# Atlantic cod (*Gadus morhua*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/atlantic-cod  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a bony fish in the family Gadidae, order Gadiformes. Its body length is 90 cm, with sources reporting values from 60 cm to 1.2 m, and its lifespan is 25 years. Its main foods include atlantic mackerel, capelin, clam, clupea harengus, haddock, herring, mussel, polychaeta, sand eel, teuthida and whiting. The IUCN Red List assesses the Atlantic cod globally as Vulnerable (VU), a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 60 cm – 1.2 m |
| Lifespan | 25 years |
| Main food | atlantic mackerel, capelin, clam, clupea harengus, clypeasteroida, common sole and 10 more |
| Habitat | coastal |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Teleostei
- order: Gadiformes
- family: Gadidae
- genus: Gadus
- species: *Gadus morhua* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Asellus major*, *Gadus arenosus*, *Gadus callarias*, *Gadus callarias hiemalis*, *Gadus callarias kildinensis*, *Gadus callarius*, *Gadus heteroglossus*, *Gadus morhua callarias*, *Gadus morhua kildinensis*, *Gadus morhua morhua*, *Gadus morrhua*, *Gadus nanus*, *Gadus rupestris*, *Gadus vertagus*, *Morhua punctatus*, *Morhua vulgaris*, *Morrhua americana*, *Morrhua vulgaris*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the Atlantic cod?

The Atlantic cod is a bony fish in the family Gadidae, part of the order Gadiformes.

### How big is the Atlantic cod?

The Atlantic cod has a body length of 90 cm. Sources report lengths from 60 cm to 1.2 m.

### What does the Atlantic cod eat?

Its main foods are atlantic mackerel, capelin, clam, clupea harengus, clypeasteroida, common sole, haddock, herring, holothuroidea, mussel, pleuronectes platessa, polychaeta, sand eel, teuthida, tunicata and whiting.

### Is the Atlantic cod endangered?

The Atlantic cod is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List in its global assessment, which is a threatened category.

### How long does the Atlantic cod live?

The Atlantic cod has a lifespan of 25 years.

### What is the scientific name of the Atlantic cod?

The scientific name of the Atlantic cod is Gadus morhua, named by Linnaeus, 1758.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/atlantic-cod