﻿THE 
  COD. 
  

  

  DESCRIPTION 
  OF 
  THE 
  FISH, 
  

  

  The 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  cod 
  is 
  moderately 
  long, 
  compressed 
  and 
  taporing 
  

   behind; 
  the 
  greatest 
  depth 
  is 
  about 
  one-fourth 
  its 
  length. 
  The 
  large 
  

   head 
  is 
  narrowed 
  anteriorly 
  and 
  is 
  contained 
  3i 
  to 
  4^ 
  times 
  in 
  the 
  

   body 
  length. 
  The 
  mouth 
  is 
  laige; 
  the 
  lower 
  jaw 
  is 
  included 
  within 
  

   the 
  upper 
  when 
  the 
  mouth 
  is 
  closed; 
  the 
  maxillary 
  extends 
  to 
  about 
  

   middle 
  of 
  eye. 
  The 
  diameter 
  of 
  the 
  eye 
  is 
  about 
  half 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  

   snout 
  and 
  one-fifth 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  head. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  conspicuous 
  barbel 
  on 
  

   the 
  chin. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  dorsal 
  tins 
  is 
  3 
  and 
  of 
  anal 
  fins 
  2; 
  the 
  

   dorsal 
  rays 
  are 
  usually 
  about 
  14, 
  21, 
  and 
  19 
  in 
  the 
  respective 
  fins, 
  and 
  

   the 
  anal 
  rays 
  are 
  20 
  and 
  18. 
  The 
  ventral 
  fins 
  are 
  well 
  developed, 
  with 
  

   about 
  7 
  rays. 
  The 
  cycloid 
  scales, 
  with 
  which 
  the 
  body 
  is 
  covered, 
  are 
  

   very 
  small. 
  The 
  air-bladder 
  is 
  large 
  and 
  thick. 
  The 
  color 
  varies 
  

   greatly, 
  depending 
  on 
  food, 
  kind 
  of 
  bottom 
  on 
  which 
  found, 
  and 
  other 
  

   conditions. 
  Fish 
  taken 
  oifshore 
  in 
  deep 
  water 
  are 
  usually 
  olivaceous 
  

   on 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  whitish 
  beneath 
  ; 
  the 
  so-called 
  rock 
  cod, 
  found 
  in 
  shoaler 
  

   water 
  among 
  rocks 
  and 
  kelp, 
  vary 
  in 
  color 
  from 
  green 
  to 
  deep 
  red. 
  The 
  

   back 
  and 
  sides 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  small, 
  round, 
  reddisli-brown 
  spots. 
  

   The 
  lateral 
  line 
  is 
  conspicuous, 
  of 
  a 
  whitish 
  color. 
  The 
  fins 
  are 
  dark. 
  

  

  From 
  other 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  family, 
  taken 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  waters, 
  the 
  cod 
  

   is 
  readily 
  distinguished. 
  From 
  the 
  haddock 
  it 
  differs 
  in 
  having 
  a 
  pale, 
  

   instead 
  of 
  a 
  black, 
  lateral 
  line; 
  in 
  its 
  spots 
  (absent 
  in 
  the 
  haddock), 
  

   and 
  in 
  its 
  larger 
  maxillary 
  bone, 
  which 
  reaches 
  past 
  the 
  eye, 
  while 
  in 
  

   the 
  haddock 
  this 
  bone 
  does 
  not 
  extend 
  to 
  the 
  eye. 
  The 
  features 
  dis- 
  

   tinguishing 
  the 
  pollock 
  from 
  the 
  cod 
  are 
  the 
  smaller 
  size, 
  the 
  projecting 
  

   lower 
  jaw, 
  the 
  uniform 
  coloration 
  above, 
  the 
  sharp 
  snout, 
  the 
  smaller 
  

   barbel, 
  etc. 
  The 
  hakes 
  have 
  only 
  1 
  anal 
  and 
  2 
  dorsal 
  fins, 
  a 
  filamentous 
  

   prolongation 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  dorsal 
  ray, 
  and 
  a 
  ventral 
  fin 
  consisting 
  of 
  two 
  

   or 
  three 
  very 
  long 
  filamentous 
  rays. 
  

  

  The 
  status 
  of 
  the 
  cod 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Pacific 
  Ocean 
  is 
  somewhat 
  uncer- 
  

   tain. 
  It 
  has 
  generally 
  been 
  considered 
  identical 
  with 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  

   species, 
  but 
  its 
  smaller 
  air-bladder 
  and 
  other 
  features 
  may 
  entitle 
  it 
  to 
  

   recognition 
  as 
  a 
  distinct 
  species. 
  

  

  RANGE, 
  MOVEMENTS, 
  FOOD, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  Cod 
  are 
  widely 
  distributed 
  in 
  the 
  North 
  Atlantic 
  Ocean, 
  To 
  the 
  

   north 
  they 
  range 
  far 
  beyond 
  the 
  Arctic 
  Circle, 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  as 
  far 
  

   as 
  Cape 
  Hatteras, 
  although 
  they 
  are 
  not 
  common 
  south 
  of 
  New 
  Jersey. 
  

  

  F. 
  C. 
  R. 
  1897 
  13 
  193 
  

  

  