Skip to content
In The Kibble
My dogs

Ingredient file // Animal protein

Acadian Redfish

A named fish with a modest evidence base

Acadian redfish is a wild North Atlantic fish also sold as ocean perch. It supplies animal protein and some marine fats to kibble. The amount in a food is undisclosed, and no dog trial shows a benefit from this species alone.

What it is
A North Atlantic fish listed by species name as an animal ingredient in dog food.
Made from
Wild-caught Acadian redfish
Main job
Animal protein
Typical amount
Not published
Watch for
Fish allergy and unknown contaminant levels
Not the same as
Fish meal

Our read // In our catalog

In 1 of every 421 foods we track

Share of foods that list it

0%

6 of the 2,523 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 3 brands. All dry dog food.

Each square is 1% of the catalog

Where it sits on the label

Median position 10. In the top five of 1 food, so it is usually a supporting ingredient.

Top five List position, heaviest first

Above the salt

100%

Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.

Price per lb

Foods with it $4.34
All foods $3.23

Median of the cheapest bag price across 6 priced foods, 34% above the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.

Who leans on it

67%

of the foods that list it are from Nulo. 3 brands use it in total.

What it is

How it is made

Acadian redfish comes from a commercial groundfish catch. Seafood processors sell whole fish and prepared cuts, leaving heads and frames. The name on a pet-food label does not tell you which cut the maker bought.4,6,7

  1. 01 // Source Wild redfish Fishing vessels catch Acadian redfish in the North Atlantic, most commonly with trawl nets.
  2. 02 // Process Prepared ashore Processors wash the catch and may remove scales, heads, guts or fillets for different products.
  3. 03 // Process Packed and frozen Processed redfish is packaged and frozen for storage and transport.
  4. 04 // Output Named fish ingredient Redfish reaches the pet-food plant; its species name does not identify the cut supplied.

What is in it

Composition, dry matter

86-88

% protein

An estimate for raw redfish fillets, calculated from measured water, fat and ash. It is not an analysis of the fish in dog food.

Estimated protein 85.8-87.9%3
Total fat 5.1-8.7%3
Ash 5.6-7%3
Omega-3 fatty acids 2.6%3
DHA 1.5%3
EPA 0.8%3

These figures describe raw fillets, not a tested dog-food ingredient. Whole fish, heads or frames could differ. Protein was calculated by difference; the fatty acid figures came from one fillet sample.3,6

Why it is in the bag

What the manufacturer gets

  1. 01

    Adds animal protein

    Protein made up most of the dry matter in NOAA's raw fillets. The cut and amount used in a particular kibble are unknown, so those fillet figures cannot describe its finished-food contribution.3,5,6

  2. 02

    Adds marine fats

    A raw fillet sample contained EPA and DHA. The amount delivered by a recipe depends on its fish cut, inclusion rate and processing, none of which the ingredient name reveals.3,5,6

  3. 03

    Uses a commercial catch

    NOAA recorded 13 million pounds of US commercial Acadian redfish landings in 2024. That shows supply at scale, but it does not reveal what a pet-food maker pays.4

How much No opened source gives a typical Acadian redfish inclusion rate; an ingredient list shows weight order, not percentages.5

Our read // The claims

What the evidence supports

Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.

  1. Critics say

    Fresh redfish ranks high partly because of water

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    NOAA's 2 raw fillet samples were 78.43% and 78.66% water. Ingredients are ranked by weight before cooking, so fresh fish loses much of that weight as kibble dries. Rank does not measure its final protein contribution.3,5

  2. Brands say

    Acadian redfish supplies lean animal protein

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    NOAA measured 1.09% and 1.87% fat in raw fillets, with most remaining dry matter estimated as protein. The result supports a lean fillet, but the cut used in kibble is unknown and species-specific digestibility has not been tested in dogs.1,3,6

  3. Brands say

    Its omega-3 fats improve skin and coat

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    A 12-dog crossover trial tested hydrolysate and oil made from several fish, including unspecified redfish. Blood omega-3 status rose, but coat scores did not improve. It did not test Acadian redfish or identify an effective kibble amount.1

  4. Brands say

    Fish recipes are safe for allergic dogs

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    Fish was an identified trigger in 5 of 297 dogs with documented food reactions. That does not make fish a common allergen for all dogs, but a fish ingredient is unsuitable for a dog with a diagnosed fish allergy.2

  5. Critics say

    Acadian redfish is just filler

    Outruns the evidence

    Evidence

    1. Strong
    2. Some
    3. Thin
    4. None

    NOAA's 2 raw fillet samples contained protein-rich solids and measurable fat, so the fish has a nutritional job. Those fillet data cannot tell how much fish, or which cut, a kibble maker used.3,5,6

Straight answers

What owners ask

  1. Q01

    Is it just filler?

