Navaga

Navaga cod
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Gadiformes
Family:	Gadidae
Genus:	Eleginus
Species:	E. nawaga
Binomial name
Eleginus nawaga (Koelreuter, 1770)

Navaga (Eleginus nawaga) is a relatively small species of fish in the cod family Gadidae. It inhabits the European arctic and subarctic waters of the Barents, White and Kara Seas, from the Kola Bay to the Ob river estuary.

Navaga fish usually occur at shallow depths, along shores with soft bottoms, close to the ice and on the continental shelf. In winter they live in nearshore waters, where spawning takes place. They are often found in estuaries and can enter fresh water in rivers. In summertime they return to open waters. They feed on crustaceans and benthic animals, also on small fish. Adult size is usually 25-35 cm, but White Sea fish are smaller, 15-25 cm.

Navaga is commercially fished mainly in the wintertime in the bays of the White Sea.

The European navaga is a close relative of the Saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis), a Pacific sister species.

References

• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Eleginus nawaga". FishBase. June 2006 version.
• Cohen, D.M.; Inada.T.; Iwamoto, T.; Scialabba, N. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis. No. 125, Vol. 10. Rome, FAO. 1990. pp 33-37 [1]

External links

• NOAA Photo Library: Eleginus navaga (picture)