burbot in saltwater off north carolina

Question
I am the head fish cleaner at pirate's cove marina in manteo nc. I have been cleaning fish for nearly 10 years. We have one wreckfishing vessel that fishes near and offshore wrecks. For years now I have cleaned these fish that 99.9% of folks call lingcod, but I disagree. Through my research I feel these fish are burbot, they are identical in every aspect. I have yet to find any information on burbot in saltwater. Can you help?               thanks matt

Answer
Hi Matt;

Those 99.9% may or may not be correct in calling the fish a lingcod, but unfortunately you are incorrect in thinking it is a burbot.  I looked through some of my reference books of saltwater fish and had difficulty finding anything about the burbot.  The reason; the burbot is the only member of the cod family that lives exclusively in fresh water, specifically, deep cold water lakes and rivers mainly in  Alaska and Northern Europe.  The fish may be something other than lingcod since there are a number of very closely related species, but they cannot be burbot.

-Rich