Pacific Cod

At a glance

Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) is a bony-fish species regulated in 10 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.

The strictest bag limit is 1 (Massachusetts); the most generous is 20 (California).

Confirmed by 222 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington the top jurisdictions by observation count.

Notable details

• Can reach nearly 4 feet in length and weigh over 40 pounds at maximum.
• A fleshy chin barbel helps it detect prey buried in the seafloor.
• Lives up to about 18 years in cold North Pacific waters.
• One of the world's most commercially harvested fish, caught from Alaska to California.
• Mild, flaky white flesh makes it prized for fish and chips worldwide.

Where Pacific Cod are seen

• Alaska134 iNat obs
• British Columbia72 iNat obs
• Washington16 iNat obs

Jurisdictions with rules for Pacific Cod

• British ColumbiaCanada · official source
• CaliforniaUnited States · official source
• Federal Waters (DFO)Canada · official source
• MassachusettsUnited States · official source
• New HampshireUnited States · official source
• New JerseyUnited States · official source

Background

The Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Gadidae. It is a bottom-dwelling fish found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, mainly on the continental shelf and upper slopes, to depths of about 900 m (3,000 ft). It can grow to a length of a meter or so and is found in large schools. It is an important commercial food species and is also known as gray cod or…

Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Pacific Cod article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.

Other bony fish on CatchRules

• Northern PikeEsox lucius
• Moorish IdolZanclus cornutus
• Nile TilapiaOreochromis niloticus
• Mozambique TilapiaOreochromis mossambicus