Common ling

Thecommon ling(Molva molva), also known as thewhite lingor simply theling, is a large member of thefamilyLotidae, a group ofcod-likefishes. It resembles the related rocklings, but it is much larger and has a single barbel. This species is unrelated to the pink ling,Genypterus blacodes, from the Southern Hemisphere. The common ling is found in the northern Atlantic, mainly off Europe, and into the Mediterranean Basin. It is an important quarry species for fisheries, especially in the northeastern Atlantic, although some doubts exist as to the sustainability of the fisheries. As an edible species, it is eaten fresh, frozen, or dried, but also preserved inlye, while theroeis a delicacy in Spain.
The common ling is the longest and one of the largest of the cod-like fish, theGadiformes, which can reach lengths of 200 cm and weights of 30 kg. It is long and slenderwith a small head and small eyes and a large mouth, which has large teeth,with the upper jaw projecting beyond the lower jaw, which bears an obvious sensory barbel. Of the twodorsal fins, the anterior dorsal fin is short, having 14–15 fin rays,with a rounded profile,while the posterior dorsal fin is much longer with 61–68 fin raysand is uniform in height and is similar in length to the anal fin.Theanal finis also elongated and has 58–64 fin rays. Thevertebralcount of this species is between 63 and 65 vertebrae. Thecaudal peduncleand thepelvic finsare short, with the pelvic fin not reaching past thepectoral fins. Thedorsumis a marbled greenish-brown, sometimes reddish-brown on the most upper part,lightening on the flanks and underside. A distinct white edge is seen on the anal and dorsal fins and they have a dark spot at their posterior end. However, the spot on the anterior dorsal fin is more conspicuous than that on the posterior dorsal fin. The juvenile fish tend to be lighter in colour than adults and are often marked with pale purplishiridescentlines.A common ling measuring 6 ft (180 cm) in length was caught offShetlandon 24 February 2013.This is the largest ling ever caught on rod and line in British waters.
The common ling is a North Atlantic species found in the further eastern coast of Canada, southern Greenland, Iceland, and the north-eastern Atlantic from theBarents Sea, around the coasts of the UK, becoming scarcer towards the south, and north-western Europe,south to theStraits of Gibraltarand into the north-western coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.It is rare in the Mediterraneanand in the North Sea, where it occurs as far east as theSkagerrakandKattegat.
The common ling is ademersalspecies that can be found over rocky substrates from 15 to 600 m or more in depth; it is most common between 100 and 400 m. The juveniles, less than 2 years old, are coastal, occurring in depths of 15–20 m, andpelagic; at 3 years, they migrate to deeper areas. Sexual maturity is attained at 5 years for males, at a length of around 80 cm and 5 or 6 years for females when they are between 90 and 100 cm in length. The spawning period runs from March to Julyand the eggs and larvae are pelagic.Each female may carry 20 to 60 million eggs. The main spawning areas are found at depths of 200 m from theBay of Biscayto theNorwegian Sea, at depths of 100 to 300 m off southern Iceland, and at 50 to 300 m in the Mediterranean Sea. They grow rapidly, gaining 8–10 cm in length per year,  a 1-year-old fish has a typical length of 20 cm, 2-year-olds 31–35 cm. The females grow at a faster rate than the males. The maximum recorded lifespan is 10 years for males and 14 for females, at which age they attain a length around 200 cm.
Common ling is mainly a solitary and benthic species, which hides among rocks, crevices, and wrecks in deep water,although they are often free swimming in deep water.They are mainlypiscivorousand their main prey include species such asTrisopterus esmarkii,Atlantic cod,Atlantic herring, andflatfish, but they also feed on crustaceans (e.g.European lobsters),cephalopods, andechinoderms(e.g.starfish).
The ling is edible; it is marketed in fresh, salted, or dried forms, and used as fishmeal.The saltedroeof the ling is considered a delicacy inSpainand is known ashuevas de maruca.Ling can be made intolutefisk.The common ling is targeted by commercial fisheries using trawls, although long lines are used in some mainland European- andFaroese-based fisheries.This is a deep-water species and its swim bladder is badly damaged by being brought up to the surface from the depths; the advice for sport anglers is, therefore, that boat-caught ling should not be returned to the sea and that they should stop fishing when enough have been caught for the table. The stock is thought to be reasonably good,but theIUCNhas stated that  no data are available on the population size or any population trends, that the population in the Mediterranean Sea may be marginal, with the major portion of its global range in the Atlantic. So, no data are available to allow a determination the status of the ling beyonddata deficient.Ling is regarded as a "fish to avoid" for consumers by theMarine Conservation Societybecause it is trawled.In 1999, the total catch of common ling reported to theFood and Agriculture Organizationwas 53,870 tonnes and the countries with the largest landings were Norway with 19,215 tonnes and the United Kingdom with 11,350 tonnes.