Atlantic cod

Description

Gadus morhua ( Linnaeus,1758 ),known in Italian as cod,or cod is amarine bony fish belonging to the Gadidae family.It is one of the most important fish globally for commercial fishing.It has a fairly slender body,with a rather large and elongated head.It has three dorsal fins and two anal ones,all separated by only a short space;the ventral fins are in a jugular position and the caudal fin has a straight back margin.The upper jaw is slightly protruding from the inferior,under the latter there is a showy light barb.The very evident lateral line has a downward curve after the pectoral fins.The livery varies from brownish to greenish on the back,which is dotted with greyish,greenish or brown spots,sometimes whitish,while it becomes more nuanced on the sides.The coloring can have golden or reddish reflections in the specimens that live among the rocks or in the beds of algae.The belly is whitish.The head is often covered with darker spots with the appearance of "freckles".The lateral line is clear and clearly visible.The specimens under 10 cm often have a squared pattern on the back and sides.It can reach two meters in length (normally it is attested on a meter) and 96 kg of weight.