    No

    Redfish supplies animal protein and some fat. NOAA measured fillets rather than the material in a dog food, so the numbers do not tell you how much nutrition this ingredient contributes to your bag.3,5

  2. Q02

    Does ocean perch mean Acadian redfish?

    Not always

    FDA accepts ocean perch as a market name for Acadian redfish and lists other redfish species under that name too. Acadian redfish is the more specific identification on a bag.7,8

  3. Q03

    Why might it trail fish meal?

    Water weight

    NOAA's raw fillets were about 78% water. A dry meal has already lost much of its water. Since ingredient order follows weight before cooking, their positions do not directly compare protein in the finished kibble.3,5

  4. Q04

    Is it enough omega-3?

    Unknown

    NOAA found EPA and DHA in a redfish fillet sample, but the bag does not disclose the fish amount or cut. Look for a finished-food EPA and DHA guarantee if those fats matter to you.3,5,6

Who uses it

Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps

Top brands, by foods that list it

  1. Nulo 4
  2. Orijen 1
  3. Acana 1

Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it

  1. Salmon 100%
  2. Haddock 67%
  3. Turkey Meal 67%
  4. Chicken Meal 67%
  5. Oats 67%
  6. Millet 67%
  7. Chicken Fat 67%
  8. Barley 67%
  9. Salmon Meal 50%
  10. Whole Herring 33%
  11. Herring Meal 33%
  12. Flaxseed 33%

On the shelf

Foods that list it

6 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.

Orijen Wild Reserve, Wild-Caught Fish Recipe Dry Dog Food45.5% protein
Show 5 more Nulo Challenger Organic Ancient Grains Haddock, Salmon & Acadian Redfish Recipe Dry Dog Food38.9% proteinNulo MedalSeries Ancient Grains Salmon, Oats & Haddock Recipe Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinNulo Challenger Small Breed Organic Ancient Grains Haddock, Salmon & Acadian Redfish Recipe Dry Dog Food38.9% proteinNulo MedalSeries Small Breed Ancient Grains Salmon, Oats & Acadian Redfish Recipe Dry Dog Food31.1% proteinAcana Wholesome Grains Sea to Stream Fish & Grains Recipe Dry Dog Food35.2% protein

Our read // On the bag

Read the whole recipe around this fish

Acadian redfish names a real fish, but its place on the list reflects its weight before cooking. Check the protein meals and fats nearby, then judge the finished food's analysis. The bag does not reveal the fish cut or amount. Treat coat claims as claims about the complete recipe.

Sources

What we read

Checked October 1, 2026.

  1. 1 Protein hydrolysate and oil from fish waste reveal potential as dog food ingredients Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2024 // Journal
  2. 2 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats BMC Veterinary Research, 2016 // Journal
  3. 3 Proximate Composition and Fatty Acid and Cholesterol Content of 22 Species of Northwest Atlantic Finfish NOAA Fisheries, 1989 // Government
  4. 4 Acadian Redfish: Seafood NOAA Fisheries, n.d. // Government
  5. 5 Reading Labels AAFCO, n.d. // Regulator
  6. 6 Nova Scotia Species Spotlight: Redfish Perennia, 2023 // Industry
  7. 7 The Seafood List: Sebastes fasciatus U.S. Food and Drug Administration, n.d. // Government
  8. 8 The Seafood List U.S. Food and Drug Administration, n.d. // Government
  9. 9 CVM Guidance for Industry #245: Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Food for Animals U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2022 // Government
  10. 10 Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish (1990-2012) U.S. Food and Drug Administration, n.d. // Government
An ingredient on its own tells you very little. What matters is how much of it there is and where it sits in the list. That is why we weigh the top five rather than reacting to any single name further down. Back to the wiki

Keep In The Know,
Know What's In The Bowl

The In the Kibble newsletter. Useful emails for dog owners: what we find inside dog food, how to feed well, and a heads-up when a food is recalled.
DOUBLE OPT-IN // ONE CLICK TO STOP // NEVER SHARED