Coley

This Coley is living the Suite Life.

Coley are very closely related to pollock and are found in the northern Atlantic. They live on both the North American and European sides of the ocean. Their range extends from the Northeast United States up the coast of Canada to Greenland and Iceland. As juveniles coley will live in shallow rocky waters near the coast but as they grow older they will move into the deeper waters.

We can identify the coley by it’s torpedo-shaped body which has has three triangular dorsal fins. It has something of a pot-bellied appearance, although not as prominent as in cod. Its scales have a grey coloration, with darker colour on their backs and lighter colour on their underbellies.

Coley diet progresses as they get older with juveniles eating crustaceans and small invertebrate and adults eating shrimps, squids and even smaller fish that they are closely related to such as cod. Although they form schools as the season changes some of the group will migrate and others will remain close to their spawning ground and won’t travel. Coley similarly to pollock have been used to help the decline of haddock and cod and has been introduced.