Species FAO code: WHB

Micromesistius poutassou

Page contents

Commercial designations
Production methods and fishing gears
EU quality schemes and nutrition values
Conservation measures
Marketing standards
Species distribution and habitat
Species description
Combined Nomenclature

Commercial designations

Country	Commercial designations	Names accepted or permitted locally or regionally
Austria	de Blauer Wittling	–
Belgium	fr Merlan bleu nl Blauwe wijting	–
Bulgaria	bg Путасу	–
Croatia	hr ugotica pučinka	–
Cyprus	el προσφυγάκι	–
Czech Republic	cs Modrý witling cs Treska modravá	–
Denmark	da Blåhvilling da sortmund	–
Estonia	et Põhjaputassuu	–
Finland	fi mustakitaturska sv blåvitling	–
France	fr merlan bleu fr merlan bleu du nord	–
Germany	de Blauer Wittling	–
Greece	el Προσφυγάκι	–
Hungary	hu puha tőkehal hu puha tőkehal [Gadus poutassou synonym for Micromesistius poutassou]	–
Ireland	en Blue whiting en Poutassou ga Faoitín gorm	–
Italy	it Melù it potassolo	–
Latvia	lv Putasu lv Putasu [Gadus poutassou synonym for Micromesistius poutassou]	–
Lithuania	lt šiaurinis žydrasis merlangas	–
Luxembourg	de Blauer Wittling fr merlan bleu fr merlan bleu du nord	–
Malta	en Blue whiting en Poutassou it Melù mt Marlozz mt Stokkafixx	–
Netherlands	nl Blauwe wijting	–
Poland	pl Błękitek pl Błękitek [Gadus poutassou synonym for Micromesistius poutassou]	–
Portugal	pt Verdinho pt Pichelim	–
Romania	ro Putasu	–
Slovakia	sk treska belasá	–
Slovenia	sl sinji mol	–
Spain	es Bacaladilla	Asturias: Abril Asturias: Bacalada Balearic Islands: Mare de lluç Balearic Islands: Maire Cantabria: Lirio Catalonia: Maire Valencia: Maire Galicia: Lirio Basque Country: Perlita Basque Country: Lirio
Sweden	sv Blåvitling	–

Main production methods

Caught

Main fishing gears

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Micromesistius poutassou (Risso, 1827)

Nutrition values

	Nutrition values per serving (100g)
Energy	90.0 kcal
Total fat	1.31 g
Saturates	0.247 g
Carbohydrate	0.0 g
Sugars	0.0 g
Protein	18.31 g
Salt	180.0 mg

Source: USDA - FoodData Central

TACs and quotas

Total allowable catches (TACs) or fishing opportunities, are catch limits (expressed in tonnes or numbers) that are set for most commercial fish stocks. TACs are set annually for most stocks (every two years for deep-sea stocks) by the Council of fisheries ministers. TACs are shared between EU countries in the form of national quotas. For each stock a different allocation percentage per EU country is applied for the sharing out of the quotas. Read more: TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

WHB/1X14

Micromesistius poutassou

Fishing areas

27.3 Skagerrak, Kattegat, Sound, Belt Sea, and Baltic Sea, the Sound and Belt together known also as the Transition Area (Subarea III) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.8.d Bay of Biscay / Offshore (Division VIIId) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.8.e West of Bay of Biscay (Division VIIIe) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.6 Rockall, Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland, (the Northwest Coast of Scotland and North Ireland also known as the West of Scotland) (Subarea VI) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.8.a Bay of Biscay / North (Division VIIIa) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.5 Iceland and Faeroes Grounds (Subarea V) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.7 Irish Sea, West of Ireland, Porcupine Bank, Eastern and Western English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Sea North and South, and Southwest of Ireland - East and West (Subarea VII) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.8.b Bay of Biscay / Central (Division VIIIb) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.12 North of Azores (Subarea XII) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.1 Barents Sea (Subarea I) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.2 Norwegian Sea, Spitzbergen, and Bear Island (Subarea II) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.4 North Sea (Subarea IV) United Kingdom, Union and international waters
27.14 East Greenland (Subarea XIV) United Kingdom, Union and international waters

TAC

Not relevant

Union

239927.0 t

38726.0 t

31789.0 t

55700.0 t

3598.0 t

17761.0 t

35373.0 t

45680.0 t

11300.0 t

Stocks (2021)

WHB/24-N.

Micromesistius poutassou

Fishing areas

27.2 Norwegian Sea, Spitzbergen, and Bear Island (Subarea II) Norwegian waters
27.4 North Sea (Subarea IV) Norwegian waters

TAC

Not relevant

Union

0.0 t

Stocks (2021)

WHB/2A4AXF

Micromesistius poutassou

Fishing areas

Faroese waters

TAC

Not relevant

Union

0.0 t

Stocks (2021)

WHB/8C3411

Micromesistius poutassou

Fishing areas

27.8.c Bay of Biscay / South (Division VIIIc)
34.1.1 Morocco Coastal Union waters
27.9 Portuguese Waters (Subarea IX)
27.10 Azores Grounds (Subarea X)

TAC

Not relevant

Union

35805.0 t

Special condition: from the EU quotas in Union and international waters of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8a, 8b, 8d, 8e, 12 and 14 (WHB/*NZJM1) and in 8c, 9 and 10; Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 (WHB/*NZJM2), the following quantity may be fished in the Norwegian Economic Zone or in the fishery zone around Jan Mayen: 141648

28644.0 t

7161.0 t

Specific requirements that fishery products marketed in the EU shall meet. They include freshness and size categories.

