Fun Trout Cod Facts For Kids

The trout cod (Maccullochella macquariensis), also known as bluenose cod, is a popular freshwater fish, closely related to Murray cod and sometimes caught with it during fishing activities. It is native to southeast Australia.

This fish is usually found in the Murray River (Victoria) and around coastal New South Wales.

Most of the fish are under protection except for one wild population left in Victoria which is restricted to the Seven Creeks system near Euroa (Victoria). Once widespread in streams near Murray River, this Victorian fish is listed as endangered, threatened, and vulnerable under different acts.

In the past, trout cod were recognized as Murray cod. The biology of the trout cod is similar to Murray cod, except for some morphological and behavioral characteristics.

Trout cod has an elongated body with a straight head. The back body is blue-grey while the ventral side is white-grey. The trout cod's egg is adhesive.

Their population has been decreasing due to overfishing and water pollution. This fish has been served as a great delicacy across the world and trout fishing cape cod is the most common way to catch them.

To know more about other birds species, you can also check out pilchard facts and white tuna facts.

Trout Cod Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Trout Cod?

Trout cod is a fish species native to Australia.

What class of animal does a Trout Cod belong to?

It is an Australian fish species that belongs to the class Actinopterygii and the phylum Chordata.

How many Trout Cods are there in the world?

The total population size of trout cod is unknown.

Where does a Trout Cod live?

Trout cod (Maccullochella macquariensis) are fish that are usually found in the southeastern ridge of the Murray-Darling river system, in Australia. The river system includes Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers, and the Macquarie River in central NSW.

Earlier, it was common throughout a large portion of the Murray-Darling system, but now they are left with only two breeding populations in the wild, including the Murray River from Yarrawonga downstream and a transferred population near coastal New South Wales.

The fish population has experienced an extreme decline in its distribution in the past 100 years.

In Victoria, they were was once widespread in north, central, and northeast streams flowing into the Murray River. The trout cod's range has been spreading in recent years as fit waters are recognized for their breeding grounds.

What is a Trout Cod's habitat?

The habitat range of trout cod overlaps with its sister species known as Murray cod. The main habitat of the trout cod is the flowing freshwater upstream rivers and streams, which are generally co-inhabited with the species Macquarie perch and blackfish.

Larger fishes generally live in flowing deeper water. Past historical research confirms the primarily upland distribution for trout cod. However, recent government literature lacks any such historical study.

There is a common phenomenon of division of flowing upstream and downstream species in the Murray-Darling and east coast systems. Some downstream species include golden perch (Macquaria ambigua), and estuary perch, (Macquaria colonorum), whereas Australian bass (Macquaria novemaculeata) and Macquarie perch (Macquaria australasica) are upstream species.

Trout cod are often found near cover, in cooler waters, and in swifter currents. In the Murray River, the fish prefers deep water near shores, around rocks, and other large objects.

It does not migrate from its primary base, except during breeding season, often when they follow a simple and common trend within Murray-Darling where they move to upstream waters before spawning.

Who do Trout Cods live with?

Like other trouts, the trout cod generally live in pairs or in groups. It is usually caught with the Murray cod.

How long does a Trout Cod live?

The maximum life span of the trout cod is between 20-25 years.

How do they reproduce?

Trout cod attain sexual maturity at three to five years. At this stage, they are shorter than Murray cod, which is an evolution to the low mineral and rocky upland habitats.

The spawning of this fish is believed to be similar to that of Murray cod, but it happens around three weeks before and at considerably lower temperatures in rivers shared by the two species. They require a water temperature of 15 C (59 F) for spawning.

Artificial breeding programs being carried out for the species recuperation use hormone injections to instigate ovulation in certain ripe fish in spring. Trout cod often hybridize with Murray cod.

For recuperation tasks, it is crucial that Murray cod aren't stocked in locations wherein trout cod and Murray cod aren't already present in the same waters. Females produce 1,200-11,000 eggs that stick to the hard substrates and are guarded by males.

What is their conservation status?

They are native to the Australian continent and have been listed as Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1998) and are Vulnerable in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

It is also listed as endangered under the Australian Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, as trout cod in Australia have been exhaustively hunted by people.

They have been threatened species due to various factors like overfishing through cape cod trout, water pollution, and introduced species (redfin perch) in their native regions. These species are now under protection as only one or two populations are left in the wild.

Trout cod ocean residents are also more vulnerable to being caught than those kept in reserves.

Trout Cod Fun Facts

What do Trout Cods look like?

These Australian fish usually have a total body length of about 31.4 in (80 cm) and weigh around 35.2 lb (16 kg). Although, there are some incredible larger specimens placed at a museum in Australia.

They have a broad, elongated body, pointed head, top jaw overhanging the lower jaw, a straight slope on the head, and large, prominent eyes.

There is a dark stripe present near the side of the head that stretches from the nose through the nostril and eye. Trout Cod scale is smooth and not hard or rough like other fish species.

The color of this fish is usually light grey on the belly and blue-gray with black spots on the upper body including flanks.

However, the spots on the upper body vary on the habitat of the specimens and can range from white to pale gray-green, dark brown, and black. Trout cod's dorsal fin is spiny and is somewhat separated by a notch from the upper soft dorsal fin.

They have large soft anal, dorsal, and caudal fins that are light gray to dark gray in color.

Trout cod male and trout cod female are mostly similar. In 1829, this fish species was recognized as a separate species by scientists due to different habitat preferences, morphological variations, and different spawning times.

How cute are they?

Trout cod (Maccullochella macquariensis) are quite cute and have a fresh look.

How do they communicate?

There is no information available regarding the means of communication among these fishes.

How big is a Trout Cod?

Their total body length is around 31.4 in (80 cm), which is 20 times larger than a fat sleeper.

How fast can a Trout Cod swim?

The swimming speed of this fish has not been estimated yet.

How much does a Trout Cod weigh?

They have an average weight of around 35.2 lb (16 kg), which is 10 times heavier and bigger than olive flounders.

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names to describe the male and female of this species.

What would you call a baby Trout Cod?

A trout cod baby is generally known as young or larvae.

What do they eat?

The diet of the trout cod mainly consists of freshwater crustaceans, insects, waterfowl, mussels, and other small fishes like anchovies. Larvae of trout cod feed on zooplankton.

Are they dangerous?

No, trout cod are not dangerous at all.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes, people love to keep trout cod (Maccullochella macquariensis) as pets. But due to their vulnerable conservation status, they are not available to buy.

Did you know...

The binomial name of the trout cod, Maccullochella macquariensis, was given by Georges Cuvier in 1829.

What is the difference between a Trout Cod and Murray Cod?

Trout cod are often caught with Murray cod during fishing. In February 2017, two NSW departments of primary industries distinguished Maccullochella macquariensis from Murray cod. The morphological and behavioral biology is somewhat different in both fish.

Some differences between both fish of Murray river are as follows, Murray cod have a smaller snout than trout cod. Trout cod possess an overhanging upper jaw which is absent in Murray cod. There is an eye stripe among trout cod, which is also present in juvenile Murray cod.

Is Cod a type of Trout?

No, cod and trout are different fish types. Trout is generally a freshwater fish, while cod is a saltwater fish. Trout cod temperature depends on the environment but Murray cod have the ability to adjust to the temperature.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our Arctic char facts and brook trout facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable trout cod coloring pages.