Polar cod

Polar Cod
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Gadiformes Family: Gadidae Genus: Boreogadus Species: saida
Binomial name
Boreogadus saida

The Polar cod or Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) is a fish of the family Gadidae, related to the true cods (genus Gadus). Note that there is also another fish with the common name Arctic cod, Arctogadus glacialis.

The Polar Cod has a slender body, deeply forked tail, projecting mouth and a small whisker on its chin. It is plainly colored with brownish spots and a silvery body. It grows to a length of 30 cm. The Polar Cod is found farthest north of any fish species (beyond 84 degrees N) with distribution spanning the Arctic seas off northern Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland.

This fish is most commonly found at the water's surface, but is also known to travel at depths below 900 meters. The Polar Cod is known to frequent river mouths. It is a hardy fish that survives best at temperatures of 0-4 degrees Celsius but may tolerate colder temperatures due to presence of antifreeze protein compounds in their blood. The fish group in large schools in ice-free waters.

The polar cod feeds on plankton in the upper water column (unlike their relative, the Atlantic Cod, which feeds on the bottom). It in turn is the primary food source for narwhals, belugas, ringed seals and seabirds. They are fisheded commercially in Russia and are considered an excellent table fish.