Biology and distribution

The saithe is a large codfish, usually between 70 and 110 cm long in catches, but the largest individual caught in Icelandic waters measured 132 cm. It is found all around Iceland, but is rarer in the colder waters to the north and east of the country. The saithe can be described as benthopelagic fish, i.e., it occurs both close to the bottom and in the water column. It has a streamlined shape and is consequently a very good swimmer. It can swim rapidly all over the Icelandic continental shelf and individuals tagged in Icelandic waters have often been fished along mainland Europe. Fishes tagged in Europe have also been fished in Icelandic waters. The saithe is native to European waters from Murmansk in the north to the English Channel in the south. It is also found around the Faroe Islands, in Greenlandic waters and from Labrador to Cape Cod in North America.