White fish - Definition and Overview

For other uses of the term "Whitefish", see Whitefish.

Whitefish (also written white fish) is a fisheries term referring to several species of oceanic deep water fish particularly cod (Gadus morhua), whiting (Merluccius bilinearis), and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), but also hake (Urophycis spp.), pollock (Pollachius spp.), or others. Whitefish is sometimes eaten straight but often used reconstituted for fishsticks, gefilte fish, lutefisk, surimi (imitation crabmeat), etc.

It is most widely known as the fish in fish and chips.