Saffron cod facts for kids
| Saffron cod | |
|---|---|
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| Saffron cod juveniles | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gadiformes |
| Family: | Gadidae |
| Genus: | Eleginus |
| Species: | E. gracilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Eleginus gracilis (Tilesius, 1810) |
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The saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis), is a type of fish. They are closely related to true cods (genus Gadus). It is dark grey-green to brown, with spots on its sides and pale towards the belly. It may grow to 60 cm and weigh up to 1.3 kg.
It lives in the North Pacific, from off the Korean coasts until beyond Bering Straits, off the Alaskan coasts. It normally is found in shallow coastal waters at less than 60 m depth. It may also be found at depths up to 200 m. The saffron cod may also enter brackish and even fresh waters, occurring quite far up rivers and streams.
Saffron cods begin to mature during their third year of life. They feed on fish and small crustaceans. They are commercially fished in many areas of the northwestern Pacific. The country with the largest catch is Russia. It is used for human's to eat in the Russian Federation and Japan, fresh or frozen.
