Black cod facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black cod |
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| Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling | |
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The black cod, also known as the small-scaled cod, is a fascinating fish that lives in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. You can find it around New Zealand and Macquarie Island. Even though it's called a "cod," it's actually a type of fish called a notothen. This fish can grow up to 70 centimeters (about 27 inches) long! It's also an important fish for fishing.
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What Does the Black Cod Look Like?
When they are young, black cod look shiny and silver. They have a tail that is clearly forked, like a "V" shape. As they get older, their tail fork becomes less noticeable. Adult black cod can be silver, yellow, or reddish-brown in color.
Special Scales and Lines
This fish gets its name "small-scaled cod" because its scales are very tiny. It also has two lateral lines. These are special lines along the side of the fish that help it sense movement and vibrations in the water. The two lateral lines on the black cod overlap quite a bit.
Where Does the Black Cod Live and What Does It Eat?
The black cod lives near the bottom of the ocean. This is called "benthic feeding." They mostly eat small sea creatures they find there.
What's on the Menu?
In places like the Campbell Plateau, the black cod's favorite food is salps. Salps are small, jelly-like sea animals. They also enjoy eating amphipods, which are tiny crustaceans, especially one called Parathemisto gaudichaudii. Sometimes, they eat percophidids, which are a type of fish. Crabs, like the Nectocarcinus bennetti, are also an important part of their diet.
Super Adaptations for Cold Water
The black cod lives in subantarctic areas. This means it lives in very cold waters near the South Pole. To survive in these chilly conditions, it has some amazing adaptations!
Staying Warm and Afloat
One cool adaptation is that it has special antifreeze proteins in its blood. These proteins stop its blood from freezing in the icy water. The black cod also has a lot of fatty tissues. This fat helps it float easily in the water without needing a swim bladder. This ability to float without effort is called "neutral buoyancy."
Not a True Cod
Sometimes, other fish are also called "black cod." For example, the sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, is sometimes called black cod, but it's not a true cod fish. In New Zealand, the Maori cod is also known by this name.
