{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "cod",
  "name": "Atlantic Cod",
  "scientificName": "Gadus morhua",
  "category": "Fish",
  "summary": "Atlantic cod is a cold-water groundfish that shaped the economies of Newfoundland, Iceland, and New England for centuries before overfishing collapsed many stocks. Growing to 40 kg (88 lb) and living 25 years, it supports fisheries where recovered and remains Vulnerable in the northwest Atlantic.",
  "conservationStatus": "Vulnerable",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Actinopterygii",
    "order": "Gadiformes",
    "family": "Gadidae",
    "genus": "Gadus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 5,
    "lengthM": 0.8,
    "topSpeedKmh": 15,
    "lifespanYears": 20
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Gadus morhua"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore — fish, crustaceans, and worms"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Cold continental shelf waters of the North Atlantic"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Up to 25 years in the wild"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "2–40 kg (4–88 lb); most market fish 2–8 kg"
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Steady swimmer; schooling migrations"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Vulnerable (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Cold continental shelf waters of the North Atlantic from North America and Greenland to Iceland, Norway, and the Barents Sea — historic spawning grounds on Grand Banks and North Sea.",
    "continents": [
      "Europe",
      "North America",
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Gadus morhua.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Gadus%20morhua&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Gadus morhua. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Gadus_morhua/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/cod/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/cod/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}