Golden Redfish

The Golden Redfish is one of the most common and commercially important fish in Icelandic waters. It is commonly from 14 to 16 inch long in catches, but exceptionally large individuals of up to 40 inches and 33 pounds have been measured. These huge individuals are often called centennial redfishes as they are probably very old. It is however possible that these very large redfishes belong to a different stock, or even species, than the common golden redfish.

Growth is very slow and maturity is only reached at the age of 12 to 15 when the fish is around 14 inches long. Redfish mate in early winter; the female carries the sperm and eggs, and later larvae that are hatched in April/May in remote areas in the southwest. The fry stays near the bottom off East Greenland and at the edge of the Icelandic continental shelf. All the redfish species primarily feed on zooplankton, but also on small fishes such as capelin. The single most important food group, however, is the krill.

Golden redfish is found all around Iceland on various bottom types, but off the north coast mainly juveniles are found. It is both found close to the bottom and in the water column (usually at night) and can therefore be classified as benthopelagic. The main fishing grounds, as well as the main adult grounds, are at the edge of the continental shelf at 660 to 1300 feet depth south and west of Iceland. The golden redfish is found along the coast of North America from Cape Cod to Newfoundland, in southern Greenlandic waters, around Iceland, the Faroe Islands, in the Northern part of the North Sea, along the coast of Norway and in the southern part of the Barents Sea.

For information on factors that are shared by all the redfish species and also on comparison between the species, see the main category relating to redfishes.

The Golden Redfish flesh is firm and flakes big flakes and is great for frying or grilling.

Redfish is certified since 2014 in the Iceland Responsible Fisheries certification program.