Freshness categories

	A	B	Extra
Eye	Convex and slightly sunken; dark pupil; slightly opalescent cornea	Flat; blurred pupil; blood seepage around the eye	Convex, bulging; blue-black bright pupil, transparent ‘eyelid’
Gills	Less bright colour, paler at edges. Transparent mucus	Becoming thick discoloured opaque mucus	Uniformly dark red to purple. No mucus
Smell of gills	No smell or seaweed. Neutral smell	Slightly sulphureous fatty smell, rancid bacon cuttings or rotten fruit	Fresh seaweed; pungent; iodine
Gill covers	Silvery, slightly red or brown	Brownish and extensive seepage of blood from vessels	Silvery
Consistency of flesh	Fairly rigid, firm	Slightly soft	Very firm, rigid
Skin mucus	Slightly cloudy	Milky	Aqueous, transparent
Skin	Loss of lustre and shine; duller colours; less difference between dorsal and ventral surfaces	Dull, lustreless, insipid colours; skin creased when fish curved	Bright pigmentation, bright, shining iridescent colours; clear distinction between dorsal and central surfaces

Size categories

Size	Number of fish/kg
1	≤ 7.0
2	≥ 8.0 \| ≤ 14.0
3	≥ 15.0 \| ≤ 25.0
4	≥ 26.0 \| ≤ 30.0

Habitat

Saltwater

FAO major fishing areas

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Micromesistius poutassou (Risso, 1827)

Distribution maps

Source: Aquamaps - Computer Generated Native Distribution Map for Micromesistius poutassou

Source: FAO - FAO aquatic species distribution map of Micromesistius poutassou

Scientific name

Micromesistius poutassou

Author

(Risso, 1827)

Rank

Species

FAO code

WHB

Morphological description

Dorsal fins widely spaced, interspace between second and third fins longer than base length of first dorsal fin. Lateral line continuous over whole body. Color is blue-gray dorsally, grading to white ventrally. Sometimes with a small black blotch at the base of the pectoral fin.

Taxonomic classification

ClassActinopterygii
- OrderGadiformes
  - FamilyGadidae
    - GenusMicromesistius
      - SpeciesMicromesistius poutassou

Synonyms

Micromessistius poutassou (Risso, 1827)
Gadus potassoa (Risso, 1827)
Boreogadus poutassou (Risso, 1827)
Gadus melanostomus Nilsson, 1855
Merlangus vernalis Risso, 1827
Merlangus pertusus Cocco, 1829
Merlangus albus Yarrell, 1841
Gadus poutassou (Risso, 1827)
Merlangus pertusis Cocco, 1829
Merlangus poutassou Risso, 1827
Merlangus communis Costa, 1844

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Micromesistius poutassou (Risso, 1827)

An annually revised goods classification scheme used in EU for the purposes of customs duty and foreign trade statistics. The scheme is based on the Harmonized System nomenclature, further extended with Community subdivisions. Each subdivision is identified by an eight-digit numerical code. Read more: Combined Nomenclature

03 — CHAPTER 3 - FISH AND CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS AND OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES
- 0302 — Fish, fresh or chilled, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304
  - Fish of the families Bregmacerotidae, Euclichthyidae, Gadidae, Macrouridae, Melanonidae, Merlucciidae, Moridae and Muraenolepididae, excluding livers and roes
    - 0302 56 00 — Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou, Micromesistius australis)
- 0303 — Fish, frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304
  - Fish of the families Bregmacerotidae, Euclichthyidae, Gadidae, Macrouridae, Melanonidae, Merlucciidae, Moridae and Muraenolepididae, excluding livers and roes
    - 0303 68 — Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou, Micromesistius australis)
      - 0303 68 10 — Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou, Gadus poutassou)
- 0304 — Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced), fresh, chilled or frozen
  - Fresh or chilled fillets of other fish
    - 0304 44 — Fish of the families Bregmacerotidae, Euclichthyidae, Gadidae, Macrouridae, Melanonidae, Merlucciidae, Moridae and Muraenolepididae
      - 0304 44 90 — Other
  - Other, fresh or chilled
    - 0304 53 00 — Fish of the families Bregmacerotidae, Euclichthyidae, Gadidae, Macrouridae, Melanonidae, Merlucciidae, Moridae and Muraenolepididae
  - Frozen fillets of fish of the families Bregmacerotidae, Euclichthyidae, Gadidae, Macrouridae, Melanonidae, Merlucciidae, Moridae and Muraenolepididae
    - 0304 79 — Other
      - 0304 79 90 — Other
  - Other, frozen
    - 0304 95 — Fish of the families Bregmacerotidae, Euclichthyidae, Gadidae, Macrouridae, Melanonidae, Merlucciidae, Moridae and Muraenolepididae, other than Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma)
      - 0304 95 10 — Surimi
      - Other
        0304 95 60 — Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou, Gadus poutassou)
- 0305 — Fish, dried, salted or in brine; smoked fish, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process; flours, meals and pellets of fish, fit for human consumption
  - Fish fillets, dried, salted or in brine, but not smoked
    - 0305 32 — Fish of the families Bregmacerotidae, Euclichthyidae, Gadidae, Macrouridae, Melanonidae, Merlucciidae, Moridae and Muraenolepididae
      - 0305 32 90 — Other

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Micromesistius poutassou

Commercial designations

Main production methods

Main fishing gears

Gillnets and similar nets

Hooks and lines

Seines

Nutrition values

TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2021)

Freshness categories

Size categories

Habitat

FAO major fishing areas

Area 21 - Atlantic, Northwest

Area 27 - Atlantic, Northeast

Area 34 - Atlantic, Eastern Central

Area 37 - Mediterranean and Black Sea

Distribution maps