poor condition from reproductive effects, capture damage and unsupported disease explanations.
Feeding and body condition
Interpret feeding evidence and body condition using suitable comparisons.
Nutritional condition evidence
Record feeding observations and condition measures without diagnosing starvation from appearance alone.
- What feeding behaviour, stomach contents or body-condition measurements were actually observed? measurement
- Does the comparison account for haddock size, reproductive state, season, locality and whole versus gutted mass? boundary
Injury and functional state
Assess observable function and damage independently of presumed cause.
Vitality and damage record
Document ventilation, equilibrium, responsiveness, wounds and visible abnormalities with observation times.
- What evidence supports the recorded life status and functional condition? measurement
- Which abnormalities were present before handling, and which appeared after capture or examination? provenance
- Which observations require specialist assessment before assigning a cause or selecting an intervention? action
Capture and intervention decisions Connect capture exposure, specimen condition and external authority to proposed actions.
Species identification alone cannot establish whether this haddock may be retained, released or sampled, or whether a procedure suits its condition.
Capture exposure and response
Use the capture history to interpret handling needs and outcome uncertainty.
Handling procedure fit
Record relevant capture exposures and select an applicable haddock handling protocol with its evidence limits.
- What gear, capture depth, retrieval time, air exposure and crowding preceded this assessment? provenance
- Which handling or release protocol applies to this fish's size, condition and capture circumstances? action
- What follow-up observation distinguishes immediate departure from evidence of subsequent survival? measurement
Action eligibility and specimen continuity
Resolve action constraints and preserve identity when a fish becomes a sample or derived product.
Retention, release or sampling basis
Evaluate a specific proposed action against current external rules and the individual's measured state.
- Which current jurisdiction, fishery category, permit and dated rule source govern the proposed action at this location? provenance
- Do the measured length convention, identification confidence and applicable restrictions support the action, or leave eligibility unresolved? action
Sample and product handoff
Preserve the originating fish's identity when tissue, ageing material or a seafood product becomes a separately modelled entity.
- What identification evidence and specimen link will remain after sampling, dissection or processing? provenance
- At what transformation does the receiving sample or seafood model assume responsibility for the derived entity? boundary
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- North Sea haddock (ICES Subarea 4 and adjacent units)
- North-East Arctic / Barents Sea haddock
- Icelandic haddock
- Georges Bank haddock
- Gulf of Maine haddock
- Fresh or chilled whole fish and fillets
- Finnan haddie and other cold-smoked haddock (dyed or undyed)
- Arbroath smokie (hot-smoked, headed and gutted)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Scientific name (Linnaean) - Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Linnaeus, 1758) - Monotypic genus; this is the only haddock in commercial or scientific use.
- FAO ASFIS 3-alpha code - HAD - Standard fishery-statistics code for this species.
- Harmonized System (HS) - 0302.51 (fresh/chilled); 0303.63 (frozen); 0304.72 (frozen fillets) - Headings name Melanogrammus aeglefinus explicitly; later national tariff lines may add further splits.
- ITIS TSN - 164744 - Taxonomic Serial Number for Melanogrammus aeglefinus.
- WoRMS AphiaID - 126437 - Marine taxon identifier for the accepted species.
