Atlantic cod facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atlantic cod
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)
Scientific classification
Distribution of Atlantic cod
Synonyms
Asellus major Gadus callarias Linnaeus, 1758 Gadus vertagus Walbaum, 1792 Gadus heteroglossus Walbaum, 1792 Gadus ruber Lacepède, 1803 Gadus arenosus Mitchill, 1815 Gadus rupestris Mitchill, 1815 Morhua vulgaris Fleming, 1828 Morhua punctatus Fleming, 1828 Gadus nanus Faber, 1829 Morrhua americana Storer, 1839

Atlantic cod is a species of cod which occurs in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean. The younger fish live near the surface of the ocean, the older ones near the sea floor. Atlantic cod is one of the species of cod that has been consumed by humans. The atlantic cod feeds on other, smaller fish (for example herring), as well as molluscs.

Images for kids

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  Atlantic cod in a High Arctic Lake in Canada. These cod resemble those of past Atlantic catches. Measuring 47–53 in (120–130 cm) long and weighing between 44 and 57 lb (20 and 26 kg), it is easy to see that today's 16–20 in (41–51 cm) commercially caught cod are less than half this size.

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  Reported landings of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the eastern Atlantic for each of the 16 populations/management units. Data source: ICES.

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  Landings of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the western Atlantic from 1960 to 2019. Data source: NAFO.

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  Estimated biomass of the Northeast Arctic cod stock for the period 1946–2012, in million tons: Light blue bars represent the immature fraction of the stock, while the darker blue bars represent the spawning biomass.

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  Spawning female in captivity

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  Atlantic cod juvenile

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  Adult

See also

In Spanish: Bacalao para niños