Kingdom Animalia Genus Eleginus Phylum Chordata Rank Species | Family Gadidae Scientific name Eleginus nawaga Higher classification Eleginus Order Gadiformes | |
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Similar Eleginus, Arctogadus, Saffron cod, Greenland cod, Gadiformes | ||
Navaga 2017
The navaga (Eleginus nawaga) is a relatively small species of fish in the cod family Gadidae. It inhabits the European arctic and subarctic waters of the Barents, White, and Kara Seas, from the Kola Bay to the Ob River estuary.
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Navaga fish usually occur at shallow depths, along shores with soft bottoms, close to the ice and on the continental shelf. In winter, they live in nearshore waters, where spawning takes place. They are often found in estuaries and can enter fresh water in rivers. In summer, they return to open waters. They feed on crustaceans, benthic animals, and small fish. Adult size is usually 25–35 cm, but White Sea fish are smaller, 15–25 cm.
The navaga is commercially fished mainly in the winter in the bays of the White Sea. The European navaga is a close relative of the saffron cod (E. gracilis), a Pacific sister species.