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Buying Guide and Glossary

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King Clip



Identification & Biology: Orange-pink and brown above, with irregular markings, paler to white belly. A long rounded eel-like body with barbel-like pelvic fins originating below center of eye.

Superficially similar but unrelated to the European ling. Ling are eel-like in form and related to codfishes. Unlike eels, they have long gill openings and finger-like pelvic fins on their chin.

Range & Habitat: Widespread and common in 20 - 700 meters around the southern North Island.

Catching methods: Caught mainly by longliners

Market Description: Long rather slender shape, densely textured. The flesh is very white and firm and holds its shape well in cooking.

Buying Tips: Red is considered best of the kingklips for flavor and texture. Raw meat of red and golden kingklip is creamy white, sometimes with a yellowish tinge. It cooks up white. Black kingklip has darker meat that also cooks up darker. Black kingklip fillets are also narrower than red and golden fillets. The flavor is mild and slightly sweet. The texture is dense but tender with a good, large flake. Black kingklip is not as tender as the other two.


Chilled: Keep well chilled 0C (32F).
Frozen: Best stored at -18C (0F)

Available in: Year Round