Haddock are usually fish highly valued for their flavor.
Fish, birds, insects and plants share the name pollock . According to the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ), the term could come from the combination of the noun abbot (the superior of certain collegiate churches or a monastery) and the suffix -ejo (which usually gives a derogatory or diminutive connotation).
If we focus on fish, we find that a specimen of a dozen species is called pollock. Generally this name is given to animals that look like cod (a fish with five fins and a chin).
The haddock, from the Gadid family
One of the fish known as pollock is the Pollachius pollochius . It is found in the Atlantic Ocean , living mainly in areas with abundant rocks .
Due to its characteristics, this haddock is part of the gadid family , like the aforementioned cod. The largest specimens can reach a weight of almost twenty kilograms and measure more than a meter in length.
The dorsal part of its body is greenish brown, while its belly is lighter. The haddock's diet includes crustaceans and also small fish thanks to its mouth with sharp teeth.
It is interesting to mention that fishing and marketing of pollock is popular. The flavor of its lean meat, sold in fillets or slices, is highly appreciated.
Other fish
Several species of the genus Mycteroperca are called haddocks. One of them is what is known scientifically as Mycteroperca phenax and, colloquially, as pina garopa , pollock garropa or simply pollock.
The Mycteroperca microlepis , the Mycteroperca tigris and the Mycteroperca interstitialis , are also mentioned as pollock. In all cases, these are fish of interest to fishermen.
It is important to mention that pollock is just one of the names given to these aquatic animals . Aguají cradle ( Mycteroperca microlepis ), tiger grouper ( Mycteroperca tigris ) and yellow cradle ( Mycteroperca interstitialis ) are other names.
The wren is also known as haddock.
Birds known as haddocks
According to the RAE dictionary , the wren can be called pollock. This bird is very common on the European continent.
The wren or haddock stands out for its colorful plumage. It is a small bird that usually does not exceed ten centimeters in length and sings high-pitched.
In some regions, the worker or junker is designated as a pollock. The scientific name of this South American bird is Phleocryptes melanops .
Insects and plants
At least two beetle insects can be referred to as haddocks. The cantharide ( Lytta vesicatoria ) is one of them.
Formerly used in medicine as a vesicant or irritant, cantharide stands out for the emerald hue of its body. This insect is mentioned by the Colombian Gabriel García Márquez in his book “The General in his Labyrinth” , for example.
The carraleja or haddock, meanwhile, is usually black with reddish stripes. To move, it drags its abdomen .
As for the plants that share this nickname, we can refer to the haddock or tinder thistle, an asteraceae native to Europe and Asia .