Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 100 - 1000 m (Ref. 35388), usually 100 - 400 m (Ref. 35388). Temperate; 75°N - 35°N, 55°W - 44°E (Ref. 54595)
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 90.0, range 90 - 100 cm
Max length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); common length : 106 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1371); max. published weight: 45.0 kg (Ref. 35388); max. reported age: 25 years (Ref. 35388)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 0;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 75-83;
Anal
soft rays: 58 - 64;
Vertebrae: 63 - 65. Upper jaw projecting beyond lower one. Color is reddish brown dorsally, grading to white ventrally. The posterior areas of the vertical fins dark with pale margins. The sides distinctly marbled (Ref. 232). Barbel is present in the chin, longer than the diameter of the eye. Black spot in the rear end of the first dorsal fin. Caudal peduncle stout compared to blue ling (Ref. 35388).
Northwest Atlantic: off southern Greenland and Canada. Northeast Atlantic: Barents Sea and Iceland to Morocco. Mediterranean Sea: northwestern Mediterranean only.
Occurs mainly on rocky bottoms in fairly deep water (Ref. 9988). Found more commonly from 100 to 400 m. Feeds on fish (cod, herring, flatfish), lobsters, cephalopods and starfishes. Principal spawning areas are Biscay, slopes west of the British Isles and off the Faeroes and southern Iceland (Ref. 35388). Marketed fresh, dried or salted and frozen; eaten steamed, fried, broiled and baked (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.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00368 (-0.11402 - 0.12139), b=3.09 (3.01 - 3.17), based on LWR estimates for species & family-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 4.2 ±0.73 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.12; tm=5-6; tmax=25; Fec=60 million).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Very high vulnerability (77 of 100) .