Table of Contents
Overview
Brief Summary
The Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, also known as gray cod, is an important commercial food species. It has three separate dorsal fins, and the catfish-like whiskers on its lower jaw. In appearance, it is similar to the Atlantic Cod (G. morhua). A bottom dweller, it is found mainly along the continental shelf and upper slopes with a range around the rim of the North Pacific Ocean, from the Yellow Sea to the Bering Strait, along the Aleutian Islands, and south to about Los Angeles, down to the depths of 900 meters. Pacific cod grow relatively quickly, and live up to about 18 years. Fully grown, they can reach 48–49 cm and weigh up to 15 kg. It is found in huge schools, feeding on small invertebrates including clams, worms, shrimp, and small fish. In the Northwest Pacific the USA trawl fishery and joint-venture fisheries increased their cod catches from less than 1,000 tons in 1979 to nearly 91,000 tons in 1984 and reached 430,196 tons in 1995. Today, catches are tightly regulated and the Pacific cod quota is split among fisheries that use hook and line gear, pots, and bottom trawls. In 2010, 15.7% of ground fish caught in Alaska was Pacific cod.
(Alaska Fisheries Science Center; Wikipedia 2011)
- Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. Pacific Cod Research. Retrieved January 7, 2012 from http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/species/Pacific_cod.php
- Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 10 December 2011. “Megalopyge opercularis”. Retrieved January 5, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pacific_cod&oldid=465094727
Supplier: Dana Campbell
Trusted
Comprehensive Description
Biology
-
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba 1990 FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=1371&speccode=25
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Distribution
-
Gillespie, G. E. 1993. An updated list of the fishes of British Columbia, and those of interest in adjacent waters, with numeric code designations. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1918: 116 p.
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=155121
-
Hart, J.L., 1973. Pacific Fishes of Canada. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. Bull 180. 740 pages.
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=147633
© WoRMS for SMEBD
Source:
World Register of Marine Species
Trusted
-
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba 1990 FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=1371&speccode=25
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
National Distribution
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
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Physical Description
Morphology
-
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba 1990 FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=1371&speccode=25
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Size
Max. size
-
IGFA 2001 Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA. (Ref. 40637)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=40637&speccode=943
-
Lamb, A. and P. Edgell 1986 Coastal fishes of the Pacific northwest. Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd., B.C., Canada. 224 p. (Ref. 27436)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=27436&speccode=2594
-
Witherell, D. 1996 Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands area: a species profile. 15 p. North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Alaska. (Ref. 27369)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=27369&speccode=308
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Diagnostic Description
-
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba 1990 FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=1371&speccode=25
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Ecology
Habitat
Environment
-
Riede, K. 2004 Global register of migratory species - from global to regional scales. Final Report of the R&D-Projekt 808 05 081. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Bonn, Germany. 329 p. (Ref. 51243)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=51243&speccode=4683
-
Fedorov, V.V., I.A. Chereshnev, M.V. Nazarkin, A.V. Shestakov and V.V. Volobuev 2003 Catalog of marine and freswater fishes of the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. Vladivostok: Dalnauka, 2003. 204 p. (Ref. 50550)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=50550&speccode=4633
-
FAO-FIGIS 2001 A world overview of species of interest to fisheries. Chapter: Gadus macrocephalus. Retrieved on 30 May 2005, from www.fao.org/figis/servlet/species?fid=3011. 4p. FIGIS Species Fact Sheets. Species Identification and Data Programme-SIDP, FAO-FIGIS (Ref. 54440)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=54440&speccode=308
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 1118 samples.
Environmental ranges
Depth range (m): 0 - 333
Temperature range (°C): -1.040 - 8.274
Nitrate (umol/L): 4.186 - 40.609
Salinity (PPS): 31.082 - 33.970
Oxygen (ml/l): 2.013 - 7.863
Phosphate (umol/l): 0.566 - 2.734
Silicate (umol/l): 16.245 - 72.689
Graphical representation
Depth range (m): 0 - 333
Temperature range (°C): -1.040 - 8.274
Nitrate (umol/L): 4.186 - 40.609
Salinity (PPS): 31.082 - 33.970
Oxygen (ml/l): 2.013 - 7.863
Phosphate (umol/l): 0.566 - 2.734
Silicate (umol/l): 16.245 - 72.689
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.
Trusted
Recorded at 875 meters.
