Atlantic cod are stocky bottom-dwellers found on cold continental shelves and rocky reefs, typically between 20 and 200 metres. They grow to around 2 metres and are recognisable by their three dorsal fins, two anal fins, and a barbel hanging from the lower jaw. Cod are ambush predators, lurking among rocks and wreckage to hunt smaller fish and crustaceans. Once sustainably abundant, they now carry vulnerable conservation status owing to centuries of heavy fishing pressure.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Gadiformes
- Family
- Gadidae
- Genus
- Gadus