Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Pacific cod is a bottom-dwelling fish of the North Pacific. A long whiskerlike feeler under the chin and three separate fins along the back help identify Pacific cod.

Appearance

Appearance: Its back is brown or gray with dark mottling, and its belly is paler. Look for a long chin and three separate dorsal fins.

Look-alikes

Alaska pollockGadus chalcogrammus

Pacific cod has a conspicuous chin barbel and an upper jaw that projects beyond the lower jaw. Alaska pollock has a tiny barbel and a more projecting lower jaw.

Why they get mixed upBoth are cod relatives found in Alaskan waters.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: continental shelf
muddy and sandy seafloor
Range: It lives in the North Pacific from the Bering Sea to the U.S. West Coast. It is uncommon off central California and rare off Southern California.
Preferred conditions: Large juveniles and adults usually stay near the seafloor; in Alaska they use deeper water in winter and shallower water in summer.
Seasons: In Alaska
Breeding Jan–May

Behavior

Diet: In Alaska it eats clams, worms, crabs, shrimp, and young fish.
Social life: It forms schools and shifts seasonally between feeding and spawning areas.

Life cycle

Breeding season: In Alaska, spawning runs from January through May.
Reproduction: Females release more than 1 million eggs near the shelf edge and upper slope.

Name and classification

About the name: Pacific cod is also called gray cod.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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