If ever there were a fish with an identity crisis, it’s the lingcod, for despite its name, this species is neither a cod nor a ling. Rather, it’s a Pacific greenling, from the family Hexagrammidae. The lingcod likely got the name ling from early settlers who related it to European lings but acknowledged its white flaky flesh by adding cod. Cultus cod was the name used most often in the early 1900s — an insult to this fine fish, as cultus means “of little worth” in Chinook. Lingcod ranges from Baja California to Kodiak Island and the Aleutian Peninsula. It is a bycatch of trawl and longline fisheries, though there is a targeted fishery in Southeast Alaska. The best lingcod is landed by hook-and-line boats that bleed and ice the fish immediately after harvest. Lingcod can grow to 90 pounds but typical market size is around 10 pounds.