As an edible species, it is eaten fresh, frozen, or dried, but also preserved in lye, while the roe is a delicacy in Spain.

The common ling is the longest and one of the largest of the cod-like fish, the Gadiformes, which can reach lengths of 200 cm and weights of 30 kg.

A distinct white edge is seen on the anal and dorsal fins and they have a dark spot at their posterior end.

The juvenile fish tend to be lighter in colour than adults and are often marked with pale purplish iridescent lines.

[5] A common ling measuring 6 ft (180 cm) in length was caught off Shetland on 24 February 2013.

The maximum recorded lifespan is 10 years for males and 14 for females, at which age they attain a length around 200 cm.

[15] This is a deep-water species and its swim bladder is badly damaged by being brought up to the surface from the depths; the advice for sport anglers is, therefore, that boat-caught ling should not be returned to the sea and that they should stop fishing when enough have been caught for the table.

[11] Ling is regarded as a "fish to avoid" for consumers by the Marine Conservation Society because it is trawled.