Cod

Cod is a member of the genus Gadus, of which there are three different recognized species: Pacific (G. macrocephalus), Greenland (G. orgac), and Atlantic (G. morhua). But it is the Atlantic cod that is the most famous and influential on the history of America. The range of Atlantic cod is from Greenland to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The most prolific fishing grounds are in the northern part of the range, with the highest densities off Newfoundland. The color of cod can vary, but typically they are a greenish-brown to grey with many small spots, a pale lateral line, and three prominent dorsal and two anal fins. Cod spawn near the ocean bottom during winter and early spring, with each female producing from 3 to 9 million eggs. There are early European descriptions of cod being the size of a man, and this could be true, as the Atlantic cod can live twenty years and grow to fifty-one inches long.