Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Circumpolar distribution. In Arctic Ocean to the White Sea, Iceland, and southern Greenland, in the western Atlantic into the Miramichi River, New Brunswick, and in the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Bering Sea to Cape Olyutorski, the Pribilof Islands, and Bristol Bay (Allen and Smith 1988). Observed farther north than any other fish species (Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2004).

Habitat Type: Marine

Comments: Inhabits a wide variety of marine habitats. Prefers cold temperatures (-1.8-10 degrees C) but tolerates variable water temperatures and high or variable salinities and turbidities (Craig et al. 1982, ADFG 1986, Cannon et al. 1991). Found most commonly at the water's surface, close to shore among ice floes, but also occur offshore at depths greater than 900 m. Species is associated with the undersurface and cracks in sea ice, but also found near the ocean bottom and throughout the water column in open water (ADFG 1986).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Observed in dense schools in open water in late summer and early winter prior to spawning. Migrates to nearshore waters in late summer as water salinity increases, and remains under nearshore ice in winter to spawn before moving offshore in spring (Craig 1984). Have been observed descending to greater depths and colder water when surface temperatures in the Barents Sea increased to 10 degrees C in late summer/early fall (Hognestad 1968, Ponomarenko 1968). Arctic cod from the northern Bering and southern Chukchi seas observed moving north with the receding ice edge (Lowry and Frost 1981).

Comments: Young-of-year (YOY) consume phytoplankton and very small or early stages of zooplankton; adults prey on pelagic zooplankton, substrate and ice-associated crustaceans, and occasionally young fish (ADFG 1986). Zooplankton taken primarily include copepods (Calanus spp.), amphipods (Themisto spp.), and mysids (Fechhelm et al. 1984; Hop et al. 1997). Often found near ice edges and boundaries between warm and cold water bodies where phytoplankton and zooplankton concentrate. May exhibit two behavior strategies: schooling or individual foraging (Hop et al. 1997).

A keystone species in arctic ecosystems; a major trophic link between primary producers/zooplankters and upper trophic levels (Craig et al. 1982.). Human use includes harvest for fishmeal and a source of oil (Cohen et al. 1990). Associated with floating sea ice, under which it may spawn, forage, and seek protection in cracks; antifreeze glycoproteins synthesized in its liver aid survival in water below the equilibrium freezing point of body fluids (Gillispie 1997).

Comments: Spawns between November and February under sea ice (Craig et al. 1982), but spawning may extend to mid-July in some areas (Wyllie-Echeverria et al. 1997). Annual schooling and migrations occur in fall/early winter to nearshore waters; in spring to offshore waters.

Age at sexual maturity about 2-3 years for males and 3 years for females in the Beaufort Sea and most other parts of its range (Craig et al. 1982); 4-5 years for both sexes in the White Sea (Cohen et al. 1990). Usually spawn no more than once in a lifetime, commonly under sea ice, between November and February (Craig et al. 1982) but may extend to mid-July in the northeastern Chukchi Sea (Wyllie-Echeverria et al. 1997). Eggs produced are the largest and fewest (average of 11,900 per female) of all species in the cod family (ADFG 1986, Cohen et al. 1990). Eggs are fertilized externally and dispersed in the water column. Incubation lasts 45-90 days, and varies with water temperature (Sameoto 1984).

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Reasons: Widespread and abundant in arctic regions. Due to occurrence farther north than any other fish species, arctic cod may be particularly sensitive to effects of climate change and associated changes in sea ice distribution and water temperature.

Comments: This species' preference for cold water and association with sea ice makes it vulnerable to climate change which could result in altering sea ice distribution and water temperatures in Arctic regions. A recent study in Hudson Bay has correlated decreasing July ice cover with a decline in arctic cod abundance (Gaston et al. 2003). Mortality has been associated with strong winds and storms: large numbers of arctic cod have been washed ashore during fall and winter storms in Russia; on the Kara Sea coast heaps of cod from 5 to 10m wide and 3 to 5m high, extending over tens of kilometers have accumulated after storms (Ponomarenko 1968).

Comments: Frequently called polar cod, which is confusing when not used with scientific name. The American Fisheries Society (AFS) uses polar cod for Arctogadus glacialis, which is in the same family. Conversely, the name Arctic cod is often used in European literature for Gadus morhua, the Atlantic cod (Mecklenburg et al. 2002).