# Haddock (*Melanogrammus aeglefinus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/haddock  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

The haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) is a bony fish in the family Gadidae. It belongs to the genus Melanogrammus, suborder Gadoidei, order Gadiformes and class Teleostei, within the phylum Chordata. The species was named by (Linnaeus, 1758). In its global assessment, the IUCN Red List classifies the haddock as Vulnerable (VU), a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 94 cm |
| Lifespan | 14 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine |
| Egg incubation | 7 days – 21 days |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Recorded prey and predators

Recorded prey: Dragonet (*Callionymus lyra*), Atlantic mackerel (*Scomber scombrus*), Nordic krill (*Meganyctiphanes norvegica*), Norway pout (*Trisopterus esmarkii*), Dab (*Hippoglossoides platessoides*), Atlantic herring (*Clupea harengus*), Northern prawn (*Pandalus borealis*), Atlantic cod (*Gadus morhua*), Thysanoessa inermis (*Thysanoessa inermis*), Themisto abyssorum (*Themisto abyssorum*), Sea mouse (*Aphrodita aculeata*), White abra (*Abra alba*). Recorded predators: Atlantic cod (*Gadus morhua*), Saithe (*Pollachius virens*), Merlangius (*Merlangius merlangus*), Spiny dogfish (*Squalus acanthias*), Lythe (*Pollachius pollachius*), Dab (*Hippoglossoides platessoides*), Thornback (*Amblyraja radiata*), Monk (*Lophius piscatorius*), Turbot (*Scophthalmus maximus*), Grey gurnard (*Eutrigla gurnardus*), Ling (*Molva molva*), Whiff (*Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis*). Each pair is recorded by at least two datasets compiled by Global Biotic Interactions (https://www.globalbioticinteractions.org/, CC0 1.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Gadiformes
- family: Gadidae
- genus: Melanogrammus
- species: *Melanogrammus aeglefinus* (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms: *Aeglefinus linnei*, *Gadus aeglefinus*, *Melanogrammes aeglefinus*, *Morhua aeglefinus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a haddock?

The haddock is a bony fish. It belongs to the family Gadidae in the order Gadiformes.

### What is the scientific name of the haddock?

The scientific name of the haddock is Melanogrammus aeglefinus. It is placed in the genus Melanogrammus.

### Who named the haddock and when?

The haddock's scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758).

### Is the haddock endangered?

The haddock is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List in its global assessment. Vulnerable is an IUCN threatened category.

### What family does the haddock belong to?

The haddock belongs to the family Gadidae, within the suborder Gadoidei.

### What eats the haddock?

Animals recorded preying on the haddock include atlantic cod, saithe, merlangius and spiny dogfish. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

### Which animals does the haddock eat?

Animals recorded as prey of the haddock include dragonet, atlantic mackerel, nordic krill and norway pout. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Biotic Interactions (GloBI): interpreted data products](https://www.globalbioticinteractions.org/), CC0 1.0, 0.11. Poelen, J.H., Simons, J.D. & Mungall, C.J. (2014) Global Biotic Interactions: an open infrastructure to share and analyze species-interaction datasets. Ecological Informatics 24: 148–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2014.08.005. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22691479, with each record's original reference.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/haddock