# What the heck is Long John Silver fish?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-long-john-silver-fish/233645>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 11, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-long-john-silver-fish/233645 "2004-03-11T05:21:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jplacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jplacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jplacer)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-long-john-silver-fish/233645/1 "2004-03-11T05:21:01Z")

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What kind of fish is Long John Silver’s fish?

Perch? Hallibut? Mahi Mahi?

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-long-john-silver-fish/233645/2 "2004-03-11T05:29:39Z")

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WAG, I’d say it varies depending on where you are. Here in NZ, it’s snapper, hoki and terakihi.

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**Author:** ![Time\_Like\_Tears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@Time\_Like\_Tears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Time_Like_Tears)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-long-john-silver-fish/233645/3 "2004-03-11T05:53:32Z")

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Typically in the US it’s going to be Cod, possibly Whiting. I’ll tell you, though, that most employees don’t really know or care, even though all they’d have to do is look at the box it came in. I have worked for Captain D’s.

Chains like LJS’s and Captain D’s usually use the most readily available, cheapest kind of whitefish on the market for that area. They also offer specials occasionally on Catfish, Grouper, and Mullet sometimes, but it wll be clearly identified if it’s not their ‘normal’ fish.

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**Author:** ![aerodave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f08c70/32.png) [@aerodave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aerodave)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-long-john-silver-fish/233645/4 "2004-03-11T05:55:45Z")

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My assumption has always been haddock or pollock. I’d like to find out the truth. Their website isn’t much help.

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**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-is-long-john-silver-fish/233645/5 "2004-03-11T06:24:15Z")

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Just make sure you don’t order the “Long John Silverfish”

I’ve only had it (the fish, not the arthropod) a few times and I thought it was cod, though that was a while ago. Perhaps you could ask them what varieties they use? Cod, haddock, or pollock seems likely depending on region and what’s available.