Habitat: demersal. Found mostly between 100 and 400 m in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea. Forms schools (Ref. 9988). Appears to be indiscriminate predators upon dominant food organisms present. Diet includes crabs, shrimps, worms, molluscs, saffron cod, pollock, smelt, herring, flounders, cottids, salmon and sardines. Marketed fresh and frozen for human consumption (Ref. 2850), and also dried/salted and smoked (Ref. 9988). Eaten steamed, fried, broiled, boiled, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166).
© FishWise Professional
Source:
FishWise Professional
Trusted
Migration
-
Riede, K. 2004 Global register of migratory species - from global to regional scales. Final Report of the R&D-Projekt 808 05 081. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Bonn, Germany. 329 p. (Ref. 51243)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=51243&speccode=4683
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
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.
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Trophic Strategy
-
Livingston, P.A. 1993 Importance of predation by groundfish, marine mammals and birds on walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma and Pacific herring Clupea pallasi in the eastern Bering Sea. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., 102:205-215.
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=6880
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Life History and Behavior
Life Cycle
-
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba 1990 FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=1371&speccode=25
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Barcode data: Gadus macrocephalus
There are 40 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.
-- end --
Download FASTA File
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Gadus macrocephalus
Public Records: 36
Specimens with Barcodes: 91
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
Trusted
Conservation
Conservation Status
National NatureServe Conservation Status
Canada
Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked
United States
Rounded National Status Rank: NNR - Unranked
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
NatureServe Conservation Status
Rounded Global Status Rank: GNR - Not Yet Ranked
© NatureServe
Source:
NatureServe
Trusted
Threats
-
IUCN 2006 2006 IUCN red list of threatened species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded July 2006.
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=57073
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems
Benefits
Importance
-
International Game Fish Association 1991 World record game fishes. International Game Fish Association, Florida, USA. (Ref. 4699)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=4699&speccode=2590
-
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations 1992 FAO yearbook 1990. Fishery statistics. Catches and landings. FAO Fish. Ser. (38). FAO Stat. Ser. 70:(105):647 p. (Ref. 4931)
http://www.fishbase.org/references/FBRefSummary.php?id=4931&speccode=228
© FishBase
Source:
FishBase
Trusted
Wikipedia
Pacific cod
The Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, is an important commercial food species. It is also known as gray cod or grey cod, and grayfish or greyfish. It has three separate dorsal fins, and the catfish-like whiskers on its lower jaw. In appearance, it is similar to the Atlantic cod. A bottom dweller, it is found mainly along the continental shelf and upper slopes with a range around the rim of the North Pacific Ocean, from the Yellow Sea to the Bering Strait, along the Aleutian Islands, and south to about Los Angeles, down to the depths of 900 meters (~ 3000 feet). May grow up to 1 m (39") and weigh up to 15 kg (33 lbs). It is found in huge schools.[1]
Molecular genetic analyses strongly suggest that Pacific cod and Greenland cod (Gadus ogac) from Greenland–the Arctic ocean are the same species; G. ogac is then a junior synonym of G. macrocephalus.[2] Nevertheless, ITIS still lists Gadus ogac as a valid name.[3] This change would greatly expand the geographic range of Pacific cod.
Contents |
Fisheries [edit]
In the Northwest Pacific catches of Pacific cod by the United States trawl fishery and joint-venture fisheries increased from less than 1,000 tonnes in 1979 to nearly 91,000 tonnes in 1984 and reached 430,196 tonnes in 1995. Today, catches are tightly regulated and the Pacific cod quota is split among fisheries that use hook and line gear, pots, and bottom trawls.
Pacific cod larva
Young Pacific cod
Adult Pacific cod caught on jigging gear- Pacific cod dish.jpgPacific cod dish
See also [edit]
Notes [edit]
- ^ a b Gadus macrocephalus (Tilesius, 1810) FAO, Species Fact Sheet. Retrieved April 2012.
- ^ Carr, S. M.; Kivlichan, D. S.; Pepin, P.; Crutcher, D. C. (1999). "Molecular systematics of gadid fishes: Implications for the biogeographic origins of Pacific species". Canadian Journal of Zoology 77: 19–26. doi:10.1139/z98-194.
- ^ "Gadus ogac". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
References [edit]
- "Gadus macrocephalus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 19 March 2006.
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2005). "Gadus macrocephalus" in FishBase. November 2005 version.
Source:
Wikipedia
Unreviewed
Disclaimer
EOL content is automatically assembled from many different content providers. As a result, from time to time you may find pages on EOL that are confusing.
To request an improvement, please leave a comment on the page. Thank you!
