Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Gadiformes (Cods) >
Phycidae (Phycid hakes)
Etymology: Urophycis: Greek, oura = tail + Greek, phyke, pykis, -idos = the female of a fish that lives among algae (Greek = phykon), related with the gudgeon (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 100 - 1000 m (Ref. 5951), usually 100 - 247 m (Ref. 1371). Temperate, preferred 5°C (Ref. 107945); 66°N - 27°N, 81°W - 13°W
Western Atlantic: Labrador and the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to the coast of North Carolina. Straying to Iceland in the east and Florida in the south.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 46.0, range 48 - ? cm
Max length : 133 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); 135.0 cm TL (female); common length : 70.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); max. published weight: 21.0 kg (Ref. 4699); max. reported age: 23 years (Ref. 796)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Anal
spines: 0. Upper limb or first gill arch with 2 (rarely 3) rakers. First dorsal in with an elongated ray. Body color variable, dorsally various dark shades, paler laterally, sometimes bronze, belly pale dirty to yellow white; pelvic fin pale. A dusky blotch present on the opercle.
Found on soft, muddy bottoms of the continental shelf and upper slope. It is mostly found at 180 m. Mature fish migrate inshore in the northern Gulf of Maine in summer, disperse in autumn, and move into deepest areas in winter. Feed on small crustaceans, squids and small fish. Utilized fresh, smoked or frozen; eaten steamed, microwaved and baked (Ref. 9988). Exported to Europe (Ref. 9988).
Cohen, D.M., T. Inada, T. Iwamoto and N. Scialabba, 1990. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 10. Gadiform fishes of the world (Order Gadiformes). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cods, hakes, grenadiers and other gadiform fishes known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(10). Rome: FAO. 442 p. (Ref. 1371)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes
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