Whiting

Quick Take

• Whiting has a surprisingly dark history as a food source, though not in the way most people would expect. Whiting's history as food →
• Despite being prey to sharks and whales, whiting has a predatory secret that makes it one of the more ruthless fish in its family. Whiting's predatory behavior →
• The fish you call 'whiting' might not actually be whiting, a difference that matters more than you'd think. What's in a name →
• Catching whiting comes down to one bait choice that outperforms everything else, though it is not what most anglers reach for first. Best bait for whiting →

Whiting fish is a term that refers to several ray-finned fishes, all of which are in the class Actinopterygii. However, it originally referred to whiting or merling (Merlangius merlangus), also called English whiting, which is found in the Atlantic and European waters. In the United States, it refers to Florida whiting and Pacific whiting. The saltwater fish is versatile and used in a number of different cooking methods and recipes.

5 Whiting Fish Facts

• Whiting (merling) is bought fresh, frozen, or salted.
• People often catch this fish off the coast of Europe.
• It is related to cod, pollock, and haddock.
• Historically, this fish species has been used as a cheap source of food for the poor, as pet food, and even as a filler in flour.
• To distinguish this fish from related species, look for a dark spot near its pectoral fin on either side.

Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of whiting is Merlangius merlangus. Another name for whiting is merling; in the U.S., it is also called English whiting. This fish is in the class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes. It is in the order Gadiformes, which means cod-like, and in the family Gadidae of the true cods, cods, or codfish. Linnaeus named the whiting, with the genus Merlangius coming from the French word merlan, meaning a fish. Although Gadidae contains 11 genera and 21 species, only one is the true whiting.

The common name “whiting” is also used for other fish species in the order Gadiformes and family Gadidae. It refers to Pacific whiting, Florida whiting, and other species of hake (genus Merluccius) in the United States, Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) in Canada, and the southern blue whiting (Micromesistius australis) in the Southern Ocean.

“Whiting” can also refer to some fish species in the class Actinopterygii. It includes the family Sciaenidae with the fish called king whiting, Carolina whiting, sea mullet, southern kingfish, and southern kingcroaker (Menticirrhus americanus), which is in the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States; Florida whiting (Menticirrhus littoralis), also called Gulf kingcroaker and Gulf kingfish; the northern kingfish (Menticirrhus saxatilis) and smelt-whitings in the family Sillagnidae in Australia, India, and the Indo-Pacific with several species in the genus Sillago, along with King George whiting (Sillaginodes punctatus).

Whiting Fish Appearance

This fish is long with a torpedo-shaped body. It has a dark spot near the pectoral fin on either side of its body. There are two anal fins with 30 to 35 soft rays and three dorsal fins with 30 to 40 soft rays, with the first fin being the tallest. The head is small, and so is the chin barbel, if present. The juvenile has a small chin barbel, which disappears as it matures. Its color is dark blue, greenish, or yellow-brown, with white or yellow-grey flanks and a silver belly. Iridescent scales give it a sheen. In size, it measures 11 to 27.5 inches in length with a maximum of 36 inches and 6.8 lbs in weight. Females are longer than males.

Distribution, Population, and Habitat

The whiting fish habitat range includes the eastern North Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea off the east coast of Britain, the northern Mediterranean, the southeastern Barents Sea, and Iceland to Scandinavia, the western Baltic, the Aegean Sea, the Adriatic Sea, Portugal, and the Black Sea. Its preferred water type is temperate saltwater; it inhabits marine and brackish waters with mud, gravel, sand, and rock substrates, with a depth range of 10 to 200 m. Its conservation status is listed as Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List. However, its conservation status is Vulnerable in the populations that live in the Baltic Sea, according to the HELCOM Red List.

Where to Find Whiting Fish and How to Catch Them

You can usually find whiting fish (merling) at depths of 30 to 100m. You are most likely to catch them on beaches off the coast of Britain. Rigs such as a 3-hook flapper, 1 up/1 down clipped rig, and a 2-hook flowing trace work well. While they will take any kind of bait, it is shellfish, prawn, mussels, lugworm, and ragworm that work best. This fish and other species called “whiting” put up a good fight when caught.

You are most likely to catch Florida whiting or hake (Menticirrhus littoralis) in inlets, bays, and harbors off the coast, or the surf zones, at about 10 m deep. The best bait for it is the sand flea while using a medium action rod, spinning reel, braided line, and circle hook. You can also use a double dropper loop rig with sand fleas or small crabs, oysters, cut clams, fresh-peeled shrimp, or live shrimp.

You can find the Pacific whiting or hake (Merluccius productus) off the West Coast of Canada and the United States, at a depth range of 0-1,000 m, but usually at around 229 m. They migrate seasonally from shallow to deeper waters and back again. They will take dead or live bait, but squid is best. Catch them at night using hooks sized 4 to 2, a medium tackle, and a high/low leader.

Predators and Prey

Whiting fish have a carnivorous diet and are major fish predators, even cannibalistic, making their diet almost entirely piscivorous. Whiting and other species in the Gadidae family have a lot of parasites, including the cod worm (Lernaeocera branchialis). Whiting (merling) is threatened by commercial passive fishing and active (trawl) fishing.

What do Whiting Fish Eat?

Juvenile whiting fish eat sea worms, brown shrimps, and gobies. Adult whiting fish eat crustaceans, molluscs, sand eels, cod, haddock, whiting, Norway pout, sprat, and herring.

What Eats Whiting Fish?

Various species of sharks, rays, bony fish, jellyfish, whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions eat whiting fish. Humans also eat whiting fish.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Whiting fish reproduce by spawning, and females lay eggs. They are batch spawners. When baby whiting fish hatch, they are called hatchlings and become larvae 9 to 18 days after hatching. When they absorb their yolk sacs, they are called fry, and when they get longer, they are called fingerlings. When they are still young but not mature, they are called juveniles. They migrate to the open sea after their first year. By their second year, they grow up to 12 inches in length and reach sexual maturity. They have a lifespan of up to 20 years.

Fishing and Cooking

This fish is bought fresh, dried, salted, smoked, and frozen. Whiting fish can be cooked by steaming, broiling, and baking. It is popular in many parts of the world. Its flavor is similar to cod, with a mild, sweet, delicate taste and a lean, firm, light meat that is versatile. This fish is a good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Some popular whiting fish recipes are:

• Southern pan-fried whiting fish
• Whiting fish with melting herb crust
• Whiting fish puff pastry parcel with new potatoes, carrots, and peas