Read the article with FishingTheSpot: the ling fish
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The Ling fish belongs to the Lotidae family. It generally measures 1.60 m in adulthood, but can reach a height of 2 meters and weigh up to 45 kg. Its longevity is estimated at 10 years for males and 14 years for females. Breeding takes place from March to July. The female can lay up to 60 million eggs. It can be fished all year round except in winter.
The Ling has a cylindrical and very elongated body. The head is flattened with a prominent upper jaw. The fairly long chin barbell is larger than the diameter of the eye. This species has two dorsal fins and one anal fin. The first dorsal fin is shorter and often shows a black spot on the back, the second one runs the rest of the body to the tail. The black caudal fin has a white border on the tip. It is uniformly greenish brown in color, but slightly darker dorsally in adults. The young are often lighter, with its coloring more or less marbled orange.
The Ling fish lifestyle
The ling is a voracious predator capable of hunting fairly large fish such as blue whiting, tacauds (Trisopterus luscus), gurnards, as well as bottom animals such as flatfish, Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus), echinoderms or cephalopods.
Breeding takes place from March to July, at a depth of about 200 meters in a geographical area from the Bay of Biscay to the Faroe Islands and south of Iceland. The female lays up to 60 million eggs. The pelagic egg measures about 1 mm. Juveniles are pelagic for a few years. Sexual maturity is reached quite late when the animal measures 80 cm for the male, either during its fifth year, and when it is 90 to 100 cm for the female, or between its fifth and sixth year.
The Ling fish Habitat
Although its habitat is still relatively unknown, the Ling resides on the rocky bottoms on the continental shelf and the edge of the slope, mainly between 10 and 400 meters deep. It is generally the youngest individuals (less than 50 cm in height) that are observed at shallow depths (from 10 meters), with older individuals migrating to greater depths.
It is often found motionless in rock holes and crevices.
The ling fish exists on both sides of the North Atlantic. On the eastern side of the Atlantic, its distribution extends from northern Norway to the northern coasts of Morocco. On the western side of the Atlantic, the species occurs much more occasionally, particularly in southern Greenland and near the coast of Newfoundland. It is also found quite exceptionally in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea.
The Ling fish angling
Ling is mainly fished with bottom trawls, and sometimes with longlines.
