Maximum length 120 cm, usual adult length 60 to 90 cm. The back is usually greenish brown although sometimes of a charcoal colour (hence coalfish, from col, charcoal). This species spans the Atlantic in northern waters, descending as far as New Jersey in the west and the English Channel in the east. The importance of the saithe is attested by the extraordinary number of vernacular names for it. Day listed fifty-seven for Britain. In any community where it is well known, one is likely to find several names, corresponding to the different sizes. In Shetland, for example, the small ones, about 10 cm long, are sillock or sillack; while year-old specimens, about 20 to 25 cm long, are piltock. In Orkney the latter are cuithe and the next size up (40 cm) are harben. In both places the full-grown fish are saithe. One of the many similar progressions in Ireland is from gilpin to blockan to greylord to glashan.
