Species learning profile
Pacific cod
Gadus macrocephalus
Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a saltwater fish associated with demersal habitat in North Pacific. A chin barbel helps it detect food on dark seafloors.
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Previously featured in Fishdle
At a glance
- Water
- Salt water
- Habitat
- Sea floor
- Maximum length
- 119 cm
- Range
- North Pacific
- Family
- Gadidae
- Order
- Gadiformes
Observe
How to identify Pacific cod
- A chin barbel helps it detect food on dark seafloors.
- Guide context: demersal habitat in North Pacific.
- Reported maximum length: 119 cm — capable of growing longer than many people are tall. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.
Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.
Place and pattern
Where it lives—and how it behaves
Habitat and range
This species is associated with demersal habitat across North Pacific. It lives on or close to the bottom, where sediment, rock, depth, and bottom-dwelling prey matter most.
Behavior
Migrates seasonally in large schools
Food-web connections
What it eats and why it matters
Diet
Crabs, worms, fish, and octopus.
Ecological role
A central shelf predator and prey species.
Remember
One fact worth keeping
A chin barbel helps it detect food on dark seafloors.
Think like a conservationist
A conservation lens
Bottom-associated fish can be affected by seafloor disturbance, bycatch, warming, and changes to benthic prey.
This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.
Recall
Quick knowledge check
Which habitat is most closely associated with Pacific cod in this guide?
Keep exploring
References and further reading
Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.
Make connections