Atlantic Cod

Where it lives

Atlantic cod range across continental shelves on both sides of the North Atlantic, from Greenland and the Barents Sea south to the Gulf of Maine and the Bay of Biscay. They favor cool water from 0 to 12 C over rocky or sandy bottoms at depths of 30 to 200 m.

How to recognise it

Three dorsal fins and two anal fins distinguish cod from related gadoids; a single prominent chin barbel sits below the lower jaw. The lateral line is pale and arched. Coloration varies with habitat — olive green over reefs, sandy brown over the open shelf — always finely mottled.

Diet & behavior

Cod follow capelin spawning runs and feed opportunistically on whatever schools their gape: herring, sand lance, smaller cod, crustaceans, and squid. They form vast aggregations on spawning grounds and lay millions of pelagic eggs.

Fisheries & Conservation

Listed as Vulnerable. The collapse of the Grand Banks fishery in 1992 stands as the textbook case of fishery overexploitation; many stocks remain depressed despite catch reductions.