Why do some products have large size ranges and what can I expect to receive?Updated 8 days ago

Most of our products are available in a relatively small size range. We also continuously update our site in order to reflect the likely ranges that we can promise on a consistent basis.

But, we do have products with larger size ranges. The primary reason for this is because we are providing you with the freshest catch, and in many instances, we have not even received the product by the time you place the order. Since we are dealing with animals that come in all shapes and sizes and not manufactured goods where the size can be closely controlled, we don't always know what the fishermen will catch and what will be available on a given day. If you placed several orders for the same item, you can expect to receive items that span the size range listed on our product pages. Some will be on the low end of the range, some in the middle, and some on the high end of the range. You may see some variability within the order as well.

You may be wondering what causes some of the larger ranges, and there are usually reasons specific to each species or cut. However, some general reasons for the size ranges relate to the activity of the fish, the fishermen, the season, the catch location and environment, the consistency of supply, the size grading process, and the fabrication process.

Fish activity and the fishermen:

Fish within a species tend to have a certain natural size range, and fish within those species tend to school according to size. There are also regulations related to the size of fish that are allowed to be caught. These factors, along with the location and time of year, all influence what is available and what is caught. Farmed fish tend to be more consistent in size because there is more control over the development process and when they are harvested.

Purchasing and fabricating:

Fish will often be graded according to size ranges, but different species are typically graded with varying ranges, and not all size grades are always available. On our site, we list the size range that we have consistent access to and update those ranges as things change. Whole fish and whole side fillets will have larger size ranges, whereas our portions will have smaller size ranges because we can cut these from the whole side fillet to the specifications listed on the site. Many frozen products typically have more consistent sizing because they are often fabricated by a machine. Our fresh products are typically fabricated by hand.

If you would like to learn more about seafood serving sizes, check out our guide.