- Wikidata - taxon item labelled Melanogrammus aeglefinus - Use the species taxon item; numeric QID not re-verified in this pass.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- ICES advice plus coastal-state TACs and effort rules (EU Common Fisheries Policy, United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland, Faroes, NEAFC) for North-East Atlantic stocks
- Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, implemented through the New England Fishery Management Council Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan, for Georges Bank and Gulf of Maine haddock
- Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013 on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products: commercial designation plus scientific name on the label
- Codex Alimentarius CAC/RCP 52, Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (FAO/WHO), for hygiene and processing of whitefish
- FDA Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls Guidance (U.S.) for parasite, allergen, and smoked-fish controls
- Arbroath Smokies as a protected geographical indication (originally EU PGI; now also on the United Kingdom GI register)
- MSC Fisheries Standard, applied to several certified haddock fisheries (notably Barents Sea and Icelandic units)
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Landed from otter-trawl, seine, and longline mixed-gadoid fisheries and sold as fresh or frozen fillets, loins, and blocks
- Staple of fish-and-chip shops in Scotland and northern England, where it often outsells cod
- Cold-smoked as finnan haddie for breakfast, chowder, and Cullen skink; supermarket smoked fillets are frequently annatto-dyed yellow
- Hot-smoked as Arbroath smokies (headed, gutted, tied in pairs)
- Bait and recreational catch on North Atlantic grounds; frames and offal go to fishmeal and pet food
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Total length of commercially landed fish - 35-70 (maximum near 110) - cm
- Whole-fish mass, typical landings - 0.9-2.5 (exceptional fish to about 16-19) - kg
- Usual capture depth - 40-200 (records to about 450) - m
- Preferred water temperature - 4-10 - °C
- Age at 50% maturity (stock-dependent) - 2-4 - years
- Muscle fat (lean whitefish) - 0.4-1.5 - g/100 g wet weight
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Stock collapse from mixed-groundfish overfishing, as on Georges Bank in the 1990s; recruitment remains highly variable even under TAC management
- Species substitution and mislabelling against cod, pollock, or cheaper whitefish
- Anisakis and other nematodes in muscle; inadequate freezing of raw or cold-smoked product leaves a parasite hazard
- Listeria monocytogenes growth in cold-smoked fillets
- Rapid spoilage of fresh gadoid flesh (trimethylamine, off-odours) if the cold chain breaks
- Fish allergen; bones as a choking hazard in fillets sold as boneless
- Climate-driven northward and deeper shifts that scramble historical stock boundaries and bycatch patterns
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- English haddock; French églefin/aiglefin; German Schellfisch; Norwegian hyse; Icelandic ýsa; all the same species
- In the United Kingdom, haddock dominates chip shops in Scotland and the north, while cod is more usual further south
- Finnan haddie is tied to Findon (Aberdeenshire) practice; Arbroath smokies are a named hot-smoked product of that town
- New England 'scrod' can mean small haddock or small cod, so the market name is not species-specific
- U.S. management splits Georges Bank from Gulf of Maine; ICES splits many more NE Atlantic units (North Sea, NE Arctic, Iceland, Faroes, Rockall, etc.)
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) - Haddock has a black lateral line and a dark 'thumbprint' blotch above the pectoral fin; cod has a pale lateral line, mottled flanks, and no scapular blotch.
- Saithe / pollock (Pollachius virens) - Saithe is uniformly darker, has a pale lateral line, and lacks the haddock scapular blotch; the lateral-line colour is the field split.
- Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) - Whiting is slimmer and paler, usually much smaller at the same age, and has no dark scapular blotch.
- Norway haddock (Sebastes viviparus and related redfish) - Despite the English name, this is a scorpaenid redfish (orange-red, spiny head), not a gadid; body colour and head spines separate it at a glance.
- Hake (Merluccius spp.) - Hake has a longer, sharper snout, large mouth with visible teeth, and no haddock blotch or black lateral line; it is a merlucciid, not a gadid of the cod-haddock type.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of haddock this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- FAO Species Catalogue, Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes): an annotated and illustrated catalogue - Species identity, diagnostic characters, distribution, and the placement of haddock as the sole species of Melanogrammus.
- Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Haddock) - Morphology, size and depth ranges, habitat, and the FAO 3-alpha code HAD.
- ICES Advice on fishing opportunities, catch, and effort: haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) stocks - The stock units managers actually use (North Sea, NE Arctic, Iceland, Rockall, and others) and that catch is regulated by TAC rather than a single pan-Atlantic quota.
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) species profile - Georges Bank versus Gulf of Maine management units, U.S. commercial and recreational use, and rebuilding history after the 1990s collapse.
What the second pass must settle
- Does the registry intend haddock to denote the species and its individual organisms, and does an existing world model already own that scope?
- Which validated identification keys or molecular methods should govern eggs, larvae, damaged fish and specimens with atypical pigmentation?
- Which regional ageing, maturity and body-condition protocols are sufficiently comparable, and which require separate reference populations?
- Which haddock-specific studies support handling and release decisions across gear types, capture depths, temperatures and fish sizes?
- Which authoritative services should supply current stock boundaries and action restrictions, and how should decisions behave when those sources disagree or are unavailable?