Eucla cod
Encyclopedia
The Eucla cod, Euclichthys polynemus, is a deepwater marine fish belonging to the cod
order (Gadiformes
). It is the only species currently classified in the family
Euclichthyidae. It is named after the town of Eucla, Western Australia
, in whose coastal waters it is found.
The Eucla cod has a long and tapering body, a large mouth and no chin barbel. It has two nearly contiguous dorsal fins; the first short based and high, the second long-based, extending to base of caudal fin. It may grow up to 35 cm. It has been found in the Tasman Sea
, around Australia
from Queensland
to north Western Australia
n shelf and off the New Zealand
shelf at depth range 250–920 m. It has no commercial value.
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...
order (Gadiformes
Gadiformes
Gadiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Anacanthini, that includes the cod and its allies. Many major food fish are in this order. They are found in marine waters throughout the world, and there are also a small number of freshwater species.Common characteristics include the...
). It is the only species currently classified in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Euclichthyidae. It is named after the town of Eucla, Western Australia
Eucla, Western Australia
Eucla is the easternmost locality in Western Australia, located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Eyre Highway, approximately west of the South Australian border...
, in whose coastal waters it is found.
The Eucla cod has a long and tapering body, a large mouth and no chin barbel. It has two nearly contiguous dorsal fins; the first short based and high, the second long-based, extending to base of caudal fin. It may grow up to 35 cm. It has been found in the Tasman Sea
Tasman Sea
The Tasman Sea is the large body of water between Australia and New Zealand, approximately across. It extends 2,800 km from north to south. It is a south-western segment of the South Pacific Ocean. The sea was named after the Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman, the first recorded European...
, around Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
to north Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
n shelf and off the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
shelf at depth range 250–920 m. It has no commercial value.