Poor cod
Species of fish
The poor cod (Trisopterus minutus) is a temperate marine fish belonging to the cod family (Gadidae). It is red brown in colour and has a pronounced chin barbel. It may grow up to a length of 40 cm (16 in). It is usually found in small shoals at depths between 10 and 300 feet (3 and 91 m) over muddy or sandy bottoms. Its distribution spans the eastern Atlantic, from Norwegian coasts to Portugal and along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. Spawning takes place towards the end of winter. They are often regarded as a mini species and are commonly confused with pouting as they have a similar appearance. They are often seen as a menace for anglers and have little commercial value and so are not currently at any risk of extinction.
They feed on crustaceans, small fish and marine worms. They are eaten by seals, dolphins and larger fish. It is commercially harvested for the production of fish meal, and in southern Europe as food.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Poor cod”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Trisopterus minutus Gervais.jpg by Gervais et Boulart, Public domain
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.