Black Cod - Definition and Overview

Black cod (Paranotothenia microlepidota) is a marine fish with distribution ranging from New Zealand to sub-antarctic seas. They have also been fished off the Great Australian Bight, the Chilean coasts and off the Falkland Islands. It is also known as the smallscaled cod.

Until 1989, the Black cod and the related Maori cod were classified in genus Notothenia, and older literature will usually refer to them as belonging in that group.

They may grow up to 35cm and weigh up to 3kg. The juveniles are silvery in appearance with a pronounced tail fork. The adult has a less pronounced fork in the tail, with body colors of silver, yellow and reddish-brown.

Being a sub-antarctic species, the Black Cod has special adaptations such as antifreeze proteins in its blood as well as fatty tissues to offset its lack of swim bladders, giving it neutral buoyancy. It is found in rocky reefs.

It should be noted that Sablefish ("Anoplopoma fimbria") is occasionally called Black Cod as well, and is likewise not a true cod.

The Black cod is unrelated to the true cod, and gets its name from the fact that it is a food fish. It is tasty to eat, and is commercially fished.