Pacific Cod

Gadus macrocephalus

The Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a large, commercially important fish reaching up to 119 cm and 22 kg. It has a brownish body with darker mottling, three dorsal fins, two anal fins, and a prominent chin barbel. Found across the North Pacific from Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk to the Bering Sea, Alaska, and California, it inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms over the continental shelf at depths of 0 to 500 meters, most commonly between 50 and 300 meters. This species feeds on fish, crustaceans, worms, and cephalopods. It forms large aggregations, particularly during spawning season. Cold-water divers in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska occasionally encounter Pacific cod on deeper dives, where their large size and schooling behavior create impressive underwater spectacles.