HADDOCK. A fish (Melanogransmus (epic finus) of the cod family. It resembles the com mon cod very much, but can readily be distin guished by the black lateral line, that of the common cod being white. It has three dorsal and two anal fins, and a barbel at the symphysis of the lower jaw. There is a black spot behind each of the pectorals, these spots sometimes ex tending so as to meet on the back. A ridiculous legend ascribes these spots to the finger and thumb of Saint Peter, and says the haddock is the fish from the mouth of which he took the tribute money.
This valuable fish is abundant on both coasts of the North Atlantic southward to France and North Carolina, but does not range so far north as the cod, though abundant about Iceland. They consort with the cod, but seem to be much more gregarious, and swim about in large schools. Some years they are far more rare at the fishing grounds than in others. As they live very large ly on mollusks, they are likely to be numerous on the clam-banks; and in their feeding and habits generally they closely resemble the cod, varying mainly in the practice of keeping close to the bottom. In April they approach the shore
and spawn. They remain near the shore about six weeks and then return to deep water. An ordinary female will produce annually more than a million eggs, resembling those of the cod, and to be treated in the same way in fish culture. The haddock fishery (see FISHERIES) is of great im portance on both coasts. This species, which usu ally weighs about six pounds, is especially salable in the markets of Boston and Philadelphia, and is one of the easiest to transport in ice. They are also smoked successfully, after the Scotch method, which produces 'finnan haddie' (Finland had dock). See Plate of CODFISH AND ALLIES.