Atlantic cod: Difference between revisions

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Atlantic cod

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Gadidae
Genus:	Gadus
Species:	morhua

Binomial name

Gadus morhua

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a well-known foodfish belonging to the family Gadidae. It grows to two metres (6 1/2 feet) in length. Colouring is brown to green on the dorsal side, shading to silver ventrally. Its habitat ranges from the shoreline down to the continental shelf.

North-East Atlantic Cod

The North-East Arctic Cod, which also is regarded as an Atlantic cod, is the world's largest stock of true cod. Newly hatched larvae feed on larval copepods. As they grow, they turn to krill and other crustaceans, and then to small fish. Adult cod feed mainly on fish such as capelin and herring. The North-East Arctic Cod also shows cannibalistic behaviour. The total catch of North-East Arctic Cod was in 2002 445,060 tons, Norway (202,559 tons) and Russia (184,058 tons), being the major exploiters (Source: ICES).

An important cod fishery mainly performed by European Union states in the North Sea, has had a repeatedly reduction in catch quotas and some scientists are now calling for a total moratorium on cod fishing in the waters around the British Isles. The IUCN lists the species as vulnerable.

File:Cod catch 1950-2002.png

Catch of Atlantic Cod. Northeast Atlantic (Blue), Northwest Atlantic (Green) and Total (Red).
Source: FAO Fishstat 2004.

North-West Atlantic Cod

In the western Atlantic Ocean it has a distribution north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and round both coasts of Greenland; in the eastern Atlantic it is found from the Bay of Biscay north to the [Arctic Ocean]], including the North Sea, areas around Iceland and the Barents Sea, which is the most important feeding area.

Formerly very numerous, this North-West Atlantic Cod has been regarded as heavily overfished throughout its range, resulting in a crash in the fishery in the United States and Canada. The fishery has yet to recover, and may not recover at all because of a possibly stable change in the food web. The North-west Atlantic populations spawn in the winter and spring in the Cape Cod region in a location called Georges Bank.

See also: Cod, Gadus, Cod War

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 </td></tr></table>
-The '''Atlantic cod''' (''Gadus morhua'') is a well-known [[foodfish]] belonging to the family [[Gadidae]]. It grows to two metres (6 1/2 feet) in length.  In the western [[Atlantic Ocean]] it has a distribution north of [[Cape Hatteras]], [[North Carolina]], and round both coasts of [[Greenland]]; in the eastern Atlantic it is found from the [[Bay of Biscay]] north to the [[Barents Sea]], including in the [[North Sea]], and around [[Iceland]].
+The '''Atlantic cod''' (''Gadus morhua'') is a well-known [[foodfish]] belonging to the family [[Gadidae]]. It grows to two metres (6 1/2 feet) in length. Colouring is brown to green on the [[dorsal]] side, shading to silver ventrally.  Its [[habitat]] ranges from the shoreline down to the [[continental shelf]].
+==North-East Atlantic Cod==
-Formerly very numerous, this species has been heavily overfished throughout its range, resulting in a crash in the [[fishery]] in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] and in western [[Europe]].  The fishery has yet to recover, and may not recover at all because of a possibly stable change in the [[food web]].  [[European Union]] cod fishing quotas have repeatedly been reduced, and some scientists are now calling for a total moratorium on cod fishing in the waters around the [[British Isles]].  The [[IUCN]] lists the species as [[vulnerable]].
+The North-East Arctic Cod, which also is regarded as an Atlantic cod, is the world's largest stock of true cod. Newly hatched larvae feed on larval copepods. As they grow, they turn to krill and other crustaceans, and then to small fish. Adult cod feed mainly on fish such as capelin and herring. The North-East Arctic Cod also shows cannibalistic behaviour. The total catch of North-East Arctic Cod was in [[2002]] 445,060 tons, [[Norway]] (202,559 tons) and [[Russia]] (184,058 tons), being the major exploiters (Source: [[ICES]]).
+An important cod fishery mainly performed by [[European Union]] states in the North Sea, has had a repeatedly reduction in catch quotas and some scientists are now calling for a total moratorium on cod fishing in the waters around the [[British Isles]].  The [[IUCN]] lists the species as [[vulnerable]].
-Colouring is brown to green on the [[dorsal]] side, shading to silver ventrally.  Its [[habitat]] ranges from the shoreline down to the [[continental shelf]].  Northwestern Atlantic populations spawn in the winter and spring in the [[Cape Cod]] region in a location called [[Georges Bank]].
+<table cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr><td>[[image:cod_catch_1950-2002.png|Catch of Atlantic cod 1050-2002|300px|]]</td></tr><tr><td>'''Catch of Atlantic Cod.''' Northeast Atlantic (Blue), Northwest Atlantic (Green) and Total (Red).<br>Source: FAO Fishstat 2004.</td></tr></table>
+==North-West Atlantic Cod==
+In the western [[Atlantic Ocean]] it has a distribution north of [[Cape Hatteras]], [[North Carolina]], and round both coasts of [[Greenland]]; in the eastern Atlantic it is found from the [[Bay of Biscay]] north to the [Arctic Ocean]], including the [[North Sea]], areas around [[Iceland]] and the [[Barents Sea]], which is the most important feeding area.
+Formerly very numerous, this North-West Atlantic Cod has been regarded as heavily overfished throughout its range, resulting in a crash in the [[fishery]] in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]].  The fishery has yet to recover, and may not recover at all because of a possibly stable change in the [[food web]].
+The North-west Atlantic populations spawn in the winter and spring in the [[Cape Cod]] region in a location called [[Georges Bank]].