Kingdom Animalia Order Perciformes Genus Notothenia Higher classification Notothenia | Phylum Chordata Family Nototheniidae Scientific name Notothenia microlepidota Rank Species | |
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Similar Channichthyidae, Chaenocephalus aceratus, Notothenia | ||
Notothenia microlepidota, the black cod or smallscaled cod, is a species of cod icefish native to the Pacific waters around New Zealand and Macquarie Island. This species can reach a length of 70 centimetres (28 in) TL. It is a commercially important species.
The juveniles are silvery in appearance with a pronounced tail fork. The adult has a less pronounced fork in the tail, with body colors of silver, yellow and reddish brown. The scales are very small, and there are two lateral lines which have a considerable overlap.
Being a sub-Antarctic species, the black cod has special adaptations such as antifreeze proteins in its blood, as well as adipose tissues to offset its lack of swim bladders, giving it neutral buoyancy. Sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, is occasionally called black cod as well, but it is not a true cod. In New Zealand, Maori cod is also known as "black cod".