Arctic cod
Encyclopedia
The Arctic cod is an Arctic
deepwater fish
related to the true cod
(genus Gadus).
, also has been called "Arctic cod" and "Polar cod", while the name "Greenland cod" more commonly refers to the species Gadus ogac
.
Another Arctic gadid, the East Siberian cod
(Arctogadus borisovi), which was until recently considered the closest relative of Arctic cod, has been found not to be distinct from it at all, but should be included in the same species Arctogadus glacialis - the only species of the genus Arctogadus.
s of other cod species (or this barbel is small).
, also the northwest and northeast coasts of Greenland
. Its range is between 85° and 72° north latitude
. Arctic cod can be found at depths of up to 1000 m, and frequently under ice.
Fishes earlier attributed to the East Siberian cod are found off the western half of the Canadian
coast and the coasts of Siberia
and also off northern and southern coasts of Greenland
. The fish prefers living close to the sea floor at depths of 15 to 40 m, but it sometimes enters estuaries. They may also be found under pack ice.
The species is of minor commercial value.
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
deepwater fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
related to the true cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
(genus Gadus).
Names
The fish has several common names, including polar cod and Greenland cod. Note, however, that another species, Boreogadus saidaPolar cod
The polar cod , also known as the Arctic cod, is a fish of the cod family Gadidae, related to the true cod . Note that there is another fish with the common name Arctic cod, Arctogadus glacialis....
, also has been called "Arctic cod" and "Polar cod", while the name "Greenland cod" more commonly refers to the species Gadus ogac
Greenland cod
The Greenland cod, Gadus ogac, known variously as rock cod, ogac and uvac is a commercially harvested food fish.In colour the Greenland cod is generally sombre, ranging from tan to brown to silvery. Its appearance is similar to that of other cod species; generally heavy-bodied, elongate, usually...
.
Another Arctic gadid, the East Siberian cod
East Siberian cod
The East Siberian cod, Arctogadus borisovi, also known as the toothed cod, is an Arctic fish closely similar to the Arctic cod Arctogadus glacialis and also related to true cods . It has been differentiated in appearance from the Arctic cod by having pronounced chin barbel. Their sides and back are...
(Arctogadus borisovi), which was until recently considered the closest relative of Arctic cod, has been found not to be distinct from it at all, but should be included in the same species Arctogadus glacialis - the only species of the genus Arctogadus.
Appearance
Arctic cod is silvery in appearance and can grow up to 30 cm in length. It lacks the chin barbelBarbel (anatomy)
A barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, the zebrafish and some species of shark...
s of other cod species (or this barbel is small).
Distribution
The Arctic cod is widely distributed in the western part of the Arctic basinArctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, also the northwest and northeast coasts of Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. Its range is between 85° and 72° north latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
. Arctic cod can be found at depths of up to 1000 m, and frequently under ice.
Fishes earlier attributed to the East Siberian cod are found off the western half of the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
coast and the coasts of Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and also off northern and southern coasts of Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. The fish prefers living close to the sea floor at depths of 15 to 40 m, but it sometimes enters estuaries. They may also be found under pack ice.
The species is of minor commercial value.