Saltwater Fish Identification

Lingcod

Body dark brown, grey or green with mottling on sides. A single long fin on back with only one notch. Large mouth with large teeth. Can reach 5' in length.

Pacific Cod

Brown to grey body with lighter mottling. Three fins on back and a large “whisker” under lower jaw. Also called true cod and grey cod.

Walleye Pollock

Body brown with mottling, usually with several stripes along the body. Three fins on back. The “whisker” under lower jaw is absent or very small. Large eye with small pupil.

Kelp Greenling (female)

Size: up to 21"

Color: small, reddish-brown to golden spots on a gray to brown body.

Look for: yellowish orange fins.

Kelp Greenling (male)

Size: up to 21"

Color: gray to brownish-olive, with irregular blue spots on the front half of their bodies

Look for: eyelike spot at the end of the soft dorsal fin, just in front of the tail.

Cabezon

Body olive green to grey with lighter mottling. Two fins on back. Skin flap between nostrils. Small teeth.

Pacific Hake

Body dark or silver grey becoming silvery below. Two fins on back, the second being deeply notched. Black inside mouth. Large mouth with sharp teeth. Also called whiting.

Dogfish Shark

Dark brown upper body with white belly, white spots sometimes on upper body. Single prominent spines in front of each dorsal fin. Lacks an anal fin.

Halibut

Size: up to 6'

Color: white on one side;
brown-gray on the other.

Look for: large mouth and eyes on right side of body. Three points on tail.