Saffron Cod: Eleginus gracilis (Tilesius, 1810)
A locally abundant cod in the nearshore western Arctic
Size
- Usually < 35 cm (14 in)
- 60 cm (24 in) maximum
Color & Characteristics
- Back and upper sides brown to gray-green with mottling
- More or less pronounced yellow wash on body and pectoral fins
- Bulbous snout
- Upper jaw protruding beyond the lower jaw
- Truncate caudal fin
- Juveniles (to 6-7 cm) have large dark blotches on sides
Habitat
- Subarctic to arctic faunal regions of North Pacific and adjacent Arctic
- Demersal, in brackish waters and river mouths to continental shelf edge
- Surface to depth of 200 m, typically < 100 m in the Arctic
Feeding
- Feed on fish, mysids, decapods, amphipods, polychaetes
- A food of some marine mammals, seabirds, and fishes
Life cycle
- Migrate annually into shallow waters to spawn in winter
- Fecundity varies by region and increases with body length, weight, and age; 5,000-680,000 eggs laid per female
- Eggs are demersal, spawned on sand-gravel substrate. Larvae are pelagic.
- Begin to mature at 2-3 years. Maximum age 14 years, up to 9 years in most regions.
Page Authors: Kitty and Tony Mecklenburg
Created: Feb 12, 2009
