Whiting are coastal marine fish, of which 13 species occur in Australian waters. The largest and most popular of the Whiting family is the King George Whiting (KGW). They occur in schools in coastal and estuarine waters where they are caught by handline and various netting methods.
The good news is that whiting is on the FDA's “Best Choices” fish list. This means that it's ok to eat two to three servings (8 ounces to 12 ounces) a week. A serving portion for an adult is 4 ounces or a fillet about the size of the palm of your hand. Experts recommend that children eat two servings of fish a week.
Pacific whiting, or hake, is a ray-finned fish species found off the West Coast of the United States and Canada. They are a semi-pelagic schooling species of groundfish.
The scientific name of whiting is Merlangius merlangus. Another name for whiting is merling or in the U.S., English whiting. This fish is in the class Actinopterygii, the ray-finned fishes. It is in the order Gadiformes which means cod-like, and in the family Gadidae of the true cods, cods, or codfishes.
Whiting are coastal marine fish, of which 13 species occur in Australian waters. The largest and most popular of the Whiting family is the King George Whiting (KGW). They occur in schools in coastal and estuarine waters where they are caught by handline and various netting methods.
A shimmering silver fish, the Whiting looks like the Pollock. It has an extremely delicate texture and flake, and is very mild in flavor, very similar to Hake with white color. There are a variety of cooking methods for whiting: baking, broiling, frying, or sautéing.
Eastern school whiting are found in Australian waters from southern Queensland to Anxious Bay, South Australia, and the east coast of Tasmania. They are caught throughout the year, though larger catches are commonly seen between March and July.
The King George Whiting has fine rib bones and pin bones, which are frequent through the upper body but are easily removed.
Gulf kingfish, also called Gulf whiting, live in small schools in the surf along the Texas coast. Young kingfish sometimes move into the shallows in coastal bays. Like their relatives the southern kingfish, Gulf kingfish feed on bottom-dwelling animals such as worms, clams and other shellfish.
Is Whiting Fish Healthy to Eat? Whiting fish is a good source of vitamin B, magnesium and protein, according to the NOAA. Each 100-gram serving of whiting (the size of a standard filet) is 90 calories and contains roughly 18 grams of protein with about 1 gram of fat, making this a healthy lean protein choice.
The fish originally known by the name "whiting" in English is Merlangius merlangus, in the family Gadidae. This species inhabits the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the North Sea on the East Coast of Britain. In the United States, it is commonly known as the English whiting.
Whiting are bottom feeders that consume a variety of small marine animals. Major foods are worms, shrimps, shrimp larvae, crabs, amphipods, and fishes.
It is also a very good source of Protein, Vitamin B12, Phosphorus and Selenium. The bad: This food is very high in Cholesterol.
Cleaning Whiting
The scales will come off easily and there is no mess to clean up. The gut is removed by making an incision from the anus to to the gill plate and the gut being cleaned out. Wash gut cavity with fresh water.
The fact that the whiting is almost always off of our shore, combined with its enormous quantity and low consumer demand, keeps prices low.
The sand whiting fishery is most prolific in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales where the species is most abundant, often caught along other species of whiting in estuaries and from beaches.
Whiting are actually quite easy to find however they do move about quite a bit but when you get them going it is easy to catch a great feed. Whether fishing in Port Phillip Bay or Western Port, whiting inhabit the same type of ground, basically anywhere that is sandy with healthy weed beds.
One significant positive about this fish is that it doesn't taste too fishy. So, people who dislike eating fish for its smell can find it suitable to their taste.
The best way to tell if your fish is done is by testing it with a fork at an angle, at the thickest point, and twist gently. The fish will flake easily when it's done and it will lose its translucent or raw appearance. A good rule of thumb is to cook the fish to an internal temperature of 140-145 degrees.
For skin contact, wash immediately with soap and water. Product is not considered toxic in small amounts.