Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

Scientific name: Gadus morhua Linnaeus, 1758

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a brackish-water fish of the family Gadidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 15°C (59°F).

Atlantic cod care at a glance

Temperature
15°C (59°F)

Biology

This is an epibenthic-pelagic species. It is widely distributed in a variety of habitats, from the shoreline down to the continental shelf. Cod form schools during the day. Cod are omnivorous; they feed at dawn or dusk on invertebrates and fish, including young cod. Cod spawn once a year, in batches. The most important stocks are the Norwegian Arctic stock in the Barents Sea and the Icelandic stock. The populations around Greenland and Newfoundland have declined dramatically. Results of a 30-yr time-series analysis of a heavily exploited population supports the hypothesis that size-selective fishing induces genetic changes in growth -- small size-at-age continued despite little fishing for over a decade and good conditions for growth. Older and larger cod had been found to produce larger eggs with

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Gadus morhua
Family
Gadidae (Cods and haddocks)
Order
Gadiformes (Cods)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
200
Common length
100.0
Depth range
0–600 m (0–1969 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 600 m, usually 150 - 200 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Northwest to Northeast Atlantic: Cape Hatteras to Ungava Bay along the North American coast; east and west coast of Greenland; around Iceland; coasts of Europe from the Bay of Biscay to the Barents Sea, including the region around Bear Island.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Vulnerable (VU) (A1bd)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (rm=0.2-1.1; also Musick et al. 2000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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