Arctic cod

Arctic cod
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Gadiformes Family: Gadidae Genus: Arctogadus Species: glacialis
Binomial name
Arctogadus glacialis

The Arctic cod (Arctogadus glacialis) is deepwater fish closely related to true cods (genus Gadus). Note that the name "Arctic cod" is also sometimes used for the Polar cod (Boreogadus saida).

It is widely distributed in western part of the Arctic basin, also northwest and northeast coasts of Greenland. Its range is between 85° and 72° north latitude. They can be found up to the depths of up to 1000m.

It is silvery in appearence and can grow up to 30 cm. It lacks chin barbels of other cods. It has several common names including the "polar cod" and the "Greenland cod", but two other species, Boreogadus saida and Gadus ogac, respectively, share these common names! It can be frequently found under ice.

Arctic Cod feed on invertebrates, such as crabs and molluscs, as well as smaller fish. They in turn are eaten by narwhals, sealss and other fishes and form an important part of the Arctic food chain. The species is of minor commercial value.