Fun Codfish Facts For Kids

Codfish (scientific name Gadus Morhua) is known as codfish Gadus Morhua in the scientific community. As a matter of fact, the name Cod is an umbrella term used to describe different fishes from the demersal fish genus. The codfish is found in deep water and cold water regions of the Pacific and the north Atlantic Ocean. The world’s largest population of cod is in the Northeast Atlantic. North-East arctic cod is known for its largest population and can be found in the Barents Sea. The cod has a spawning period that begins in March and April.

The increasing instances of overfishing of Gadus Morhua fishes and harvesting of young fishes before they have reproduced are posing a threat to their survival. As a result, many countries have put restrictions on overfishing cod. After you have read through this information on cod fish, do check out our articles on swai fish and giant clam.
 

What type of animal is a Codfish?

An Atlantic cod is a fish that comes under the Gadus family mostly found in the north and is simply referred to as a cod. This Atlantic cod can live up to 25 years while attaining sexual maturity at a young age of two to four years. Cod in the arctic side of the waters take a maturing time of 8 years.

What class of animal does a Codfish belong to?

A cod belongs to the Actinopterygii class. There are two common types of cod. Atlantic cod is found in the North Atlantic sea waters and the Pacific cod situated eastern and western sides of the Atlantic.

How many Codfish are there in the world?

According to a recent study, only 100 adult cod remain in the North sea.

Where does a Codfish live?

A cod is generally found in a vast ocean like the pacific ocean or north of the Atlantic ocean. Adult cod can be located under the bottom of the sea from 21-200 ft.

What is a Codfish's habitat?

An Atlantic cod habitat’s vary. A cod is usually found under waters of rough ground having 6 - 60 meters of depth or 80m on average.

Who do Codfish live with?

An Atlantic cod feeds on sand eels, haddock, squid, crabs, worms, and hence, they mostly swim around the bottom of the sea as it’s an ideal place for them to find food.

How long does a Codfish live?

An Atlantic cod may live around 15-25 years provided they are not victims of human prey. The demand for this cod is on a rise and its population is under threat.

How do they reproduce?

Cod usually reproduce in a one to a two-month season of spawning annually. February and April are the months where a spawning activity takes place. Females can produce more than nine million eggs. Male fish fertilize the eggs after a female releases gametes.

What is their conservation status?

Atlantic cod is going extinct and comes under the vulnerable status as they are being hunted by humans.

What do Codfish look like?

An Atlantic cod is known for its distinctive features of having three dorsal fins. They have one pair of pectoral and other two anal fins. The barbel on the chin of this cod enables it to detect its prey.

How cute are they?

Their features and characteristics set them apart from other fishes in the sea as they look big and ferocious. They aren’t that cute considering the fact that they are always on the lookout for meaty food and can bite anything they like.

How do they communicate?

A male Atlantic cod fish usually communicates by displaying its fins to form a courtship. Male and female cod swim together once they develop a bond.

How big is a Codfish?

A cod is comparatively bigger in size and weighs more than most of the fishes found in water. Its length extends to 51in and can leverage its size in obtaining food.

How fast can a Codfish swim?

A cod has the ability to swim at a speed of 2 - 5 cm/s or a maximum speed of 21 - 54 cm/s. Cod has to increase its speed during the search of its prey mainly in the daytime. Sunlight gives them the energy to swim faster and so their speed varies at specific times of the year.

How much does a Codfish weigh?

A cod usually weighs around 55-70 lb and a larger fish may weigh around 220lb.

What are their male and female names of the species?

The male cod fish is called 'male cod fish' and a female cod fish is called 'female cod fish'.

What would you call a baby Codfish?

A young codfish can be simply referred to as a 'codling'.

What do they eat?

They usually eat smaller fish, worms, and crustaceans.

Do they bite?

Yes. They bite whatever appears as food for the cod.

Would they make a good pet?

No. They live in the deep-sea where they are surrounded by their favorite food and have a suitable breathing environment.

Did you know...

The farming of Atlantic cod is on the rise as their prices are increasing all over the world. But the lack of space in habituating such species makes it a common problem in the process of farming.

Codfish is found in the Atlantic and Pacific ocean and is considered quite popular among people due to its distinctive taste. Its flesh is a mild flavor and dense, making it preferable to eat. This Atlantic cod has a liver that consists of many vital nutrients and vitamins like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, D, and E. Young Atlantic cod is called scrod as they are prepared in strips. Atlantic cod is consumed mostly in the form of fish and chips. Let us know some facts about codfish and how they are becoming extinct due to mass fishing activities.

Different variations of codfish

There are at least two types of cod found in the Baltic Sea. One spawns on the east side of Bornholm and the other on the western side. Eastern cod is distinct genetically and is favorable in the brackish environment. The western cod has subpopulations having similar features to the cod of the north. In the 1970s, the eastern cod were very less in numbers due to massive fishing. However, their numbers started to rise when restrictions were laid on fishing. Suitable environmental conditions for larvae survival and egg led to a further increase in their numbers. Their numbers keep on falling and rising.

Codfish Fishing Trade

Overfishing for thousand of years in Europe and America has led to the decline of this gadus Atlantic codfish. New strategies of fishing make it worse for the survival of such species. The massive fishing of this cod even led to its collapse but it has struggled to survive in this ugly scenario.  This increased demand for cod has reduced the total number of fisheries and now, Atlantic cod comes under the vulnerable category.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including skate fish, or fluke fish.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our codfish coloring pages.